Prandin is used to reduce blood glucose levels in type II diabetics
Prandin is a drug most commonly prescribed for people with Type II diabetes as a way to decrease blood sugar levels. It is not designed specifically as a weight loss tool; rather, some of the side effects that it creates may occur in combination with weight loss. Consult your physician before taking any medication and make sure it is the right choice for you.
Basics
Prandin works to decrease blood sugar levels by spurring the pancreas to create insulin. This drug is specifically for non-insulin dependant patients with Type II diabetes only. The drug may cause a drastic decrease in blood sugar, so you should be familiar with the symptoms of hypoglycemia, which include nausea, hunger, anxiety, numbness and irregular heartbeat. If you experience these symptoms, you should drink or eat something with sugar or take a glucagon injection as instructed by your doctor.
Those taking Prandin should be wary of interactions with any other medications. Prandin has been shown to increase, decrease or alter the effects of many medications including those used to treat asthma, oral contraceptives, aspirin, water pills and some antibiotics. It is imperative to go over with your doctor all medications you are taking to make sure they will not be altered by the ingestion of Prandin.
Weight Loss
While Prandin is not used specifically for weight loss, it is associated with it for two main reasons. The goal of a diabetic diet to provide nutrients to the body without all the fats and sugars associated with a higher calorie diet. By counting your carbohydrates and sugar intake, you naturally take in fewer calories and lose weight. When you couple this with the suggested exercise, weight loss is almost guaranteed.
The other reason Prandin may be considered a drug related to weight loss is because of some of the possible side effects specifically diarrhea and nausea. The diarrhea will cause you to lose weight quickly because you are releasing a large amount of water, but it is not true weight loss as no fat is being burned for calories. The water you lose must be replaced for the health of your body or else you may suffer from dehydration. The nausea may cause you to lose your appetite or regurgitate your food before it is properly digested. Both of these may contribute to weight loss.
Improper Use
Prandin is a prescription drug and should never be taken by anyone without Type II diabetes. If you use it wrongly as a weight loss drug, you may find yourself becoming hypoglycemic. One of the classic symptoms of hypoglycemia is a voracious hunger, so you will most likely gain weight if this happens.
