What it's used for
Acarbose tablets are used along with diet and exercise to help improve blood sugar control. They are specifically prescribed for adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Source: U.S. FDA-approved prescribing information (openFDA).
Typical dosing
Dosage must be individualized based on effectiveness and tolerance, without exceeding a maximum recommended dose of 100 mg three times daily.
Dosing shown here is the general FDA-labeled range. Your prescribing clinician determines the exact dose, form, and schedule for you — this is not a substitute for medical advice.
Common side effects
Gastrointestinal symptoms are the most common reactions, including abdominal pain, diarrhea, and flatulence.
Covered strengths on the Tab $0 list
Covered at $0 with an active Tab membership when filled at a participating pharmacy nationwide or through mail order. A licensed clinician must prescribe the medication.
Related medications
Other diabetes medications covered at $0 with an active Tab membership.
Acarbose cost without insurance
Cash prices for Acarbose without insurance vary widely by pharmacy, strength and quantity — the same prescription can cost very different amounts at two pharmacies in the same town. That is the problem a membership solves.
Acarbose is on Tab's covered $0 generic list. With an active Tab membership, every covered strength is $0 — not a percentage off, not a coupon that changes month to month — at participating pharmacies nationwide or through mail order. You do not need insurance, and Tab works whether or not you have a health plan.
Tab is a membership, not insurance. Covered medications require a prescription from a licensed clinician.
Acarbose dosage and administration
There is no fixed dosage regimen for the management of diabetes mellitus with acarbose tablets or any other pharmacologic agent. Dosage of acarbose tablets must be individualized on the basis of both effectiveness and tolerance while not exceeding the maximum recommended dose of 100 mg t.i.d. Acarbose tablets should be taken three times daily at the start (with the first bite) of each main meal. Acarbose tablets should be started at a low dose, with gradual dose escalation as described below, both to reduce gastrointestinal side effects and to permit identification of the minimum dose required for adequate glycemic control of the patient.If the prescribed diet is not observed, the intestinal side effects may be intensified.
Excerpt from the FDA-approved prescribing information (openFDA), retrieved 2026-09-15. Your prescribing clinician decides the exact dose, form and schedule for you — this is not medical advice.
Acarbose side effects
Digestive Tract Gastrointestinal symptoms are the most common reactions to acarbose tablets. In U.S. placebo-controlled trials, the incidences of abdominal pain, diarrhea, and flatulence were 19%, 31%, and 74% respectively in 1255 patients treated with acarbose tablets 50-300 mg t.i.d., whereas the corresponding incidences were 9%, 12%, and 29% in 999 placebo-treated patients. In a one-year safety study, during which patients kept diaries of gastrointestinal symptoms, abdominal pain and diarrhea tended to return to pretreatment levels over time, and the frequency and intensity of flatulence tended to abate with time.
Excerpt from the FDA-approved prescribing information (openFDA), retrieved 2026-09-15. This is not a complete list. Report side effects to your clinician, and seek care for anything severe or unexpected.
Acarbose drug interactions
Certain drugs tend to produce hyperglycemia and may lead to loss of blood glucose control. These drugs include the thiazides and other diuretics, corticosteroids, phenothiazines, thyroid products, estrogens, oral contraceptives, phenytoin, nicotinic acid, sympathomimetics, calcium channel-blocking drugs, and isoniazid. When such drugs are administered to a patient receiving acarbose tablets, the patient should be closely observed for loss of blood glucose control. When such drugs are withdrawn from patients receiving acarbose tablets in combination with sulfonylureas or insulin, patients should be observed closely for any evidence of hypoglycemia. Patients Receiving Sulfonylureas or Insulin: Sulfonylurea agents or insulin may cause hypoglycemia.
Excerpt from the FDA-approved prescribing information (openFDA), retrieved 2026-09-15. Tell your clinician and pharmacist about every medication, supplement and over-the-counter product you take.
Who should not take acarbose
Acarbose tablets are contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to the drug. Acarbose tablets are contraindicated in patients with diabetic ketoacidosis or cirrhosis. Acarbose tablets are also contraindicated in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, colonic ulceration, partial intestinal obstruction or in patients predisposed to intestinal obstruction. In addition, acarbose tablets are contraindicated in patients who have chronic intestinal diseases associated with marked disorders of digestion or absorption and in patients who have conditions that may deteriorate as a result of increased gas formation in the intestine.
Excerpt from the FDA-approved prescribing information (openFDA), retrieved 2026-09-15. Whether this medication is appropriate for you is a clinical decision made by your prescribing clinician.
Common questions
Is acarbose covered at $0 with Tab?
Yes. Acarbose is on Tab's covered $0 generic list — every covered strength is $0 with an active membership, at participating pharmacies nationwide or by mail order.
Do I need insurance to get acarbose through Tab?
No. Tab is a membership, not insurance. Covered medications are $0 with an active membership whether or not you have a health plan.
How do I get an acarbose prescription with Tab?
Book a video visit with a licensed Tab clinician (unlimited visits are included with membership). If it's clinically appropriate, they send the prescription to your chosen participating pharmacy or by mail order.
How much does acarbose cost without insurance?
Without insurance, retail cash prices for acarbose vary by pharmacy, strength and quantity. Acarbose is on Tab's covered $0 generic list, so every covered strength is $0 with an active Tab membership at participating pharmacies nationwide or by mail order.
What is the cheapest way to get acarbose?
For medications on Tab's covered list, a Tab membership is the cheapest route: covered strengths of acarbose are $0 with an active membership, and unlimited video visits with a licensed clinician are included, so the visit that produces the prescription is covered too.
What is the usual dose of acarbose?
There is no fixed dosage regimen for the management of diabetes mellitus with acarbose tablets or any other pharmacologic agent. Dosage of acarbose tablets must be individualized on the basis of both effectiveness and tolerance while not exceeding the maximum recommended dose of 100 mg t.i.d. Acarbose tablets should be taken three times daily at the start (with the first bite) of each main meal. (FDA-approved label, retrieved 2026-09-15. Your clinician sets your dose.)
What are the side effects of acarbose?
Digestive Tract Gastrointestinal symptoms are the most common reactions to acarbose tablets. In U.S. placebo-controlled trials, the incidences of abdominal pain, diarrhea, and flatulence were 19%, 31%, and 74% respectively in 1255 patients treated with acarbose tablets 50-300 mg t.i.d., whereas the corresponding incidences were 9%, 12%, and 29% in 999 placebo-treated patients. (FDA-approved label, retrieved 2026-09-15.)
What interacts with acarbose?
Certain drugs tend to produce hyperglycemia and may lead to loss of blood glucose control. These drugs include the thiazides and other diuretics, corticosteroids, phenothiazines, thyroid products, estrogens, oral contraceptives, phenytoin, nicotinic acid, sympathomimetics, calcium channel-blocking drugs, and isoniazid. (FDA-approved label, retrieved 2026-09-15. Tell your clinician about every medication and supplement you take.)
Acarbose is $0 on the covered list
Members pay $0 for covered generics at participating pharmacies nationwide or by mail order — plus unlimited virtual primary care, urgent care and dermatology visits. No insurance needed.
Solo $49/mo · Family $119/mo for up to 4 people · Family+ $149/mo for up to 8
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