Details

Glimepiride is an oral diabetes medicine that helps control blood sugar levels. Glimepiride is used together with diet and exercise to treat type 2 diabetes. Insulin or other diabetes medicines are sometimes used in combination with glimepiride if needed. To make sure glimepiride is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have heart disease liver or kidney disease an allergy to sulpha drugs an enzyme deficiency called glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PD) adrenal or pituitary gland problems or if you are under-nourished.

Typical Uses

Glimepiride is used with a proper diet and exercise program to control high blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. It may also be used with other diabetes medications. Controlling high blood sugar helps prevent kidney damage, blindness, nerve problems, loss of limbs, and sexual function problems. Proper control of diabetes may also lessen your risk of a heart attack or stroke. Glimepiride belongs to the class of drugs known as sulfonylureas. It lowers blood sugar by causing the release of your body's natural insulin.

Side Effects

Some side effects of glimepiride include pale or yellowed skin, dark coloured urine, fever, confusion or weakness or severe skin reaction-fever, sore throat, swelling in your face or tongue, burning in your eyes, skin pain, followed by a red or purple skin rash that spreads (especially in the face or upper body) and causes blistering and peeling.

Drug Interactions

• Glimepiride+gatifloxacin- Gatifloxacin can affect blood glucose levels and should not be used in patients with diabetes. Both hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose) and, less frequently, hyperglycemia (high blood glucose) have been reported. Severe cases of hypoglycaemia during treatment with gatifloxacin have resulted in coma and even death. You should learn to recognize the symptoms of hyperglycemia and hypoglycaemia, as well as what to do when these conditions occur.

Mechanism of action

Glimepiride belongs to a blood sugar lowering group of medicines called sulfonylurea. Glimepiride increases the amount of insulin released by the pancreas, and thereby decreases the blood sugar level.

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