GLIMEPIRIDE

Sulfonylurea antidiabetic medicine

Dosage Forms

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Tablet

2 mg
4 mg

Uses

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  • Type 2 diabetes mellitus

Dose and Duration

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Type 2 diabetes mellitus
Adult: initially, 1 mg once daily increased by 1 mg every 1–2 weeks according to response (max 4 mg daily but in exceptional cases, up to 6 mg may be beneficial) taken shortly before or with the first meal of the day

Contraindications

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  • Ketoacidosis
  • Insulin dependent diabetes
  • Diabetic coma
  • Hypersensitivity to glimepiride or other sulfonylureas
  • Severe renal or hepatic function disorders

Side Effects

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  • Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation
  • Hyponatraemia
  • Haemolytic anaemia in G6PD-deficiency

Interactions

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  • Chloramphenicol (effects of glimepiride increased)
  • Fluconazole and miconazole (plasma concentration of glimepiride increased)

Patient Instructions

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  • If a dose is forgotten, do not increase the next dose
  • Swallow the tablets whole with a glass of water with or shortly before the first meal of the day
  • Take your meals regularly to avoid hypoglycaemia

Pregnancy

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  • Do not use

Breast-feeding

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  • Can be used

⚠️ Caution

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  • Use with caution in mild to moderate renal impairment due to hypoglycaemic risk, avoid in severe impairment
  • Avoid use in breast-feeding due to theoretical risk of hypoglycaemia in the infant
  • May promote weight gain; avoid in obese patients
  • Ensure regular hepatic and haematological monitoring
  • Dose of glimepiride should be reduced timely as insulin sensitivity may improve during treatment leading to reduced glimepiride requirements