Know Your Blood Sugar Numbers

How testing can help

There are two important steps your doctor may recommend you take to help you find out how you're doing with controlling your blood sugar numbers:

  • Check your blood sugar, or glucose, before and after you eat.
  • Ask your doctor about your hemoglobin A1C level.

What your blood sugar numbers will tell you

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Monitoring your blood sugar (glucose) can show you and your doctor how your blood sugar responds to food, exercise, and medications you may be taking. This information will help your doctor guide your treatment plan.

How can I measure my progress?

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Don't leave it to guesswork. Know your blood sugar numbers. Here are some guidelines to help keep track:

  • Check your blood sugar number in the morning when you wake up, but before you eat (before meal).

    Your doctor will determine what your fasting blood sugar (FPG) goals should be. Fasting means you have not eaten or drunk anything (except water) for at least 8 hours. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends a reading between 70mg/dL and 130mg/dL. If your blood sugar level drops too low (for example, below 70mg/dL), you could experience hypoglycemia.

Most people taking Onglyza did not experience hypoglycemia; however, it may occur, particularly when taken with another diabetes medicine, such as a sulfonylurea or insulin. Symptoms of low blood sugar include shaking, hunger, sweating, headache, rapid heartbeat, change in mood, and change in vision. If you have symptoms of low blood sugar, you should check your blood sugar and treat if low, then call your doctor.

Your doctor may have instructed you to drink or eat a fast-acting sugar. Examples of fast-acting sugars are shown in the table to the right.

  • Check your blood sugar number again 2 hours after you eat.

    For most adults with type 2 diabetes, it should be less than 180mg/dL. Ask your doctor what's right for you. Comparing your blood sugar level before you eat with your blood sugar levels 2 hours after you eat can show you the effect your food choices have on your blood sugar.

Measuring your progress

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If your numbers are too high, talk to your doctor about making some adjustments. For instance, you may be able to lower your after-meal blood sugar with a more balanced diet and/or by increasing your exercise (talk to your doctor before beginning any diet or exercise program). If your doctor determines that your numbers are still too high, your doctor may want to adjust or make a change in your treatment.

Ask your doctor about your A1C score

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Your A1C is the test done by your doctor every 3 months. Since A1C measures your progress over a 3-month period, it's very important to control your blood sugar before and after you eat, every day. That way, your A1C may also be lower. Asking your doctor for your A1C score is a good way to see how successful you've been at controlling your type 2 diabetes over time.

Achieving Recommended A1C Score

An A1C under 7% is recommended by the American Diabetes Association. If your doctor says your A1C is too high, your doctor may tell you to make changes to your diet, or to exercise more. Your doctor may also add another medicine to help lower your A1C score.

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Tips to Keep Your Blood Sugar in Control

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION for ONGLYZA (saxagliptin)

Do not take ONGLYZA if you are allergic to any of its ingredients. Serious allergic reactions can occur with ONGLYZA and may include swelling of the face, lips or throat, difficulty swallowing or breathing, swelling of the skin, hives, rash, itching, flaking, or peeling. If you have these symptoms, stop taking ONGLYZA and contact your doctor right away.

Serious side effects can happen to people taking ONGLYZA, including inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) which may be severe and lead to death. Before taking ONGLYZA, tell your doctor if you ever had pancreatitis, gallstones, history of alcoholism, or high triglyceride levels. Stop taking ONGLYZA and contact your doctor right away if you have pain in your stomach area (abdomen) that is severe and will not go away. The pain may be felt going from your abdomen through to your back. The pain may happen with or without vomiting. These may be symptoms of pancreatitis.

When ONGLYZA is used with certain other diabetes medicines to treat high blood sugar, such as a sulfonylurea or insulin, the risk of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) is higher. Symptoms of low blood sugar include shaking, hunger, sweating, headache, rapid heartbeat, change in mood, and change in vision. Follow your doctor’s instructions for treating low blood sugar.

When ONGLYZA is used with a thiazolidinedione (TZD), such as pioglitazone or rosiglitazone, to treat high blood sugar, peripheral edema (fluid retention) may become worse. If you have symptoms of peripheral edema, such as swelling of hands, feet, or ankles, call your doctor.

The most common side effects with ONGLYZA include upper respiratory tract infection, urinary tract infection, and headache.

Your doctor should test your blood to measure how well your kidneys are working before and during treatment with ONGLYZA. You may need a lower dose if your kidneys are not working well.

Tell your doctor if you start or stop taking other medications, including antibiotics, antifungals or HIV/AIDS medications, as your doctor may need to change your dose of ONGLYZA.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, breast-feeding, or plan to become pregnant or breast-feed.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please click here for Medication Guide, and click here for US Full Prescribing Information for ONGLYZA (saxagliptin).