The BIG List of Medications that Impact Blood Sugar

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Suzy-Cohen-1Over the years, I have written about medications that affect your blood sugar.  In my most recent book, “Diabetes Without Drugs,”  a shorter version of this list appears in one of the chapters.  It is my intention to continuously update the list you see below, so if you don’t see your medication listed today, check back every  month.  And also, call your pharmacy and ask if your medication affects blood sugar.

This information is not intended as medical advice, nor am I suggesting that you stop any of your medications, should you find one or more on the following list.  Always talk to you nurse, doctor and pharmacist to approve changes to your medication regimen.

Medications That May Cause Hyperglycemia

Abilify

Asthma medicine containing either steroids or albuterol

Baclofen (Lioresal)

Candesartan and HCTZ (Atacand HCT)

Carvedilol (Coreg)

Cold medicine containing pseudoephedrine (these sometimes end in “D” such as “Claritin D, or Zyrtec-D, but read labels to find “pseudoephedrine”)

Estrogen-containing drugs (Premarin, Vagifem, Estring, Birth control pills/patches)

Diuretics (water pills like furosemide or hydrochlorothiazide also called HCTZ)

Fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem)

HIV medications (Norvir, Invirase, Epivir)

Levothyroxine (Synthroid, Levoxyl)

Nadolol (Corgard)

Niacin (Vitamin B3)

Modafinil (Provigil)

Pantoprazole (Protonix)

Risperidone (Risperdal)

Seizure medicine (Depakote, Phenytoin and others)

Seroquel

Sotalol (Betapace)

Steroids such as prednisone (Sterapred) and methylprednisolone (Medrol)

Armour Thyroid

Medications That May Cause Hypoglycemia

All medications used to treat diabetes

Alcohol

Aspirin

Beta blockers for high blood pressure

Bisoprolol (Zebeta)

Clarithromycin (Biaxin)

Diltiazem (Cardizem)

Fluoxetine (Prozac) during therapy with the drug

Insulin and other diabetic medications

Levofloxacin (Levaquin) and other antibiotics

MAO inhibitors for psychiatric problems

Metoprolol (Lopressor)

Morphine and other pain relievers

Nifedipine (Procardia)

Phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek, Epanutin)

Selegiline (Eldepryl)

Theophylline (Theo-Dur, Theo-24, Slo-bid, Uniphyl)

Verapamil (Calan, Isoptin)

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