2. Quitting medications after experiencing negative side effects
No one wants to deal with nausea or vomiting after taking medication or any other time for that matter. However, if you do experience any of these not-so-pleasant side effects, it’s not a cue to stop taking your medication.
“Diabetics shouldn’t be too quick to discontinue their diabetic medications when they experience side defects,” Dr. Oyeyipo says. “Discuss your symptoms with your doctor first as some diabetic medications, especially metformin have side effects that taper off with continue use.”
Side effects still not subsiding after a couple weeks of continued use? Inform your doctor right away. He or she will either lower your dosage or suggest a different medication altogether.
3. Not realizing when you’ve become immune to your medication
“Over time, a good number of diabetics would need more than one diabetic medication to control their blood glucose levels regardless of good compliance,” Dr. Oyeyipo explains. “This is a result of the progression of the disease and no fault of the diabetic patient.”
If you start to notice that your medication isn’t as effective as it once was, schedule an appointment with your doctor to determine whether it’s time to add and/or switch medication or increase the dosage.