Acarbose Information
Pronunciation
(AY car bose)
What is this drug used for?
• It is used to lower blood sugar in patients with high blood sugar (diabetes).
Frequently reported side effects of this drug
• Abdominal pain
• Passing gas
• Diarrhea
Other side effects of this drug: Talk with your doctor right away if you have any of these signs of:
• Low blood sugar like dizziness, headache, fatigue, feeling weak, shaking, fast heartbeat, confusion, increased hunger, or sweating
• Liver problems like dark urine, fatigue, lack of appetite, nausea, abdominal pain, light-colored stools, vomiting, or yellow skin or eyes
• Signs of a significant reaction like wheezing; chest tightness; fever; itching; bad cough; blue skin color; seizures; or swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Medication Safety Issues
Sound-alike/look-alike issues:
Precose may be confused with PreCare
International issues:
Precose [US, Malaysia] may be confused with Precosa brand name for Saccharomyces boulardii [Finland, Sweden]
Storage and Stability
Store at <25°C (77°F). Protect from moisture.
Adverse Reactions
Gastrointestinal: Diarrhea and abdominal pain tend to return to pretreatment levels over time; frequency and intensity of flatulence tend to abate with time
Hepatic: Increased serum transaminases
Rare but important or life-threatening: Edema, erythema, hepatic injury, hepatitis, intestinal obstruction, jaundice, pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis, skin rash, thrombocytopenia, urticaria
