Alogliptin tablets for diabetes

About alogliptin

Insulin is a hormone which is made naturally in your body. 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 diabete mellito.

People with diabetes need treatment to control the amount of sugar 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 alogliptin are given alongside the changes in diet.

Alogliptin works in part by increasing the amount of insulin produced by your body, which then controls the level of sugar in your blood. It also reduces the amount of a substance called glucagon being produced by your pancreas. Glucagon causes your liver to produce more sugar; so, by reducing the amount of glucagon in your body, this also helps to reduce the levels of sugar in your blood.

For more information on how antidiabetic medicines like alogliptin work, see the separate leaflet called Treatments for type 2 diabetes.

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

• Se sei incinta o stai allattando.

• If you have ever had an inflamed pancreas (pancreatitis).

• If you have heart failure, a condition where your heart is not working as well as it should.

• Se hai problemi con il funzionamento del tuo fegato, o se hai problemi con il funzionamento dei tuoi reni.

• Se stai assumendo altri medicinali. Questo include qualsiasi medicinale che stai assumendo e che è disponibile per l'acquisto senza prescrizione medica, così come i medicinali a base di erbe e complementari.

• Se hai mai avuto una reazione allergica a un medicinale.

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

• Take alogliptin tablets exactly as your doctor tells you to. Your dose will be on the label of the pack to remind you about what the doctor said to you.

• If you are taking a brand of alogliptin tablets called Vipidia®, the dose for most people is 25 mg (one tablet) daily. It will, however, be different to this if you have any problems with the way your kidneys work. You can generally take alogliptin at a time of day to suit you, but it is best to take your doses at the same time of day each day. Swallow the tablet with a drink of water - you can take it either with or without food.

• If you have been prescribed a combination tablet of alogliptin with metformin (Vipdomet® brand) you should take one tablet twice a day. Take the tablet after you have eaten a meal or with a snack, as this will help to reduce the chance of an upset stomach. There are two strengths of Vipdomet® tablet - both strengths contain the same amount of alogliptin but the amount of metformin differs. You will be prescribed the strength of tablet that fits with your current metformin dose.

• Se dimentichi di prendere una dose, prendila appena te ne ricordi (a meno che non sia quasi ora della dose successiva, in tal caso salta la dose dimenticata). Non prendere due dosi insieme per compensare una dose dimenticata.

• È importante che mantieni i tuoi appuntamenti regolari con il medico e la clinica. Questo è necessario affinché i tuoi progressi possano essere monitorati. Avrai bisogno di controlli regolari presso una clinica oculistica e una clinica podologica, oltre che con il tuo medico e la clinica per il diabete.

• Il tuo medico potrebbe raccomandarti di controllare regolarmente il livello di zucchero (glucosio) nel sangue o nelle urine per verificare che il tuo diabete sia sotto controllo. Il tuo medico o l'infermiere specializzato in diabete ti mostrerà come fare.

• Se il tuo medico ti ha dato consigli su cambiamenti nella tua dieta, smettere di fumare o fare esercizio fisico regolare, è importante che segui i consigli che ti sono stati dati.

• Non bere alcolici, poiché possono influire sul controllo della glicemia. Chiedi al tuo medico se hai bisogno di ulteriori consigli su questo.

• Se sei un conducente, dovresti prestare particolare attenzione, poiché la tua capacità di concentrazione potrebbe essere compromessa se il tuo diabete non è ben controllato. Potresti essere consigliato di controllare i livelli di zucchero nel sangue prima di viaggiare e di avere uno spuntino con te durante i lunghi viaggi.

• Consulta il tuo medico prima di iniziare qualsiasi nuovo esercizio fisico, poiché questo avrà un effetto sui tuoi livelli di zucchero nel sangue e potresti dover controllare i livelli di sangue o urina più regolarmente.

• Make sure you know what it feels like if your blood sugar is low. This is known as hypoglycaemia, or a 'hypo'. Although alogliptin is unlikely to cause low blood sugar, other medicines that you are taking for diabetes alongside it may. 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 alogliptin.

• If you become unusually thirsty, pass urine more frequently than normal, 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.

• Treatment for diabetes is usually lifelong. Continue to take alogliptin tablets unless you are advised otherwise by your doctor.

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 alogliptin. 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.

Se si verificano altri sintomi che ritieni possano essere dovuti alle compresse, parla con il tuo medico o farmacista per ulteriori consigli.

• Tenere tutti i medicinali fuori dalla portata e dalla vista dei bambini.

• Conservare in un luogo fresco e asciutto, lontano da fonti di calore e luce diretta.