This belongs to the group of medicines known as antidiabetics.

Prandin can be used to treat Type 2 (non-insulin dependent) diabetes mellitus, sometimes alongside another antidiabetic tablet called metformin.

Insulin is made naturally in the pancreas. It regulates the amount of sugar in the blood. If the body does not make enough insulin to meet its needs, or does not properly use the insulin it makes, it results in the condition called diabetes mellitus (sugar diabetes).

Prandin works by encouraging the production of insulin by the pancreas.

Prandin is available in tablet form.

The brand available is: NovoNorm. You may notice the use of either of these names on the packaging of your medicine.

Why is this drug prescribed?

Prandin tablets contain the active ingredient repaglinide, which is a drug used to help control blood sugar levels in people with type 2 or non-insulin dependent diabetes. People with diabetes have a deficiency or absence of a hormone produced by the pancreas called insulin. Insulin is the main hormone responsible for the control of sugar in the blood. In type 2 diabetes the pancreas does not produce sufficient insulin and the cells of the body are resistant to the low levels of insulin circulating in the blood. Insulin would normally make the cells remove sugar from the blood, hence in type 2 diabetes blood sugar levels can rise too high. Repaglinide is an antidiabetic drug that is used to help lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. It works by acting on the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. These cells are called beta cells. Repaglinide causes the beta cells to produce more insulin. Repaglinide is taken before meals to enhance insulin production during the meal. The enhanced insulin production starts about 30 minutes after taking the dose of repaglinide. The result is a blood sugar lowering effect throughout the meal, as would occur naturally in non-diabetic people. Repaglinide is used to treat people with type 2 diabetes whose blood sugar has not been controlled sufficiently by diet, exercise and weight loss alone. Repaglinide can also be used in combination with another antidiabetic drug called metformin, for people with type 2 diabetes whose blood sugar is not controlled using metformin alone. Since metformin mainly helps reduce blood sugar levels between meals and repaglinide reduces mealtime blood sugar levels, the combination of the two provides an additive effect on blood sugar control.

Treatments

* Type 2 diabetes.

What side effects can this drug cause?

* Abdominal pain. * Nausea. * Low blood glucose level. * Allergic skin reactions such as rash and itch. * Constipation. * Diarrhoea. * Vomiting. * Visual disturbances. * Alteration in results of liver function tests.