Compare Nesina vs. Precose
Head-to-head comparisons of medication uses, side effects, ratings, and more.
Lowers your blood sugar.
Nesina (alogliptin) is a good add-on treatment for diabetes if your blood sugars are still not controlled, but it doesn't work as well as insulin.
Lowers blood sugar.
Precose (acarbose) helps lower your post-mealtime blood sugar levels, but it must be taken at the beginning of each main meal in order for it to be most effective.
Upsides
- Less likely to cause weight gain or low blood sugar compared to other anti-diabetic medicines.
- Pill may be preferred by some patients over injection.
- Precose (acarbose) helps control meal-time blood sugar levels without causing weight gain.
- When used alone it doesn't normally cause blood sugar levels to be too low unlike other anti-diabetes medicines.
- Safe to be used in people age 65 or older.
- Has relatively few interactions with other medicines.
Downsides
- Does not lower your A1c (average blood sugar over time) as much as insulin.
- Available as an expensive, branded product only.
- Has more troublesome side-effects than other anti-diabetic pills.
- Not a first choice medicine because it isn't as effective at lowering blood sugar compared to other treatment options.
- Associated with bothersome side effects like excessive gas and diarrhea.
- Relatively more expensive than other diabetes medicines.
- Has to be taken three times a day with each meal.
- Might cause episodes of low blood sugar when taken together with insulin or medicines that stimulate insulin release.
Used for
Dosage forms
- Pill
- Pill
Price
Lowest price
$94.57
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$15.21
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Reviews
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Side effects
The Nesina (alogliptin) FDA package insert doesn’t have numbers about how common side effects are.
Risks and risk factors
- Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)
- History of pancreatitis
- High blood triglyceride levels
- Gallstones (stones in gallbladder)
- Liver damage
- Serious allergic reactions
- Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
- Taking medicines for diabetes
- Severe joint pain and swelling
- Low blood sugar
- Using insulin or other medicines that stimulate insulin release
- Kidney function
- Those with kidney problems
- Interactions with other medicines
- Taking multiple medicines together