Metformin is the most common first choice medicine to treat type 2 diabetes. It is a pill taken by mouth. If you can’t take metformin, your doctor may recommend other medicines. These may include pills or injections. These may include insulin, sulfonylureas, or several other types of medicine.

Type 2 Diabetes Medications

The best choice of medicine for you depends on several things. If you have heart or kidney disease or need to lose weight, some choices are better than others. Other factors to consider are your comfort with needles and how much the medicine costs. This helps you and your doctor find the best medicine to lower your blood sugar and keep it low.

After you try a medicine, your doctor will see how well it is working to lower your blood sugar. They will ask about side effects, too. Depending on these answers, your doctor may need to adjust the dose or add other medicines to your treatment.