# Diabetic Medication



## forsterb (Jul 1, 2011)

My wife and I will be arriving into Lakeside hopefully in early May to spend a month or so and would like to know any information that you can provide with respect to Diabetic medications. In Canada now I'm on Metformin and would like to know what's available at the local Pharmacia and at what cost or prescription requirement.


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## Guest (Apr 14, 2012)

forsterb said:


> My wife and I will be arriving into Lakeside hopefully in early May to spend a month or so and would like to know any information that you can provide with respect to Diabetic medications. In Canada now I'm on Metformin and would like to know what's available at the local Pharmacia and at what cost or prescription requirement.


"Glucophage" made by Roche is metformina in Spanish, cost is about 250 pesos (about CN$20) for 60 tablets of 500mg. 

"Glucovance" made by Merck contains both metformin and glibenclamida in either 250/2.5 mg or 500/2.5mg formulations, and cost is maybe 40 pesos more for 60 tablets.

Almost every pharmacy of any size carries both products, no prescription needed.


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## Grizzy (Nov 8, 2010)

What dosage do you take? I can check around some of the Farmacias this week. I found these names for Metformin in Mexico:
Metformin, Glucophage, Aglumet, Metformina


AGLUMET Tratamiento de la diabetes mellitus tipo II. Tabletas. PROBIOMED
ANGLUCID Para el tratamiento de diabetes mellitus. Tabletas. COLLINS
DABEX Hipoglucemiante. Tabletas. MERCK
DABEX XR Hipoglucemiante. Tabletas de liberación prolongada. MERCK
DEBEONE D.T. NF Hipoglucemiante oral para el control de la diabetes del adulto. Tabletas de liberación prolongada. ARMSTRONG
DEBEONE NF Hipoglucemiante oral para el control de la diabetes del adulto. Tabletas. ARMSTRONG
DIMEFOR Hipoglucemiante oral. Tabletas. SIEGFRIED RHEIN
DINAMEL Hipoglucemiante tratamiento principal en diabetes mellitus tipo II. Tabletas. LIFERPAL MD
FICONAX Hiperglucemiante. Tabletas. PISA
GLUCOPHAGE Antihiperglucémico. Tabletas. SYNTEX
GLUNOVAG Tratamiento de diabetes mellitus tipo II. Tabletas. NOVAG
IFOR Hiperglucemiante. Tabletas. MEDIX
MEGLUBET Hipoglucemiante. Tabletas. SANDOZ, S.A. DE C.V.
MELBEXA Hipoglucemiante. Tabletas. INVESTIGACIÓN FARMACÉUTICA
PREDIAL Prevención y control de la diabetes tipo 2. Tabletas. SILANES
PREDIAL PLUS Control de diabetes tipo 2. Tabletas. SILANES
COMBINADOS
AVANDAMET Rosiglitazona. Tratamiento de la diabetes mellitus tipo ll. Tabletas. GLAXOSMITHKLINE
BADEFEM Sibutramina. Tratamiento contra obesidad con dislipidemia o resistencia a la insulina. Tabletas. NUCITEC
BI-EUGLUCON M Glibenclamida. Hipoglucemiante. Tabletas. ROCHE
BI-PRADIA Glibenclamida. Hipoglucemiante. Tabletas. LIFERPAL MD
DIABAMET Pioglitazona. Antidiabético combinado. Cápsulas. RIMSA
DIMEFOR-G Glibenclamida. Hipoglucemiante. Tabletas recubiertas. SIEGFRIED RHEIN
DUO-ANGLUCID Glibenclamida. Hipoglucemiante oral. Tabletas. COLLINS
ESTUVINA Glibenclamida. Tratamiento de diabetes mellitus tipo 2. Tabletas. DEGORT´S
FELOCOR Fenofibrato, Fólico, ácido. Hipolipemiante e hipolgucemiante. Tabletas. NUCITEC
GLIMETAL Glimepirida. Hipoglucemiante oral. Tabletas. SILANES
GLIMETAL LEX Glimepirida. Hipoglicemiante oral. Tabletas de liberación prolongada. SILANES
GLUCOVANCE Glibenclamida. Hipoglucemiante. Tabletas. MERCK
GLUFORZ Glibenclamida. Tratamiento de la diabetes mellitus tipo II. Tabletas recubiertas. PROBIOMED
INSOGEN PLUS Clorpropamida. Hipoglucemiante oral. Tabletas. NYCOMED
JANUMET Sitagliptina. Antihiperglucémico oral. Comprimidos. MERCK SHARP & DOHME
KONTROGER Glibenclamida. Hipoglucemiante. Tabletas. STREGER
MAVIGLIN Glibenclamida. Hipoglucemiante. Grageas. MAVI
MELLITRON Clorpropamida. Antidiabético oral de doble acción. Tabletas. JANSSEN-CILAG
METIXOR G Glibenclamida. Hipoglucemiante. Tabletas. LANDSTEINER SCIENTIFIC
MIDAPHARMA Glibenclamida. Tratamiento para la diabetes. Tabletas. ALPHARMA
NORFABEN M Glibenclamida. Hipoglucemiante. Tabletas. PISA
PIME Glimepirida. Hipoglucemiante. Tabletas. RAAM DE SAHUAYO
SIL-NORBORAL Glibenclamida. Hipoglucemiante oral. Tabletas. SILANES
WADIL Glibenclamida. Hipoglucemiante. Tabletas. BIOMEP


As far as I know, no prescription is needed. Bring the package with you from home and show it to a pharmacist or clerk at a pharmacy here and they will show you the equivalents.


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## Detailman (Aug 27, 2011)

GringoCArlos = Vagabond!  Did you think I wouldn't notice?


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## johnmex (Nov 30, 2010)

Amazing how many medicines there are for diabetes. To think that in just one or two generations Mexico went having malnutrition problems to diabetes problems. Thanks Coca Cola!


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## Guest (Apr 15, 2012)

johnmex said:


> Amazing how many medicines there are for diabetes. To think that in just one or two generations Mexico went having malnutrition problems to diabetes problems. Thanks Coca Cola!


I would say "Thanks to better diagnosis!" Malnutrition still exists here in MX.

In the US, more than 25% of people with diabetes are undiagnosed - in other words, they don't know why they sometimes feel bad. That rate is higher in MX. There is also a mountain of people in both countries with pre-diabetic conditions.

The prevailing thing I see more of in Latin America is that people (kids AND adults) drink a lot more juices with added sugars. As bad or worse than Coca-Cola, and cheaper and healthier (in their minds) spending 9 pesos for a liter of juice vs. 18 pesos for a two liter bottle of Coke). The poor may know they have diabetes, but have poor education on the disease and proper diet and many can't afford or get their needed medications. 

Instead , many rely on "diet" for some form of control (eating nopal, etc). Higher protein intake would also help many, but too expensive for many on a daily basis. If they are aware they have diabetes and "are taking care of themselves", they might go to a local government medical clinic once a week to check their blood sugar levels.

Buying a glucose meter and strips is also prohibitively expensive for many people in MX. A meter here costs about 800 pesos or so, and a bottle of 50 test strips costs about 325-400 pesos. Checking their blood sugar just once a day = about 7 pesos just for the strip, plus 2 pesos for a lancet, plus some alcohol to clean up. Adding two pills a day for another 10 pesos for control. If insulin is needed, that's another 20-30 pesos per day. All of those things equates to "too much" for a lot of people. Diabetes is an expensive disease. They'll suffer and spend that money on a kg of tortillas every day instead so their family doesn't go hungry.


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## Detailman (Aug 27, 2011)

GringoCArlos,

How did you get to North Africa since we last crossed paths? I think I am getting dizzy. I am afraid to go to sleep as I don't know what continent we will be on tomorrow.


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## forsterb (Jul 1, 2011)

Thank you so much for all this very dry helpful info. I will bring down my gear so that I can check further. My current stock is 500 mg. 
You've been a great help. Looking forward to seeing y'all in May.


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