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| Pronunciation |
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 (AY
car
bose) |
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| Brand Names |
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| Precose® |
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| Therapeutic
Categories |
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Antidiabetic Agent (Miscellaneous) |
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| Reasons not to take this
medicine |
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- If you have an allergy to acarbose or any other part of the medicine.
- If you have any of the following conditions: Diabetic ketoacidosis or
cirrhosis; inflammatory bowel disease, colonic ulceration, partial intestinal
obstruction or history of intestinal obstruction; severe disorders of digestion
or absorption.
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| What is this medicine used
for? |
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- This medicine is used to lower blood sugar in diabetic patients.
- It is used in type 2 diabetes.
- It can be used alone or in combination with other diabetes
medicines.
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| How does it work? |
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- Acarbose slows digestion of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates would include
sugars, bread, rice, and pasta.
- It slows absorption of sugar into your
system.
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| How is it best taken? |
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- Take at the beginning of a meal.
- Follow diet plan as recommended by healthcare
provider.
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| What do I do if I miss a
dose? |
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- Take a missed dose as soon as possible if you remember within an hour
of the meal.
- If not then skip the missed one. Return to your regular schedule.
- Do not take a double dose or extra
doses.
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| What are the precautions when
taking this
medicine? |
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- Wear disease medical alert identification for diabetes.
- Avoid alcohol (includes wine, beer, and liquor).
- When used alone, low blood sugars do not occur.
- If taken with other diabetes medicine, use glucose (dextrose,
D-glucose) or milk to treat low blood sugars. Table sugar may not work fast
enough.
- Tell healthcare provider if you are allergic to any medicine. Make
sure to tell about the allergy and how it affected you. This includes telling
about rash; hives; itching; shortness of breath; wheezing; cough; swelling of
face, lips, tongue, or throat; or any other symptoms involved.
- Tell healthcare provider if you are pregnant or plan on getting
pregnant.
- Do not use if you are
breast-feeding.
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| What are the common side effects
of this
medicine? |
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- Belly pain, cramps, and passing gas.
- Diarrhea.
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| What should I monitor? |
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- Check blood sugar as ordered by healthcare provider. Call if glucose
is less than 80 mg/dL or greater than 250 mg/dL. Bring results to follow-up
visits.
- Watch for low blood sugar. This can cause anger, shaking, rapid
heartbeats, confusion, and sweating.
- Watch for high blood sugar. Causes many trips to the bathroom, thirst,
and weight loss.
- Check blood work. Talk with healthcare provider.
- Follow diet plan and exercise program as recommended by healthcare
provider.
- Have a yearly eye exam and visit to the foot
doctor.
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| Reasons to call healthcare
provider
immediately |
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- Signs of a life-threatening reaction. These include wheezing;
tightness in the chest; fever; itching; bad cough; blue skin color; fits;
swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat.
- Any signs or symptoms of infection. This may include a fever greater
than 99 degrees, chills, sore throat, cough, increased sputum or change in
color, painful urination, mouth sores, wound that will not heal, anal itching or
pain.
- Low blood sugar or high blood sugar.
- Any rash.
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| How should I store this
medicine? |
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- Store in a tight container at room temperature. Protect from
moisture.
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| General statements |
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- Do not share your medicine with others and do not take anyone else's
medicine.
- Keep all medicine out of the reach of children and pets.
- Keep a list of all your medicines (prescription, herbal/supplements,
vitamins, over-the-counter) with you. Give this list to healthcare provider
(doctor, nurse, pharmacist, physician assistant).
- Talk with healthcare provider before starting any new medicine,
including over-the-counter or natural products (herbs,
vitamins).
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