“Will I have to be on Ondero medicine all my life?”
My doctor has recommended the medication Ondero to manage my diabetes. I do not know too much about it because I was just diagnosed with type 2 recently, I basically just Yes'd my doctor to death because it happened so fast when he wrote the prescription. Would I have to be on this medication for life?
1 Answer
Ondero is a new form of an older drug, It is a drug that prevents the breakdown of a natural hormone called GLP-1 that assists in the control of blood sugar. The older form of the drug has been around for several & its effects are well known. I am a little surprised the Dr started this drug early in your treatment. Usually we start with metformin (you didn't tell me if you take this as well), then we add on drugs if metformin & life style changes are not enough. The problem with this drug is that it is not very effective. Studies show a drop of average HbA1c of about 1/2 a point with these drugs & over 1 point with other diabetes drugs . Also "why this form?" it is new & expensive while the older form of it is cheaper & just as effective. A better drug would be the GLP-1 RA itself rather that a drug that just prolongs the life of the hormone. It is expensive & has to be taken by injection but there are long acting form of it that can be taken once a week so no big deal. I would have started you on metformin & if blood sugars are not controlled in 4 weeks add a GLP-1 RA once a week. Don't forget the life style change though. Diet & exercise, wt. loss, etc. is more effective that the medications. Will you be on it for life? Not likely. Overtime there is a progressive loss of insulin secreting ability so we tend to add on drugs & if 3 or more oral drugs will not control the blood sugar the we add insulin. At that time drugs like you are taking are stopped since they are not working. Some oral drugs we continue with the insulin-metformin is the one usually continued. Get a good education about your disease, check your blood sugar frequently, control your wt., then feel lucky you have diabetes & not some more serious problem. Diabetes is not curable but it can be controlled. Remember you are a part of a big crowd of people (31 million & counting) so you have many friends out there with the same problems you have, Talk to them. I have had it for 26 years & am doing well with no complications. I have a good life with just a little added burden from the diabetes. If I can do it, you can do it. But learn as much as you can about the disease and its treatment. A good helper is a membership in the American Diabetes Association & a subscription to its magazine DIABETES FORCAST ( it comes with membership). Membership is not expensive & can be reached at ada.org. Good luck!
