Glimepiride
About
Glimepiride belongs to a class of antidiabetic called 'sulfonylureas' used to lower raised blood sugar levels in Type 2 diabetes mellitus (non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus - NIDDM). Type 2 diabetes develops if the body does not produce enough insulin or when your body's insulin does not work as well as it should. Insulin is a substance that helps to lower the level of sugar in your blood, especially after meals.
The Glimepiride contains Glimepiride which acts on insulin-secreting cells called beta cells inside the pancreas and activates calcium channels on cells which lets insulin pass out of the cell. This insulin then makes each cell in the body take up glucose and utilize it, thus lowering raised blood glucose. Therefore, it prevents symptoms of type 2 diabetes.
Take Glimepiride as prescribed by your doctor. Some people may experience an allergic reaction (skin rash, hives & sensitivity to sun rays), liver dysfunction (jaundice, bile duct blockage, and hepatitis), seizures, coma & low glucose levels. Most of these side effects of Glimepiride do not require medical attention and gradually resolve over time. However, if the side effects persist or worsen, please consult your doctor.
Glimepiride should not be stopped even if you feel better without consulting your doctor as the sugar level keeps changing. If you stop taking Glimepiride abruptly, it may increase your sugar levels which could further increase the risk of eyesight loss (retinopathy), kidney (nephropathy) and nerve damage (neuropathy). Glimepiride should not be taken if you have type 1 diabetes mellitus or severe kidney or liver disease. Please inform your doctor if you have any heart disease or plan to get pregnant or breastfeed.
Uses of Glimepiride
Medicinal Benefits
Glimepiride is used in people with type 2 diabetes to minimize elevated blood sugar levels with a balanced diet and exercise in combination. Glimepiride can be combined with insulin or other forms of oral antidiabetic medication. Glimepiride decreases blood sugar levels in a diabetic patient by increasing the production and secretion of insulin from the pancreas beta cells. Thus, it helps in controlling increased blood sugar levels after the meal.
Directions for Use
Storage
Side Effects of Glimepiride
- Allergic reactions
- Headache
- Nausea
- Blood pressure drop
- Shock
- Abnormal liver function
- Including skin and eye yellowing (jaundice)
- Bile flow issues (cholestasis)
- Liver inflammation (hepatitis) or failure of the liver
In-Depth Precautions and Warning
Drug Warnings
Before taking Glimepiride, inform your doctor if you are healing from injury, had or going to have surgery, have fever infections or other sources of stress, then contact your doctor as it might be appropriate to adjust care temporarily. If you have a serious kidney/liver disease, breastfeeding or pregnant, consult the doctor before using Glimepiride. Do not take Glimepiride if you are allergic to sulpha drugs, glimepiride, or any other antidiabetic medicines or have a deficiency of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD). A heart disease patient should consult a doctor before taking the Glimepiride as it may worsen the heart disease's current conditions. Do not take Glimepiride with oral contraceptives as it may increase blood sugar levels. On the other hand, taking Glimepiride with pain killers like aspirin or ibuprofen can lower your blood sugar.
Drug Interactions
Drug-Drug interactions: Glimepiride interacts with Vitamins D3, Vitamin C, Vitamin B12, antidiabetic drugs (liraglutide, rosuvastatin, dapagliflozin, metformin, glyburide, insulin, canagliflozin, sitagliptin, empagliflozin), blood pressure-lowering drugs (furosemide, atorvastatin), pain killers (aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen) & blood thinners (clopidogrel, warfarin).
Drug-Food interactions: Glimepiride should not be taken with Fish Oil (omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids) & alcohol. Alcohol intake can increase or decrease the blood sugar reduction action of Glimepiride.
Drug-Disease interactions: Patients with liver/kidney function disorder, heart diseases, low blood sugar, G6PD deficiency and electrolytes imbalance (like low sodium levels in the blood) should avoid intake of Glimepiride.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
cautionNot recommended to take Glimepiride with alcohol. Alcohol intake may increase or decrease the blood sugar lowering action of Glimepiride in an unpredictable way resulting in a harmful event.
Pregnancy
cautionGlimepiride is a pregnancy Category C medicine which means that there are no well-controlled studies that have been done in pregnant women. However, if you are taking Glimepiride during pregnancy, stop taking it at least 2 weeks before your due date or as prescribed by your doctor.
Breast Feeding
cautionNot recommended to be taken by breastfeeding mothers. Glimepiride may pass into breast milk and may cause the risk of low blood sugar in the infant. Consult your doctor for further advice.
Driving
cautionNot recommended in patients with fluctuating glucose levels. Glimepiride can reduce the ability to concentrate or react, if your blood sugar is lowered (hypoglycemia) or raised (hyperglycemia) or if you develop visual problems as a result of such conditions. Thus not recommended as the patient can endanger himself or others (e.g. when driving a car or using machines).
Liver
cautionNot recommended in patients with liver dysfunction. A patient should consult a doctor before taking Glimepiride as it may cause liver damage.
Kidney
cautionNot recommended in patients with kidney dysfunction. A patient should consult a doctor before taking Glimepiride as it may cause kidney damage.
Children
unsafeGlimepiride is not approved for use by a person less than 18 years old.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- Do regular exercise such as cycling, walking, jogging, dancing or swimming for a minimum of 30 minutes per day. Invest at least 150 minutes of your week in exercise.
- Maintain healthy body weight as obesity is also related to the onset of diabetes.
- Maintain a low fat and a low sugar diet. Replace carbohydrates containing foods with whole grains, fruits and vegetables as carbohydrates turn to sugars leading to high blood sugar.
- Avoid consumption of alcohol and quit smoking.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Type 2 diabetes: It is a chronic (long-lasting) condition that keeps the body from properly utilizing insulin. Hence, people affected with type 2 diabetes either do not produce enough insulin, or there is resistance to the action of insulin. Middle-aged or older are most likely to suffer from type 2 diabetes, so it is also known as adult-onset diabetes. Symptoms of type 2 diabetes include increased thirst, frequent urination at night, slow wound healing, increased hunger, fatigue, and blurred vision. In some cases, there may be weight gain while in rare cases weight loss may be observed. The complication of type 2 diabetes also includes nerve problems, kidney problems, the damaged retina of eyes or blindness, loss of limbs, sexual dysfunction, and an increased chance of heart attack or stroke.
FAQs
The Glimepiride contains Glimepiride which acts on insulin-secreting cells called beta cells inside the pancreas and activates calcium channels on cells which lets insulin pass out of the cell. This insulin then makes each cell in the body take up glucose and utilize it, thus lowering raised blood glucose. Therefore, it prevents symptoms of type 2 diabetes.
A patient is advised to take the missed dose as soon as possible or skip to the next dose if it's been too late. A patient should never attempt to take a double dose to compensate for the missed dose as it may prove harmful.
Glimepiride is not recommended with warfarin as these two drugs are contraindicated with each other and hence may result in any harmful symptom when taken together in heart patients.
Avoid intake of Glimepiride and consult a doctor if you have an allergy to sulfa drugs, diabetic ketoacidosis, heart disease, liver or kidney disease, an enzyme deficiency called glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PD).
Your blood sugar might get decreased, so regular blood glucose monitoring is required. Signs and symptoms of low blood sugar level are feeling very hungry, dizziness, irritability, confusion, anxiety or shakiness. Try to eat or drink a fast-acting sugar source (like fruit juice, hard candy, crackers, raisins or non-diet soda).
No, Glimepiride is only prescribed to treat type 2 diabetes and not type 1 diabetes. If you are type 1 diabetic patient consult with a doctor so that insulin forms can be prescribed for the same.
The patient is advised to talk to a doctor before taking contraceptive pills if he/she is already taking Glimepiride, then the doctor may change the dose of Glimepiride. This is because oral contraceptive pills change body responds to the sugar.
