Medications That Can Affect Blood Glucose Levels
You may take other prescription or over-the-counter medications. It's important to know how these medications act inside your body and how they interact with each other. Some medications may lower or raise your blood glucose level or interfere with how your body uses diabetes pills (see chart below).Be sure to follow all instructions for taking your medications. Make sure all members of you health care team know what medications you are taking. Try to use a single pharmacy for all your prescriptions. That way, all your medications can be listed on one record. Test your blood glucose to see whether a new medication affects your blood glucose level. If you find that a medication you are taking greatly upsets your blood glucose control, ask you diabetes care provider or pharmacist about it.
| Generic Name | Brand Name | Effect on Blood Glucose Level | Interacts With Diabetes Pills? | Common Uses |
| Alcohol | Ingredient in many medications | Lowers | Yes | Carry active ingredient in drug into metabolism |
| Aspirin | Many brand names | May lower if taken in large doses | Yes | Treat general pain or fever; treat arthritis |
| Beta-blockers | Inderal, Sectral, Tenormin, Lopressor, Visken, Blocadren | May mask low blood glucose | Yes | Treat high blood pressure, angina, unsteady heartbeat, overactive thyroid, and other ailments |
| Chloramphenicol | Chloromycetin | Lowers* | Yes | Treat bacterial infections |
| Clofibrate | Atromid-S | Lowers* | Yes | Treat high cholesterol and triglyceride levels |
| Diazoxide | Hyperstat, Proglycem | Raises | Yes | Treat low blood glucose caused by tumors in pancreas; sometimes used to treat high blood pressure |
| Diuretics | Diuril, HydroDIURIL, Edecrin, Esidrix, Diamox, Lasix, Hygroton | Raises | Yes | Relieve fluid buildup by increasing amount of water in urine |
| Epinephrine | Epinephrine | Raises | Yes | Revive heartbeat; treat severe allergic reactions |
| Ephinephrine - like drugs (ephedrine, pseudoephedrine phenylephrine) | Many cold, flu, and allergy medicines | Raises | Yes | Treat runny noses, flu, allergies, colds |
| Estrogens, birth control pills | Many brand names | May raise | No | Prevent pregnancy; lessen the effects of menopause |
| Lithium carbonate | Eskalith, Lithonate | Raises | No | Treat manic depression |
| Methyldopa | Aldomet | Lowers* | Yes | Treat high blood pressure |
| Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors | Parnate, Nardil | Lowers | Yes | Treat severe depression |
| Nicotinic acid, niacin | Nicolar, Nicobid | Raises | No | Treat nutrient deficiency; treat high cholesterol levels |
| Phenobarbital | Many brand names | Raises* | Yes | Sedate; treat epilepsy |
| Phentermine | Several brand names | Raises | Yes | Suppress appetite |
| Phenylbutazone | Butazolidin | Lowers* | Yes | Treat arthritis |
| Phenylpropanolamine | Acutrim, Dexatrim | Raises | Yes | Suppress appetite |
| Phenytoin | Dilantin | Raises | Yes | Treat epilepsy and other nervous system disorders |
| Rifampin | Rifadin | Raises* | Yes | Treat tuberculosis |
| Steroids (prednisone, cortisone, dexamethasone) | Steraspred, Deltasone, Cortone, Decadron | Raises | Yes | Reduce inflammation, redness, and swelling |
| Sulfa drugs | Gantrisin, Septra, Bactrim | Lowers* | Yes | Treat bacterial infections |
| Tyroid preparations | Armour, S-P-T | Raises | No | Treat lessened or absent thyroid functions |
| * These drugs raise and lower blood glucose only when used in combination with diabetes pills. | ||||
Information in the above chart from the book Your Healthy Guide - Type 2 Diabetes, 2nd Edition available from the American Diabetes Association.