More than 37 million people in the United States, or about 11 percent of the population, have diabetes. In addition, about 96 million Americans have prediabetes.
These are serious conditions that can lead to adverse health outcomes. They also require continuous monitoring and specialty treatment.
The good news is that diabetics can manage their condition with a healthy diet, exercise, and access to the right medications. Unfortunately, certain types of medication can be expensive for some diabetes sufferers.
There are some affordable medications for diabetics, like Janumet. Often, it can only be a matter of understanding avenues for accessing them.
This article covers some basics for diabetics and explains how Janumet can be used to treat the disease and how to get access to Janumet. Keep reading to find out more about the benefits of Janumet as a type 2 diabetes treatment.
What Is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic disease that impacts how your body turns food into energy. Whenever you eat, your body breaks food down into glucose or sugar. It can then be released into the bloodstream.
Whenever this happens, your body sends a signal to the pancreas to release insulin. This chemical enables cells throughout your body to use sugar as an energy source.
The body either does not produce enough insulin or the body’s cells cannot use it effectively. When one of these two things happens, too much sugar remains in the bloodstream.
There is currently no cure for diabetes. There are many effective ways to manage it, including a healthy diet and an active lifestyle.
What Are the Types of Diabetes?
There are two main types of diabetes. Type 1 is a genetic autoimmune response where the body mistakenly attacks itself. This results in the body ceasing to make insulin.
About 5 to 10 percent of all diabetics have type 1 diabetes. There is no way to prevent it, and it requires taking insulin every day for your body to process glucose.
More than 90 percent of people with diabetes have type 2. This version develops over many years and is where the body does not use insulin effectively to keep your blood sugar levels normal.
Often, there are no symptoms with type 2 diabetes. So, if you are at risk, you should have regular blood work to test for the disease.
Note that there is also gestational diabetes. This develops in pregnant women who otherwise have never had diabetes.
In most cases, it resolves after the pregnancy is over. However, children of women who have gestational diabetes are more likely to have obesity or to develop type 2 diabetes during their lifetime.
What Is Prediabetes?
Almost 100 million U.S. adults have prediabetes. Unfortunately, as many as 80 percent don’t know they have it.
Prediabetes is where blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not elevated to the point that warrants a type 2 diabetes diagnosis.
Unlike actual diabetes, prediabetes can be reversed. This is most often achieved through lifestyle changes, including a healthy diet and exercise.
What Are the Treatments for Diabetes?
There is a wide range of treatments for the different types of diabetes. These include insulin pumps and islet cell transplants for people with type 1 diabetes. Regular insulin injections are almost always necessary as well.
Type 2 diabetes treatment begins with diet and exercise. People with type 2 diabetes can also take insulin, but it may not be necessary in the long term. Weight loss surgery is often an option in cases involving extreme obesity or circumstances that make natural weight loss prohibitive.
There are also affordable medications for diabetics who have type 2. These most often either stimulate the pancreas to produce more insulin or aid the body’s ability to convert insulin into a usable energy source. Some medications, such as Janumet, combine these effects into a single medication.
What Is Janumet?
Janumet is an oral type 2 diabetes medication developed by Merck that was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2007. It provides diabetes relief by combining two drugs that are used to treat the condition: sitagliptin and metformin. Sitagliptin is a substance that triggers the pancreas to release more insulin.
Metformin helps restore the body’s natural response to the insulin you produce. It does so partly by decreasing the rate of glucose absorption by the intestines. It also helps your liver decrease the amount of sugar it produces.
Janumet is used to treat people with type 2 diabetes but not in type 1 patients. This is partly because sitagliptin is ineffective for insulin-dependent patients.
Are There Any Janumet Side Effects?
In rare cases, there are some Janumet side effects. An upset stomach is the most common one. It often can be controlled by ensuring you take the type 2 diabetes medication with food.
In rare cases, people have experienced allergic reactions to metformin or sitagliptin. Also, some people who have taken Janumet have developed lactic acidosis, or lactic buildup in the bloodstream.
Certain pre-existing conditions can make this more likely. Prominent ones include kidney, heart, or liver disease, as well as pancreatitis, gallstones, and alcoholism. However, the presence of these does not preclude you from taking Janumet.
In most patients, Janumet’s benefits outweigh the risks. As with any medication, you should discuss any underlying conditions and the potential for side effects with your doctor.
How Do I Access Janumet?
If your doctor thinks Janumet can be effective at treating your type 2 diabetes, then most insurance policies will cover it. If your plan does not approve it, or if you lack insurance, there are other options.
Merck runs a patient assistance program for Janumet. There are different ways to apply for this, including some online services that specialize in gaining approval. They can help you determine ways to meet deductibles so that you can access the medication regularly.
Learn More About Affordable Medications for Diabetics
Now that you understand the benefits of Janumet for type 2 diabetes, you can decide if it is the best option for you. Our staff can help you learn more about diabetes relief by accessing affordable medications for diabetics.
Since 2006, Prescription Hope has helped provide thousands of people access to brand-name medications at affordable prices. We offer a secure, easy-to-use platform for managing prescriptions and refills. Reach out to us today to learn more about Janumet for type 2 diabetes. Once qualified, you can obtain Janumet and other diabetes medications for just $60.00/month per medication through Prescription Hope’s medication access service.
