If you take diabetes medicines that can cause hypoglycemia, always carry a quick acting source of sugar for emergencies.

It's a good idea also to wear a medical identification bracelet or necklace. Insulin and other diabetes medicines help to keep blood sugar levels from going too high or too low.

But sometimes people with diabetes get really low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, that can make them become confused, have seizures, or pass out if it's not treated right away. Getting a grip on your diabetes medicines -- when to take them, how much to take, and when to ask for help -- can make managing your diabetes easier.

If you have any questions about diabetes medicines, talk to your doctor or diabetes health care team. If you have chest pain or a feeling of chest pressure, you should seek immediate medical attention, regardless of what diabetes medicines you are taking. If you take AVANDIA, tell your doctor right away if you have swollen legs or ankles, a rapid increase in weight or difficulty breathing, or unusual tiredness; experience changes in vision; become pregnant.

You may need a change in your diabetes medicines, or a change in your meal plan. That's why it's very important to check your blood glucose and keep taking your diabetes medicines when you're sick. If you're very thirsty and tired, have blurry vision, and have to go to the bathroom often, your blood glucose may be too high. Very high blood glucose may also make you feel sick to your stomach.

Type 2 diabetes is the diabetes that usually comes on gradually in adults, often related to family history and being overweight. By contrast, type 1 usually comes on suddenly in children or teenagers. Type 2 diabetes occurs as people age, particularly if they weigh more than normal for their body types.

Obesity figures heavily into the development of the disease. A new type of medicine for diabetes, initially found in a lizard's saliva, is Byetta (exenatide). Byetta causes the body to make the right amount of insulin, to make less sugar, and to absorb less sugar from the digestive tract.

People with type 2 diabetes have trouble using the insulin their bodies creates properly, so these pills help them use insulin more effectively. (In some cases, though, they might need to take insulin, too. ) The diabetes pills help reduce the amount of glucose that appears in the bloodstream between meals and at night. It may also help some people with type 2 diabetes lose weight and help improve cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Many people with type 2 diabetes take diabetes pills -- in addition to eating right and exercising -- to get their blood sugar levels into a healthy range. Sometimes