Highlights for glimepiride
Glimepiride is a prescription drug. It comes as an oral tablet.
Glimepiride is available as the brand-name drug Amaryl and as a generic drug. Generic drugs usually cost less. In some cases, they may not be available in every strength or form as the brand-name version.
This drug may be used as part of a combination therapy. That means you need to take it with other drugs.
Glimepiride is used to reduce high blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. It’s used in combination with a healthy diet and exercise.
This medication may be used with insulin or other types of diabetes drugs to help control your high blood sugar.
Glimepiride belongs to a class of drugs called sulfonylureas. A class of drugs is a group of medications that work in a similar way. These drugs are often used to treat similar conditions.
Glimepiride helps your pancreas to release insulin. Insulin is a chemical that your body makes to move sugar (glucose) from your bloodstream into your cells. Once the sugar enters your cells, they can use it as fuel for your body.
With type 2 diabetes, your body doesn’t make enough insulin, or it can’t properly use the insulin that it makes, so the sugar stays in your bloodstream. This causes high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia).
Glimepiride oral tablet doesn’t cause drowsiness, but it can cause other side effects.
The more common side effects that can occur with glimepiride include:
If these effects are mild, they may go away within a few days or a couple of weeks. If they’re more severe or don’t go away, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Call your doctor right away if you have serious side effects. Call 911 if your symptoms feel life threatening or if you think you’re having a medical emergency. Serious side effects and their symptoms can include the following:
Glimepiride oral tablet can interact with other medications, vitamins, or herbs you may be taking. An interaction is when a substance changes the way a drug works. This can be harmful or prevent the drug from working well.
To help avoid interactions, your doctor should manage all of your medications carefully. Be sure to tell your doctor about all medications, vitamins, or herbs you’re taking. To find out how this drug might interact with something else you’re taking, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Examples of drugs that can cause interactions with glimepiride are listed below.
These drugs can increase the effect of glimepiride and cause low blood sugar. Examples of these drugs include:
These drugs can increase the effect of glimepiride and cause low blood sugar. Examples of these drugs include:
These drugs can increase the effect of glimepiride and cause low blood sugar. Examples of these drugs include:
Chloramphenicol can increase the effect of glimepiride and cause low blood sugar.
Clofibrate can increase the effect of glimepiride and cause low blood sugar.
These drugs can increase the effect of glimepiride and cause low blood sugar. Examples of these drugs include:
These drugs can increase the effect of glimepiride and cause low blood sugar. Examples of these drugs include:
These drugs can increase the effect of glimepiride and cause low blood sugar. Examples of these drugs include:
Colesevelam can decrease the amount of glimepiride that’s absorbed by your body. This means that the drug may not work as well. This interaction may cause high blood sugar.
Diazoxide can decrease the effect of glimepiride and cause high blood sugar.
These drugs can decrease the effect of glimepiride and cause high blood sugar. Examples of these drugs include:
These drugs can decrease the effect of glimepiride and cause high blood sugar. Examples of these drugs include:
All possible dosages and forms may not be included here. Your dose, form, and how often you take it will depend on:
Generic: Glimepiride
Brand: Amaryl
Adult dosage (ages 18 to 64 years)
Child dosage (ages 0 to 17 years)
Glimepiride isn’t recommended for people under 18 years old because it may affect body weight and cause low blood sugar.
Senior dosage (ages 65 years and older)
For people with kidney disease: Because you’re at risk for low blood sugar, your dose of glimepiride will likely be lower than the typical dose.
For people with liver disease: If you have liver disease, you may be more sensitive to the effects of glimepiride. Your doctor may start you at a lower dose and slowly increase your dose if needed.
Glimepiride is used for long-term treatment. It comes with serious risks if you don’t take it as prescribed.
If you don’t take it at all: If you don’t take glimepiride at all, you may still have high blood sugar levels. Over time, higher blood sugar levels can injure your eyes, kidneys, nerves, or heart. Severe issues include heart attack, stroke, blindness, kidney failure and dialysis, and possible amputations.
If you take too much: If you take too much glimepiride, monitor your blood sugar very closely and begin treatment if your blood sugar falls below 70 mg/dL. If this happens, take 15 to 20 grams of glucose (a type of sugar). You need to eat or drink one of the following:
Test your blood sugar 15 minutes after you treat the low sugar reaction. If your blood sugar is still low, then repeat the above treatment.
Once your blood sugar is back in the normal range, eat a small snack if your next planned meal or snack is more than 1 hour later.
If you don’t treat low blood sugar, you can have a seizure, pass out, and possibly develop brain damage. Low blood sugar can even be fatal.
If you pass out because of a low sugar reaction or cannot swallow, someone must give you an injection of glucagon to treat the low sugar reaction. You may need to go to the emergency room.
What to do if you miss a dose: If you forget to take your dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it’s just a few hours before the time for your next dose, only take one dose.
Never try to catch up by taking two doses at once. This could result in severe side effects, such as low blood sugar.
How to tell if the drug is working: Your blood sugar readings should be lower and may be in the target range for people with type 2 diabetes. Unless otherwise directed by your doctor, target ranges for blood sugar are as follows:
As with all medications, the costs of glimepiride can vary. To find current prices for your area, check out GoodRx.com.
Keep these considerations in mind if your doctor prescribes glimepiride for you.
A prescription for this medication is refillable. You should not need a new prescription for this medication to be refilled. Your doctor will write the number of refills authorized on your prescription.
When traveling with your medication:
You may need to test your blood sugar levels at home using a blood glucose monitor. You’ll need to learn how to do the following:
To check your blood sugar levels, you’ll need to have:
Lancets are used to test your blood sugar while you’re taking glimepiride. Don’t throw out individual lancets into trashcans or recycling bins, and never flush them down the toilet. Ask your pharmacist for a safe container for disposing used lancets.
Your community may have a program for throwing away lancets. If disposing the container in the trash, label it “do not recycle.”
Before you start and while you’re taking glimepiride, your doctor may check your:
Glimepiride is used to treat diabetes along with diet changes and exercise. Talk with your doctor about how to change your eating habits.
Glimepiride may cause increased sensitivity to the sun (photosensitivity). While taking this medication, you should use sunscreen, wear protective clothing, and limit how often you’re in the sun.
Besides the drug, you’ll need to purchase the following:
There are other drugs available to treat your condition. Some may be more suitable for you than others. Talk with your doctor about possible alternatives.
Fatal heart problems warning: Glimepiride may increase your risk of fatal heart problems compared to treatment with diet alone or diet plus insulin. Ask your doctor if this drug is right for you.
This drug comes with several warnings.
This drug is chemically similar to a class of medications called sulfonamides (sulfa drugs). If you’re allergic to sulfa medications, you may be allergic to glimepiride. If you have a sulfa allergy, tell your doctor before taking this drug.
Glimepiride can cause a severe allergic reaction. Symptoms may include:
If you develop these symptoms, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
Don’t take this drug again if you’ve ever had an allergic reaction to it. Taking it again could be fatal.
Drinking alcohol while taking glimepiride may affect your blood sugar levels. They can either increase or decrease. Avoid drinking alcohol while taking this medication.
For people with G6PD deficiency: Glimepiride can cause hemolytic anemia (destruction of red blood cells) in people with the genetic problem Glucose 6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency. Your doctor may switch you to another diabetes drug if you have this condition.
For people with kidney disease: Glimepiride is removed from your body by your kidneys. If your kidneys aren’t working as well, glimepiride may build up in your body and cause low blood sugar. Your doctor may start you at a lower dose and slowly increase your dose if needed.
For people with liver disease: Glimepiride hasn’t been fully studied in patients with liver disease. If you have liver disease, you may be more sensitive to glimepiride. Your doctor may start you at a lower dose and slowly increase your dose if needed.
For pregnant women: Glimepiride is a category C pregnancy drug. That means two things:
Tell your doctor if you’re pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Glimepiride should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus.
Call your doctor if you become pregnant while taking this drug.
For women who are breastfeeding: It isn’t known if glimepiride passes through breast milk. If it does, it may cause serious effects in a child who is breastfed. You and your doctor may need to decide if you’ll take glimepiride or breastfeed.
For seniors: As you age, your organs, such as your kidneys and liver, may not work as well as they did when you were younger. This means that you may be more sensitive to the effects of this medication. It may also be more difficult for you to recognize the symptoms of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).
For these reasons, your doctor may start you at a lower dose of glimepiride.
For children: Glimepiride isn’t recommended for people under 18 years old because it may affect body weight and cause low blood sugar.
Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or other healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.
Last medically reviewed on August 23, 2021
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