Acarbose, Oral

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KEY POINTS

• This medicine is taken by mouth to treat type 2 diabetes. Take it exactly as directed.
• Keep all appointments for tests to see how this medicine affects you.
• This medicine may cause unwanted side effects. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that are serious, continue, or get worse.
• Tell all healthcare providers who treat you about all the prescription medicines, nonprescription medicines, supplements, natural remedies, and vitamins that you take.

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What are other names for this medicine?

Type of medicine: antidiabetic

Generic and brand names: acarbose, oral; Precose

What is this medicine used for?

This medicine is taken by mouth to treat type 2 diabetes when diet and exercise have not controlled blood sugar levels. This medicine may be used along with other diabetes medicines.

This medicine may be used to treat other conditions as determined by your healthcare provider.

What should my healthcare provider know before I take this medicine?

Before taking this medicine, tell your healthcare provider if you have ever had:

• An allergic reaction to any medicine
• A blockage in the intestines, Crohn's disease, or ulcerative colitis
• Diabetic ketoacidosis
• Kidney or liver disease

Tell your healthcare provider if you get sick or injured, or if you are scheduled to have surgery.

Females of childbearing age: Tell your healthcare provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Do not breast-feed while taking this medicine without your healthcare provider's approval.

How do I use it?

Check the label on the medicine for directions about your specific dose. Take this medicine exactly as your healthcare provider prescribes. Do not stop taking this medicine without your healthcare provider's approval.

Check with your healthcare provider before using this medicine in children under age 18 years.

Always take this medicine with the first bite of each main meal. This medicine is not effective unless you take it with food.

Your healthcare provider may prescribe insulin or other diabetes medicine to be used with this one. Take any other medicine exactly as prescribed.

What if I miss a dose?

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember (with a meal) unless it is almost time for the next scheduled dose. In that case, skip the missed dose and take the next one as directed. Do not take double doses. If you are not sure of what to do if you miss a dose, or if you miss more than one dose, contact your healthcare provider.

What if I overdose?

If you or anyone else has intentionally taken too much of this medicine, call 911 or go to the emergency room right away. If you pass out, have seizures, weakness or confusion, or have trouble breathing, call 911. If you think that you or anyone else may have taken too much of this medicine, call the poison control center. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. The poison control center number is 800-222-1222.

Symptoms of an acute overdose may include: stomach pain, gas, bloating, diarrhea.

What should I watch out for?

Follow the diet and exercise program prescribed by your healthcare provider.

Test your blood sugar on the schedule your provider recommends and keep track of it. See your provider regularly for an A1c test to check the average of your blood sugar over 2 to 3 months. This average is different from your day to day blood sugar. You may need other blood tests to see how this medicine affects you. Keep all appointments for these tests.

When used alone, this medicine will not cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). However, when used with insulin or other diabetes medicines, you may have hypoglycemia that may be serious. Low blood sugar can also happen if you miss or delay meals, drink too much alcohol, take too much medicine, or exercise more than usual. Symptoms of low blood sugar include shaking, anxiety, cold sweats, irritability, fast heartbeat, feeling faint, strong hunger, vision problems, headache, nausea, slurred speech, confusion, unusual mood changes, tingling in the lips or tongue, and weakness. Treat the condition quickly by taking glucose tablets or glucose gel (available in drug stores). Do not use cane sugar or sucrose to relieve these symptoms because this medicine keeps your body from using it quickly. If you don't have glucose with you, eat some honey or drink a glass of orange juice to quickly raise your blood sugar level. If you have low blood sugar often, contact your healthcare provider to find out if you need a dosage adjustment.

When you start taking this medicine it is likely to cause gas, bloating, and diarrhea. This is normal and should go away as your body adjusts to the medicine. Follow the diet prescribed by your healthcare provider to reduce these side effects. Contact your healthcare provider if these symptoms continue.

Alcohol may affect the way your body responds to this medicine and to food. Do not drink alcohol unless your healthcare provider approves.

If you need emergency care, surgery, lab tests, or dental work, tell the healthcare provider or dentist you are taking this medicine. Wear some form of ID stating that you are a diabetic (such as a Medic Alert bracelet). If you become unconscious, the ID tells emergency healthcare providers that you are a diabetic and need special care.

What are the possible side effects?

Along with its needed effects, your medicine may cause some unwanted side effects. Some side effects may be very serious. Some side effects may go away as your body adjusts to the medicine. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that continue or get worse.

Life-threatening (Report these to your healthcare provider right away. If you cannot reach your healthcare provider right away, get emergency medical care or call 911 for help.): Allergic reaction (hives; itching; rash; trouble breathing; tightness in your chest; swelling of your lips, tongue, and throat).

Serious (Report these to your healthcare provider right away.): Severe stomach pain, fever, dark urine, light-colored bowel movements, yellowing of the skin or eyes, unusual bruising or bleeding, severe constipation.

Other: Mild stomach pain, bloating, diarrhea, gas.

What products might interact with this medicine?

When you take this medicine with other medicines, it can change the way this or any of the other medicines work. Nonprescription medicines, vitamins, natural remedies, and certain foods may also interact. Using these products together might cause harmful side effects. Talk to your healthcare provider if you are taking:

• ACE inhibitors such as benazepril (Lotensin), captopril, enalapril (Vasotec), fosinopril, lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), quinapril (Accupril), and ramipril (Altace)
• Allergy, cold, or cough medicines that contain phenylephrine (Neo-Synephrine, Sudafed PE) or pseudoephedrine (Sudafed)
• Androgen hormones such as methyltestosterone (Android, Testred) and testosterone (Androderm, AndroGel, Axiron, Testim)
• Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) such as azilsartan (Edarbi), candesartan (Atacand), eprosartan (Teveten), irbesartan (Avapro), losartan (Cozaar), olmesartan (Benicar), telmisartan (Micardis), and valsartan (Diovan)
• Antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin (Cipro), isoniazid, levofloxacin (Levaquin), linezolid (Zyvox), moxifloxacin (Avelox), and ofloxacin
• Antidepressants such as citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), and sertraline (Zoloft)
• Antipsychotic medicines such as aripiprazole (Abilify), asenapine (Saphris), brexpiprazole (Rexulti), chlorpromazine, clozapine, fluphenazine, haloperidol (Haldol), iloperidone (Fanapt), olanzapine (Zyprexa), paliperidone (Invega), perphenazine, prochlorperazine (Compro), quetiapine (Seroquel), risperidone (Risperdal), thioridazine, trifluoperazine, and ziprasidone (Geodon)
• Aspirin and other salicylates
• Beta blockers such as acebutolol (Sectral), atenolol (Tenormin), carvedilol (Coreg), labetalol (Trandate), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol), nadolol (Corgard), pindolol, and sotalol (Betapace, Sorine)
• Calcium channel blockers such as diltiazem (Cardizem, Cartia, Tiazac), felodipine, isradipine (DynaCirc), nicardipine (Cardene), nifedipine (Adalat CC, Procardia), and verapamil (Calan, Covera, Verelan)
• Cholesterol-lowering medicines such as cholestyramine (Prevalite), colesevelam (Welchol), colestipol (Colestid), fenofibrate (Antara, Fenoglide, Lipofen, TriCor, Triglide), and gemfibrozil (Lopid)
• Corticosteroids such as dexamethasone, methylprednisolone (Medrol, Solu-Medrol), and prednisone (Prednisone Intensol)
• Danazol
• Digestive enzymes such as pancreatin and pancrelipase (Creon)
• Digoxin (Lanoxin)
• Disopyramide (Norpace)
• Diuretics (water pills) such as bumetanide, chlorthalidone, furosemide (Lasix), hydrochlorothiazide (Microzide), and torsemide (Demadex)
• HIV medicines such as indinavir (Crixivan), lopinavir/ritonavir (Kaletra), nelfinavir (Viracept), ritonavir (Norvir), and saquinavir (Invirase)
• Hormonal birth control pills, implants, shots, patches, vaginal rings, and IUDs, and hormones such as conjugated estrogens (Premarin), estradiol (Climara, Estrace, Estraderm, Vivelle), medroxyprogesterone (Depo-Provera, Provera), and norethindrone (Aygestin, Micronor)
• MAO inhibitors such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar), and tranylcypromine (Parnate) (Do not take this medicine and an MAO inhibitor within 14 days of each other.)
• Medicines to treat breathing or lung problems such as albuterol (ProAir, Proventil, Ventolin), epinephrine (Adrenalin, Asthmanefrin, Auvi-Q, EpiPen), metaproterenol, salmeterol (Serevent), and terbutaline
• Metreleptin (Myalept)
• Natural remedies such as alfalfa, aloe, bilberry, bitter melon, chromium, fenugreek, garcinia, garlic, ginger, ginseng, gotu kola, green tea, gymnema, horse chestnut, St. John's wort, and stinging nettle
• Neomycin (Neo-Fradin)
• Niacin
• Octreotide (Sandostatin)
• Other diabetes medicines such as chlorpropamide, glimepiride (Amaryl), glipizide (Glucotrol), glyburide (Glynase), insulin, miglitol (Glyset), nateglinide (Starlix), repaglinide (Prandin), and tolbutamide
• Paroxetine (Brisdelle, Paxil, Pexeva)
• Pasireotide (Signifor)
• Pegvisomant (Somavert)
• Phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek)
• Procarbazine (Matulane)
• Propranolol (Hemangeol, Inderal, InnoPran)
• Psyllium (Take psyllium 2 hours before or 2 hours after you take this medicine.)
• Somatropin (Genotropin, Humatrope, Nutropin, Serostim)
• Thyroid medicines such as levothyroxine (Levo-T, Levothroid, Levoxyl, Synthroid, Unithroid), liothyronine (Cytomel, Triostat), liotrix (Thyrolar), and thyroid USP (Armour Thyroid, Nature-Throid)

Do not drink large amounts of alcohol while you are taking this medicine. Talk to your healthcare provider about this.

Many medicines may change how well this medicine controls your blood sugar. Tell any healthcare providers who treat you that you are taking this medicine for diabetes.

Many nonprescription products contain sugar, alcohol, or other ingredients that may interfere with this medicine or increase your blood sugar. Check product labels for warnings for diabetics or ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for advice.

If you are not sure if your medicines might interact, ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider. Keep a list of all your medicines with you. List all the prescription medicines, nonprescription medicines, supplements, natural remedies, and vitamins that you take. Be sure that you tell all healthcare providers who treat you about all the products you are taking.

How should I store this medicine?

Store this medicine at room temperature. Keep the container tightly closed. Protect it from heat, high humidity, and bright light.

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This advisory includes selected information only and may not include all side effects of this medicine or interactions with other medicines. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for more information or if you have any questions.

Ask your pharmacist for the best way to dispose of outdated medicine or medicine you have not used. Do not throw medicine in the trash.

Keep all medicines out of the reach of children.

Do not share medicines with other people.