Nateglinide for diabetes

About nateglinide

Insulin is a hormone which is made naturally in your body, in the pancreas. It helps to control the levels of sugar (glucose) in your blood. If your body does not make enough insulin, or if it does not use the insulin it makes effectively, this results in the condition called diabète (diabète sucré).

People with diabète need treatment to control the amount of glucose in their blood. This is because good control of blood sugar levels reduces the risk of complications later on. Some people can control the sugar in their blood by making changes to the food they eat but, for other people, medicines like nateglinide are given alongside the changes in diet.

Nateglinide lowers blood sugar by encouraging your pancreas to produce more insulin. It starts to work quickly so it is particularly helpful in controlling blood sugar levels straight after a meal. Nateglinide will be prescribed for you alongside another antidiabetic medicine called metformine.

Some medicines are not suitable for people with certain conditions, and sometimes a medicine may only be used if extra care is taken. For these reasons, before you start taking nateglinide it is important that your doctor knows:

• Si vous avez moins de 18 ans ou plus de 75 ans.

• Si vous êtes enceinte, essayez d'avoir un bébé ou allaitez.

• Si vous avez des problèmes avec le fonctionnement de votre foie.

• Si vous avez une maladie ou une infection grave.

• Si vous avez déjà eu une réaction allergique à un médicament.

• Si vous prenez d'autres médicaments. Cela inclut tous les médicaments que vous prenez et qui sont disponibles à l'achat sans ordonnance, ainsi que les médicaments à base de plantes et les médecines complémentaires.

• Before you start the treatment, read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside the pack. It will give you more information about nateglinide tablets and will provide you with a full list of the side-effects which you may experience from taking them.

• Take nateglinide exactly as your doctor tells you to. The usual dose is one tablet three times daily, before your main meals (usually breakfast, lunch and dinner). It is best to take the tablet immediately before you eat your meal, but it can be taken up to 30 minutes before a meal. If you miss a meal, do not take a tablet.

• You will be prescribed a low dose to begin with. If it becomes necessary, your doctor may increase the number of tablets you need to take each day.

• Swallow the tablet with a drink of water. Do not break or crush the tablets.

• If you forget to take a dose, do not worry, just take your next dose at the next mealtime. Do not take two doses together to make up for a forgotten dose, and do not take the tablets between meals.

• It is important that you keep your regular doctor's and clinic appointments. This is so your progress can be monitored. You will need regular check-ups with an eye clinic and a foot clinic as well as with your doctor and diabetes clinic.

• Votre médecin peut vous recommander de tester régulièrement le sucre (glucose) dans votre sang ou vos urines pour vérifier que votre diabète est bien contrôlé. Votre médecin ou votre infirmière spécialisée en diabète vous montrera comment faire cela.

• Drinking alcohol is not recommended with nateglinide as it can affect the control of your blood sugar.

• Si vous êtes conducteur, vous devez faire particulièrement attention, car votre capacité de concentration peut être affectée si votre diabète n'est pas bien contrôlé. Il peut vous être conseillé de vérifier votre glycémie avant de voyager et d'avoir une collation avec vous lors de longs trajets.

• Si votre médecin vous a conseillé de modifier votre régime alimentaire, d'arrêter de fumer ou de faire de l'exercice régulièrement, il est important de suivre les conseils qui vous ont été donnés.

• Consultez votre médecin avant de commencer tout nouvel exercice physique, car cela aura un effet sur votre taux de sucre dans le sang et vous devrez peut-être vérifier vos niveaux de sang ou d'urine plus régulièrement.

• Make sure you know what it feels like if your blood sugar is low. This is known as hypoglycaemia, or a 'hypo'. The first signs of hypoglycaemia are feeling shaky or anxious, sweating, looking pale, feeling hungry, having a feeling that your heart is pounding (palpitations), and feeling dizzy.

• If you are due to have an operation or dental treatment, you should tell the person carrying out the treatment that you have diabetes and that you are taking nateglinide. This is because if you are not able to eat for a time, you will be advised to skip your doses until you are eating normally again.

• If you get unusually thirsty, pass urine more frequently, and feel very tired, you should let your doctor know. These are signs that there is too much sugar in your blood and your treatment may need adjusting.

• Le traitement du diabète est généralement à vie. Continuez à prendre les comprimés sauf si votre médecin vous conseille autrement.

Along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them. The table below contains some of the most common ones associated with nateglinide. You will find a full list in the manufacturer's information leaflet supplied with your medicine. The unwanted effects often improve as your body adjusts to the new medicine, but speak with your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following continue or become troublesome.

Si vous ressentez d'autres symptômes que vous pensez être dus aux comprimés, parlez-en à votre médecin ou à votre pharmacien pour obtenir des conseils supplémentaires.

• Gardez tous les médicaments hors de la portée et de la vue des enfants.

• Conserver dans un endroit frais et sec, à l'abri de la chaleur et de la lumière directes.