katyzzzGlimepiride and working
December 10th 2006 06:53
Glimepiride and working :
Glimepiride is used for the treatment of diabetes mellitus that appears in adulthood (this type of diabetes is known as type 2 diabetes, sometimes called adult-onset or non-
insulin-dependent diabetes) and cannot be successfully managed through dietary therapy alone. Glimepiride lowers the blood sugar levels by increasing the release of insulin from the pancreas.
Glimepiride Facts
Brand name (manufacturer): Amaryl (Hoechst Roussel)
Type of drug: Oral antidiabetic
Ingredient: Glimepiride
Dosage form: Tablets (1 mg, 2 mg, and 4 mg)
Storage: Store at room temperature in a tightly closed container.
Treatment :
Take glimepiride with breakfast or the first main meal of the day (unless your doctor directs you to do otherwise).
It is important to try not to miss any doses of glimepiride. If you do miss a dose, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, do not take the missed dose at all; just return to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double the next dose. Tell your doctor if you feel any side effects from missing a dose of this drug.
Side Effects :
Minor: Diarrhea, headache, heartburn, loss of appetite, nausea, stomach discomfort, stomach pain, or vomiting. These side effects usually go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine.
Glimepiride may increase your sensitivity to sunlight. It is therefore important to use caution during exposure to the sun. Wear protective clothing and use an effective sunscreen when you are outdoors during the day, and do not expose your skin to sunlamps.
More Information
on Diabetes
Medications are only one aspect of diabetes and its treatment. Here are links to articles that explore the disease in detail:
How to Adjust to Life With Diabetes
Major: Notify your doctor if any side effects are persistent or particularly bothersome to you. IT IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO TELL YOUR DOCTOR about dark urine, fatigue, itching of the skin, light-colored stools, rash, sore throat and fever, unusual bleeding or bruising, weight gain, or yellowing of the eyes or skin.
Interactions :
Glimepiride interacts with a number of other medications:
Glimepiride can lower blood sugar levels, sometimes dangerously so, when it is combined with cimetidine, ranitidine, ciprofloxacin, guanethidine, monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors, quinidine, quinine, salicylates, chloramphenicol, and antifungal agents (such as fluconazole).
Thyroid hormones, albuterol, dextrothyroxine, epinephrine, lithium, phenytoin, thiazide diuretics (water pills), furosemide, calcium channel blocking agents (such as verapamil or nifedipine), protease inhibitors (such as ritonavir or indinavir), and cortisonelike medications (such as dexamethasone, hydrocortisone, and prednisone) can actually increase blood sugar levels when any of these medications are combined with glimepiride -- which is exactly what you are trying to avoid.
Antidiabetic medications can increase the effects of warfarin, which can lead to bleeding complications.
Beta-blocking medications (atenolol, metoprolol, nadolol, pindolol, propranolol, and timolol) combined with glimepiride can result in either high or low blood sugar levels. Beta blockers can also mask the symptoms of low blood sugar, which can be dangerous.
BE SURE TO TELL YOUR DOCTOR if you are already taking any of the medications listed above.
Warnings :
It is important to tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to glimepiride or any other oral antidiabetics or to any sulfa medication, including sulfonamide antibiotics or diuretics (water pills).
It is also important to tell your doctor if you now have or ever had kidney disease, liver disease, severe infection, or thyroid disease.
Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages while taking this medication (unless directed otherwise by your doctor). Some patients who take this medicine experience nausea, vomiting, dizziness, stomach pain, pounding headache, sweating, or redness of the face and skin when they drink alcohol, and large amounts of alcohol can decrease blood sugar to dangerously low levels.
Follow the special diet that your doctor gave you. This is an important part of controlling your blood sugar and is necessary for this medicine to work properly.
Be sure to tell your doctor or dentist that you are taking this medicine before having any kind of surgery or other medical or dental treatment.
Test for sugar in your blood or urine as directed by your doctor. It is a convenient way to determine if your diabetes is being controlled by this medicine.
Eat or drink something containing sugar right away if you experience any symptoms of low blood sugar (such as anxiety, chills, cold sweats, cool or pale skin, drowsiness, excessive hunger, headache, nausea, nervousness, rapid heartbeat, shakiness, or unusual tiredness or weakness). It is important that your family and friends know the symptoms of low blood sugar and what to do if they recognize any of these symptoms in you. Also, check with your doctor as soon as possible, even if these symptoms are corrected by the sugar. The blood-sugar-lowering effects of this medicine can last for hours, and the symptoms may return during this period. Good sources of sugar are orange juice, corn syrup, honey, sugar cubes, and table sugar. You are at greatest risk of developing low blood sugar if you skip or delay meals, exercise more than you usually do, cannot eat because of nausea or vomiting, or drink large amounts of alcohol.
Be sure to tell your doctor if you are pregnant. Studies have not yet been completed in humans during pregnancy, but studies in animal pregnancies have shown that this medicine can cause birth defects. Also tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding an infant. Small amounts of glimepiride pass into breast milk.
Glimepiride is used for the treatment of diabetes mellitus that appears in adulthood (this type of diabetes is known as type 2 diabetes, sometimes called adult-onset or non-
insulin-dependent diabetes) and cannot be successfully managed through dietary therapy alone. Glimepiride lowers the blood sugar levels by increasing the release of insulin from the pancreas.
Glimepiride Facts
Brand name (manufacturer): Amaryl (Hoechst Roussel)
Type of drug: Oral antidiabetic
Ingredient: Glimepiride
Dosage form: Tablets (1 mg, 2 mg, and 4 mg)
Storage: Store at room temperature in a tightly closed container.
Treatment :
Take glimepiride with breakfast or the first main meal of the day (unless your doctor directs you to do otherwise).
It is important to try not to miss any doses of glimepiride. If you do miss a dose, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, do not take the missed dose at all; just return to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double the next dose. Tell your doctor if you feel any side effects from missing a dose of this drug.
Side Effects :
Minor: Diarrhea, headache, heartburn, loss of appetite, nausea, stomach discomfort, stomach pain, or vomiting. These side effects usually go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine.
Glimepiride may increase your sensitivity to sunlight. It is therefore important to use caution during exposure to the sun. Wear protective clothing and use an effective sunscreen when you are outdoors during the day, and do not expose your skin to sunlamps.
More Information
on Diabetes
Medications are only one aspect of diabetes and its treatment. Here are links to articles that explore the disease in detail:
How to Adjust to Life With Diabetes
Major: Notify your doctor if any side effects are persistent or particularly bothersome to you. IT IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO TELL YOUR DOCTOR about dark urine, fatigue, itching of the skin, light-colored stools, rash, sore throat and fever, unusual bleeding or bruising, weight gain, or yellowing of the eyes or skin.
Interactions :
Glimepiride interacts with a number of other medications:
Glimepiride can lower blood sugar levels, sometimes dangerously so, when it is combined with cimetidine, ranitidine, ciprofloxacin, guanethidine, monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors, quinidine, quinine, salicylates, chloramphenicol, and antifungal agents (such as fluconazole).
Thyroid hormones, albuterol, dextrothyroxine, epinephrine, lithium, phenytoin, thiazide diuretics (water pills), furosemide, calcium channel blocking agents (such as verapamil or nifedipine), protease inhibitors (such as ritonavir or indinavir), and cortisonelike medications (such as dexamethasone, hydrocortisone, and prednisone) can actually increase blood sugar levels when any of these medications are combined with glimepiride -- which is exactly what you are trying to avoid.
Antidiabetic medications can increase the effects of warfarin, which can lead to bleeding complications.
Beta-blocking medications (atenolol, metoprolol, nadolol, pindolol, propranolol, and timolol) combined with glimepiride can result in either high or low blood sugar levels. Beta blockers can also mask the symptoms of low blood sugar, which can be dangerous.
BE SURE TO TELL YOUR DOCTOR if you are already taking any of the medications listed above.
Warnings :
It is important to tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to glimepiride or any other oral antidiabetics or to any sulfa medication, including sulfonamide antibiotics or diuretics (water pills).
It is also important to tell your doctor if you now have or ever had kidney disease, liver disease, severe infection, or thyroid disease.
Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages while taking this medication (unless directed otherwise by your doctor). Some patients who take this medicine experience nausea, vomiting, dizziness, stomach pain, pounding headache, sweating, or redness of the face and skin when they drink alcohol, and large amounts of alcohol can decrease blood sugar to dangerously low levels.
Follow the special diet that your doctor gave you. This is an important part of controlling your blood sugar and is necessary for this medicine to work properly.
Be sure to tell your doctor or dentist that you are taking this medicine before having any kind of surgery or other medical or dental treatment.
Test for sugar in your blood or urine as directed by your doctor. It is a convenient way to determine if your diabetes is being controlled by this medicine.
Eat or drink something containing sugar right away if you experience any symptoms of low blood sugar (such as anxiety, chills, cold sweats, cool or pale skin, drowsiness, excessive hunger, headache, nausea, nervousness, rapid heartbeat, shakiness, or unusual tiredness or weakness). It is important that your family and friends know the symptoms of low blood sugar and what to do if they recognize any of these symptoms in you. Also, check with your doctor as soon as possible, even if these symptoms are corrected by the sugar. The blood-sugar-lowering effects of this medicine can last for hours, and the symptoms may return during this period. Good sources of sugar are orange juice, corn syrup, honey, sugar cubes, and table sugar. You are at greatest risk of developing low blood sugar if you skip or delay meals, exercise more than you usually do, cannot eat because of nausea or vomiting, or drink large amounts of alcohol.
Be sure to tell your doctor if you are pregnant. Studies have not yet been completed in humans during pregnancy, but studies in animal pregnancies have shown that this medicine can cause birth defects. Also tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding an infant. Small amounts of glimepiride pass into breast milk.
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