The generic Precose i.e. Acarbose medication is an oral medication that is used to control blood glucose sugar levels in type II diabetes. It belongs to a class of drugs known as alpha-glucosidase inhibitors which also includes miglitol Glyset.

The carbohydrates that are eaten are digested by enzymes in the intestine into smaller sugars which are absorbed into the body and increase blood sugar levels. The process of carbohydrate digestion requires the pancreas to release into the intestine alpha-amylase enzymes which digest the large carbohydrates into smaller carbohydrates called oligosaccharides.
The cells lining the small intestine then release alpha-glucosidase enzymes that further digest the oligosaccharides into smaller sugars like glucose that can be absorbed. Acarbose is a man-made oligosaccharide designed to slow down the actions of alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase enzymes thereby slowing the appearance of sugar in the blood after a meal.

The generic Precose i.e. Acarbose medication was approved by the FDA for use in 1995.

However, before taking Precose i.e. Acarbose medication, ask your pharmacist or doctor for a copy of the manufacturer’s information for the patient and read it carefully. Talk to your doctor about all the possible risks of taking Precose medication. However, Precose may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide. Hence, for more information, consult your doctor and your medical pharmacist.

Follow the directions given by the doctor exactly for the usage of the Precose i.e. Acarbose medication and also read the prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part that you do not understand.

Smaller doses may be adequate for patients with severe kidney dysfunction or liver disease. Acarbose is not recommended if cirrhosis is present. Acarbose therapy is not advised in the presence of certain medical conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease or intestinal obstruction and chronic intestinal diseases that interfere with digestion or absorption such as Crohns disease.

The generic Precose i.e. Acarbose medication dose may start 25 mg three times daily and then increase after four to eight weeks to 50-100 mg three times daily. Acarbose should be taken at the first bite of each meal. Acarbose doses should be adjusted based upon blood glucose levels taken one hour after a meal and blood HbA1c levels taken about three months after starting or changing the dose. HbA1c is a chemical in the blood that is a good indicator of blood glucose control.

Remember: Contact your pediatrician regarding the use of this medicine in children.

If you notice any of the symptoms, which seem severe or persistent to you, please contact your doctor immediately. However, your doctor may need to monitor you carefully for side effects and alter the doses if necessary.

Precose is generally well-tolerated. The most common side effects are: abdominal pain, diarrhea and flatulence etc. there is a rare possibility that these gastrointestinal side effects may become severe and progress to paralytic ileus. And the other possible but rare side effects are an increase in liver enzymes and decreases in hematocrit calcium or vitamin B6 levels.

Inform your doctor if you experience any of these side effects or some new side effects occur which appear too bothersome to you.

Inform your doctor if you are allergic to the formulation of this medication or any other medication in any other form and also inform your doctor about any other medication you may be taking in any other form, as they may affect the way your medicine works.

Since adding insulin or a sulfonylurea to Acarbose therapy may lower blood glucose more than Acarbose alone the risk for developing hypoglycemia is greater when these drugs are combined. Caution should be used when combining these drugs.

If mild to moderate hypoglycemia occurs while taking Acarbose in combination with another anti-diabetic agent the hypoglycemia should be treated with oral glucose dextrose instead of sucrose table sugar because Acarbose blocks the digestion of sucrose to glucose and hypoglycemia will not be corrected rapidly with sucrose. Acarbose alone does not produce hypoglycemia.

However, Precose i.e. Acarbose may interfere with digoxin absorption thereby decreasing digoxin blood levels and its effect. Therefore the digoxin dose may need to be increased if Acarbose is begun.

Moreover, Precose i.e. Acarbose may also interact with some kind of foods, varied medications, herbal products, nutritional supplements, vitamins, other OTC medicines, some vaccinations etc. Acquire more information about the interactions of the Precose medication from your doctor and the medical pharmacists.

In case of overdose call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222.
If the suffering patient has collapsed or is not breathing call local emergency services at 911. Canadian residents should call their local poison control center directly.

Do not allow any other person to use your medication without getting doctor’s prescription themselves and also avoid using this medicine for other health conditions on your own. Keep the medicine away from the children and pets.

Also inform your doctor, if you are pregnant or are breast feeding. If you conceive during the course, inform your doctor immediately. Do not share your medicines with anyone, even if they have the same symptoms, for it may harm them. Do not begin, increase, decrease, or stop using this medicine on your own. In short discuss your complete medical history with your doctor, before taking the medicine.

Remember, it is very important to keep regular appointments with your doctor to study the way your body is responding to the course. And if you are going to have a surgery, tell your health care professional that you are using Precose medication.
Carry with you at all times an ID card mentioning your name, the medicine you are taking, the dosage, the name of the person and your health care professional they should call in case of an emergency. Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory and keep regular checks ups.

Also avoid alcohol and alcohol containing beverages whilst on a course with this medication.

And in case, if you wish to use the medicine in children, please contact your pediatrician for sure before its use.

If you missed the Precose i.e. Acarbose medication dose, do take the medicine immediately provided that there is ample of time in between the next dose. However, if it is almost time for the next dose skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Never double your doses to cope up with the missed. And in case, if you miss your one or two consecutive doses consult to your doctor or physician for guidance and continue further.

The generic Precose i.e. Acarbose medication is used to control blood glucose sugar levels in type II diabetes.

However, it may also be used to treat some other medical conditions which may be determined by your doctor accordingly and consult a pediatrician for the use of this medication in children.

The generic Precose i.e. Acarbose medication may be prescribed for other uses also and hence ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information about the Precose i.e. Acarbose medication.

Store generic Precose i.e. Acarbose, at room temperature in between 59-86°F and 15-30°C, in a cool and dry place. Keep the medicine in the container, it came in and always keep it tightly closed. Check Expiry date without fail. Keep all medicines away from women, newborns, children and pets. Do not freeze in any case. Also, keep it away from heat, dampness and direct light. Heat or moisture may cause the medicine to break down. When the medicine is not in use or outdated it should be discarded. Take help of your pharmacist in disposing this medicine properly. In any case, do not store the Precose medication in the bathroom.

Following precautions must be taken during consuming generic Precose i.e. Acarbose:

1. Inform your doctor if you have or have ever had: diabetes, kidney disease, lung disease, liver disease, heart disease, low or high blood pressure, asthma, heart attack, serious injury/infection or any other severe disease etc. Also inform, if you drink alcoholic beverages or are a tobacco smoker etc.

2. Also acknowledge your doctor if you need to undergo any kind of surgery, including dental surgery or need an x-ray procedure that uses contrast agents. So, inform your doctors immediately about it, so that the doctor can decide whether to continue taking Precose medication or stop it during the surgery.

3. Let the doctor also know, if you are in-taking or are planning to take any prescribed or non prescribed medicines, health supplements or any other OTC medications, vitamins etc.

4. Do not use the Precose i.e. Acarbose medication, if you have any kind of allergy to it or to any ingredients of it and tell your doctor or pharmacist about the allergy and get treated accordingly.

5. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breast feeding before taking Precose medication. Hence also, inform your doctor immediately when you plan to conceive, or become pregnant during the course.

6. Do not share the drug with others unless they are prescribed by the doctor themselves. And if your symptoms of side effects do not improve in few weeks or if they become worse and bothersome, check these conditions immediately with your doctor.

7. Please, use the Precose medicine in the prescribed amount and do not overdose it or use it for the longer period of time. Do not discontinue on your own and consult your doctor before doing so to avoid further problems.

8. Regularly, keep your appointments with your doctor and keep an eye on the progress or side effects that has been noticed during the complete course.

9. Also, avoid smoking and consuming alcohol and alcohol containing beverages during the complete course to achieve good results.

10. For more information, contact your doctor and your pharmacists and also discuss the risks and benefits of the generic Precose.

11. Remember: It is important that your doctor checks your progress at regular intervals.