Pioglitazone+glimepiride
About
Pioglitazone+glimepiride belongs to a group of medicines known as 'antidiabetics', used to treat type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus. In type 2 diabetes the body doesn't make enough insulin, or the insulin is not effectively used by the body. This is a type of diabetes that usually develops in adulthood. Insulin is a natural substance released by the body to break down the sugar of the body.
Pioglitazone+glimepiride is a combination of two drugs namely 'Pioglitazone' and 'Glimepiride'. Pioglitazone belongs to the class of thiazolidinedione (TZD) also called 'glitazones' which helps control the level of sugar in your blood by helping your body to make better use of the insulin it produces. Glimepiride belongs to a class of medicines known as 'sulfonylureas', which works by causing the pancreas to produce more amount of insulin and helping the body to use insulin effectively. This drug also works best for individuals whose bodies naturally produce insulin.
Take Pioglitazone+glimepiride as suggested by the doctor. You are advised to take Pioglitazone+glimepiride for as long as your doctor has prescribed it for you depending on your medical condition. In some cases, you may experience certain common side effects such as upper respiratory tract infection, headache, sinusitis, myalgia (muscle pain) and pharyngitis. Most of these side effects do not require medical attention and will resolve gradually over time. However, you are advised to talk to your doctor if you experience these undesirable effects persistently.
Pioglitazone+glimepiride should not be taken if you have type 1 diabetes mellitus, if you are hypersensitive (allergic) to Pioglitazone+glimepiride or any of the other ingredients of Pioglitazone+glimepiride, have heart failure or have had heart failure in the past, diabetic ketoacidosis (a complication of diabetes causing rapid weight loss, nausea or vomiting), severe kidney or liver disease, bladder cancer. Please inform your doctor if you have any heart disease or planning to get pregnant or breastfeeding. Safety and efficacy of Pioglitazone+glimepiride in children under 18 years have not been established, so it should not be given to them. Pioglitazone+glimepiride is safe to taken by elderly persons whose age is 65 or over if prescribed by the doctor.
Uses of Pioglitazone+glimepiride
Medicinal Benefits
Pioglitazone+glimepiride is an antidiabetic drug used along with a proper diet and exercise to control high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) in patients with type 2 diabetes. Pioglitazone+glimepiride works by helping to restore your body's appropriate response to insulin, thereby lowering your blood sugar. Pioglitazone+glimepiride may be used on its own in patients who are unable to take metformin and where treatment with diet and exercise has failed to control blood sugar. As Pioglitazone+glimepiride helps to control the high blood sugar levels in the body, so it prevents the risk of blindness, nerve problems, kidney damage and other serious medical issues like a heart attack.
Directions for Use
Storage
Side Effects of Pioglitazone+glimepiride
- Headache
- Sinusitis
- Myalgia (muscle pain)
- Upper respiratory tract infection
- Urinary tract infection
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Pharyngitis (inflammation of pharynx located back of neck)
In-Depth Precautions and Warning
Drug Warnings
Pioglitazone+glimepiride should not be stopped even if you feel better, without consulting your doctor as sugar level keeps changing. If you stop taking Pioglitazone+glimepiride suddenly, it may increase your sugar levels which could further increase the risk of eyesight loss (retinopathy), kidney damage (nephropathy), and nerve damage (neuropathy). Pioglitazone+glimepiride is used to lower the blood sugar however if your sugar level gets reduced to a very low level and you start experiencing symptoms including hunger, sweating, dizziness, headache and feeling shaky. To treat such a condition, it is suggested to keep a fast-acting source of sugar in your bag that includes hard candy, raisins, and non-diet soda. Fluid retention (edema) may occur and can lead to congestive heart failure so, combination use with insulin and use in heart failure may increase the risk in patients taking Pioglitazone+glimepiride. You should not take Pioglitazone+glimepiride if you have kidney disease, as measured by a blood test. Pioglitazone+glimepiride, when used with or without insulin, tends to extremely lower the blood sugar level. So, the doctor may lower the dose of insulin. Increased fractures may be reported in some women taking Pioglitazone+glimepiride. Patients with bladder cancer and macular edema (fluid build-up in the macula part of the retina of the eye) should consult the doctor before using Pioglitazone+glimepiride.
Drug Interactions
Drug-Drug Interaction: Pioglitazone+glimepiride may interact with antidiabetics (gemfibrozil), medications used to lower cholesterol (Colesevelam), Beta-blocker medications ( metoprolol, propranolol, glaucoma eye drops such as timolol) and antibiotics (rifampicin). So, tell your doctor if you are using these drugs before taking Pioglitazone+glimepiride.
Drug-Food Interaction: Taking Pioglitazone+glimepiride with alcoholic beverages may increase the risk of a rare but serious and potentially life-threatening condition known as lactic acidosis (build-up of lactic acid in the blood) and hypoglycemia.
Drug-Disease Interaction: Pioglitazone+glimepiride should be avoided in patients with congestive heart failure (heart-related issues), type I diabetes, bladder cancer, edema, liver disease, macular edema, premenopausal anovulation, obesity (weight gain), anemia as it may worsen the condition.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
unsafeYou are recommended not to consume alcohol along with Pioglitazone+glimepiride to avoid unpleasant side-effects.
Pregnancy
cautionPioglitazone+glimepiride is not generally recommended in pregnancy. It's not clear whether pioglitazone can harm your unborn baby. It is highly recommended to consult your doctor before taking this drug in case you are pregnant.
Breast Feeding
cautionIt is highly recommended to consult your doctor before taking Pioglitazone+glimepiride.
Driving
cautionPioglitazone+glimepiride will not affect your ability to drive or use machines but take care if you experience abnormal vision.
Liver
cautionPioglitazone+glimepiride to be taken with caution, especially if you have a history of liver diseases/conditions. The dose may have to be adjusted by your doctor.
Kidney
cautionPioglitazone+glimepiride to be taken with caution, especially if you have a history of Kidney diseases/conditions. The dose may have to be adjusted by your doctor.
Children
unsafeThe safety and efficacy of Pioglitazone+glimepiride in children have not been established. Pioglitazone+glimepiride is not recommended in children unless prescribed by a child specialist.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- Fill your half plate with starchy veggies, a quarter with proteins and a quarter with whole grains.
- Eat at regular intervals. Do not take the long gap between a meal or snack.
- Monitor your blood sugar level regularly especially when there are a lot of fluctuations.
- Invest in at least 150 min of moderate-intensity physical activity and 15 minutes of high-intensity exercise every week.
- Lose weight gradually to achieve a healthy body mass index (18.5 to 24.9).
- Replace refined carbohydrates-containing foods with whole grain foods and increase intake of fruits and veggies and other fiber-enriched foods.
- Reduce intake of saturated fat (or hidden fats) in food like chips, crisps, pastries, biscuits and samosas. Choose omega-3 fatty acid-containing oils for daily cooking. For frying, you may use palm oil, mustard oil, groundnut oil, rice bran oil and safflower oil.
- Do not take stress as it may elevate your blood sugar level. You may adopt stress management techniques like mindfulness, yoga or meditation to control stress-related blood sugar changes.
- Opt for low-fat dairy products (low-fat yogurt, fat-free milk, and cheese, etc.).
- Keep your blood pressure as normal (120/80) as possible. As it reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases in diabetes patients.
Special Advise
- Keep taking the drug even if you think your blood sugar levels are under control. If you miss a dose, do not take a larger dose, consult your treating physician for advice.
- Take short frequent meals, avoid prolonged fasting when taking this drug. Beware of symptoms of hypoglycemia which include sweating, dizziness, palpitations, shivering, intense thirst, dry mouth, dry skin, frequent urination, etc. Whenever you experience the above-mentioned symptoms, immediately consume 5-6 candies or 3 glucose biscuits, or 3 teaspoons of honey/sugar, and also get in touch with your physician. Make sure to carry these with you at all times, especially for long travels.
- It is always better that your physician knows about any underlying conditions like kidney disease or liver disease, prior heart attack, alcohol intake, etc before the doctor prescribes you this medicine.
- Avoid drinking alcohol while on this drug as it increases the risk of hypoglycemia (decrease in blood sugar which might be fatal in some cases) and lactic acidosis (when the lactic acid increases in the body which impacts the functioning of various organs in the body).
- Try to quit smoking and reduce intake of carbohydrate-rich food like potatoes, rice, mangoes, bread, sugar, etc.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Type 2 diabetes: It is a condition where the body is unable to make sufficient insulin, or the insulin that it makes doesn't work properly or is utilized by our body. This can cause high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia). 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 include neuropathy (nerve problems), nephropathy (kidney problems) and retinopathy (damaged retina of eyes or blindness), loss of limbs, sexual dysfunction and increase chance of heart attack or stroke.
FAQs
Pioglitazone+glimepiride is used to lower the blood sugar however if your sugar level gets reduced to a very low level and you start experiencing symptoms including hunger, sweating, dizziness, headache and feeling shaky. To treat such a condition, it is suggested to keep a fast-acting source of sugar in your bag that include hard candy, raisins and non-diet soda and consult your doctor immediately.
Controlling blood sugar in pregnancy becomes very important as it may cause complications in both mother and unborn child. However, the Pioglitazone+glimepiride should be stopped before few days of the due date, your doctor may switch to other medication.
Pioglitazone+glimepiride increases the chances of ovulation even if the woman is at her premenopause stage or not getting her regular periods, so it is advised to use an effective birth control method while taking Pioglitazone+glimepiride.
Pioglitazone+glimepiride should not be used in certain medical conditions that include diabetic ketoacidosis (dangerously high blood sugar levels), severe heart failure and active bladder cancer.
Colesevelam may reduce the absorption of Pioglitazone+glimepiride, so it is advised to take Pioglitazone+glimepiride at least 4 hours before taking colesevelam.
Type-2 diabetes generally does not affect healthy children and teens, but it may affect children who are obese, which is also known as Childhood Obesity.
Hypoglycemia refers to low blood sugar levels and it is one of the side effects of Pioglitazone+glimepiride. Hypoglycemia can occur if you miss or delay your food, drink alcohol, over-exercise or take other antidiabetic medicine along with this medicine. It is important to monitor blood sugar levels regularly.
If you have symptoms like increased hunger, increased thirst, frequent urination (usually at night), unexplained weight loss, fatigue, blurred vision, slow wound/sores healing and frequent infections, contact the doctor as it can be a condition of diabetes.
In case you feel that your blood sugar level is going down and you are feeling weak, immediately eat sugar candies or drink sugary beverages. It will help to balance the blood sugar level in your body. So, it is advisable to keep sugar candies with you and consult your doctor immediately.
