Sulfonamide Drugs

Sulfonamide Drugs: what they are and how they work

Sulfa drugs are a group of medicines used to treat diabetes. Currently, doctors have several modern sulfonamide drugs at their disposal, including Maninil (glibenclamide), Diabeton, Minidiab, Glurenorm and Amaryl.

All these drugs help increase the amount of insulin in the body, improve tissue sensitivity to it and inhibit the flow of sugar from the liver into the blood. However, it must be remembered that these drugs effectively treat diabetes in only 60-70% of patients. In addition, over time, the body “gets used” to them, and their effect weakens, which requires an increase in the therapeutic dose.

It is important to take any of these tablets 20-30 minutes before meals to maintain therapeutic concentrations of the drug in the blood. To achieve a therapeutic effect, it usually takes at least 10-14 days from the start of taking the medicine.

Doctors have different doses of sulfonamide drugs at their disposal. However, in order not to disrupt the functioning of the liver and kidneys, the dose of the medicine should be reasonable and not exceed 4 tablets per day. An exception to the rule is glurenorm, which is excreted through the intestines and is therefore safe and can be taken in a higher dose - up to 6 tablets per day.

Sulfanilamide drugs are contraindicated in pregnant and lactating women, patients with kidney pathology (with the exception of glurenorm), certain blood diseases, severe liver diseases, including acute hepatitis. In such cases, it is often necessary to resort to insulin.

Sulfa drugs may cause side effects such as dizziness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, skin rash, and others. Therefore, you should consult your doctor before starting to take these medications.

In conclusion, sulfa drugs may be effective in treating diabetes, but they are not suitable for all patients and require certain dosage and administration guidelines. If side effects occur or your health condition worsens, you should immediately consult a doctor.