Glipizide is used to treat type 2 diabetes, a condition in which the body does not use insulin normally and cannot regulate the quantity of sugar in the blood. It may also be used in combination with other drugs, diet, and exercise. Sulfonylureas, which include glipizide, are a group of drugs. Glipizide lowers blood sugar by encouraging the pancreas to create insulin, a hormone essential for the body to properly use and break down the natural sugar-breaking material. Only those with naturally produced insulin will benefit from this medication’s ability to reduce blood sugar. Glipizide is not used to treat diabetic ketoacidosis, a hazardous disease that can happen if high blood sugar is not addressed, or type 1 diabetes, a condition in which the body does not make insulin and is unable to control the quantity of sugar in the blood.

People with diabetes and high blood sugar over time may experience serious or fatal complications, such as heart disease, stroke, kidney issues, nerve damage, and vision issues. It may be possible to control your diabetes and enhance your health by taking medication(s), making lifestyle changes (such as diet, exercise, and quitting smoking), and monitoring your blood sugar frequently. This treatment may also lower your risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, nerve damage (resulting in numb, cold legs or feet and diminished sex capacity in both men and women), eye issues, such as changes in eyesight or blindness, or gum disease, which are all symptoms of diabetes. The optimal strategy to manage your diabetes will be discussed with you by your doctor and other healthcare professionals.

Tablets and extended-release (long-acting) tablets of glipizide are available for oral administration. The typical dose of the normal tablet is one or more times per day, 30 minutes prior to breakfast or meals. Typically, one daily dose of the extended-release pill is taken with breakfast. Take glipizide at roughly the same time(s) every day to help you remember to take it. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any instructions on your prescription label that you do not understand, and carefully follow their instructions. Exactly as prescribed, take glipizide. Never take it in quantities or frequencies other than those recommended by your doctor.

Most likely, your doctor will put you on a low dose of glipizide and gradually raise it as necessary. Glipizide may no longer manage your blood sugar as effectively as it did when you first started taking it after some time. To ensure that your medication is working for you, your doctor may change the dose as needed. Tell your doctor about how you’re feeling and any times during your therapy when your blood sugar test results were higher or lower than usual.

Completely swallow the extended-release pills. Do not split, crush, or chew the tablets.

Although it does not treat diabetes, glipizide aids in blood sugar management. Even if you feel better, keep taking glipizide. Without first consulting your doctor, do not discontinue taking glipizide.

For a copy of the manufacturer’s information for the patient, ask your pharmacist or doctor.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details if you’re interested in using this drug for any other conditions.

Before taking glipizide,

• If you have an allergy to glipizide, any other drugs, or any of the substances in glipizide, inform your doctor and pharmacist very away. Request a list of the components from your pharmacist.
• Inform your doctor and pharmacist about all prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, dietary supplements, and herbal products you are currently taking or intend to use. Mention aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), as well as anticoagulants (sometimes known as “blood thinners” or “blood thinners”) such as warfarin (Coumadin), beta blockers such atenolol (Tenormin), labetalol (Normodyne), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL), nadolol (Corgard), and propranolol (Inderal); calcium channel blockers like amlodipine (Norvasc), felodipine (Plendil), isradipine (DynaCirc), nicardipine (Cardene), nifedipine (Adalat, Procardia), nimodipine (Nimotop), nisoldipine (Sular), and verapamil (Calan, Isoptin, Verelan); hormone replacement therapy and hormonal contraceptives (birth control pills, patches, rings, implants, and injections), chloramphenicol, cimetidine (Tagamet), diuretics (or “water pills”), fluconazole (Diflucan), isoniazid (INH); phenelzine (Nardil); insulin or other drugs to treat diabetes or high blood sugar; isocarboxazid (Marplan); or other drugs to treat high blood sugar or high blood pressure; drugs for asthma, colds, nausea, and mental illness; selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar); tranylcypromine (Parnate); miconazole (Monistat); niacin, phenytoin (Dilantin), probenecid (Benemid), and oral steroids such dexamethasone (Decadron, Dexone), methylprednisolone (Medrol), and prednisone (Deltasone); salicylate analgesics like argesic, disalcid, and salgesic; choline magnesium trisalicylate; choline salicylate (Arthropan); diflunisal (Dolobid); and magnesium salicylate (Doan’s, others); thyroid medicines, sulfa antibiotics including co-trimoxazole (Bactrim, Septra), sulfasalazine (Azulfidine), and others. As long as you are taking glipizide, you should let your doctor or pharmacist know if you stop taking any medications. Your physician might need to adjust the dosage of your drugs or keep a close eye on you for side effects.
• Inform your doctor if you have or have ever had G6PD deficiency (a hereditary condition that results in hemolytic anemia or premature rbc destruction), if you have adrenal, pituitary, or thyroid gland hormone abnormalities, or if you have heart, kidney, or liver disease. Inform your doctor if you have short bowel syndrome (a condition where a portion of the intestine has been surgically removed, damaged by disease, or you were born without a portion of your intestines), intestinal narrowing or obstruction, or persistent diarrhea if you are taking the extended-release tablet.
• Inform your doctor if you are expecting, intend to get pregnant, or are already nursing a baby. Call your doctor right away if you get pregnant while taking glipizide.
• Inform the surgeon or dentist that you are taking glipizide before any type of surgery, including dental surgery.
• The safe consumption of alcohol while taking glipizide should be discussed with your doctor. Glipizide side effects could become more severe if you drink alcohol. Rarely, drinking alcohol while taking glipizide may also result in symptoms like flushing (reddening of the face), headache, nausea, vomiting, chest discomfort, weakness, blurred vision, mental confusion, sweating, choking, breathing difficulties, and anxiety.
• Consider using sunscreen, protective clothes, and sunglasses as well as avoiding excessive or prolonged sun exposure. Glipizide may increase the sensitivity of your skin to sunlight.
• If you become ill, experience an illness or fever, unusual stress, or are hurt, find out from your doctor what to do. Your blood sugar levels and potential glipizide dosage may be impacted by these disorders.

Make sure to abide by all dietary and exercise advice given to you by your physician or nutritionist. It’s crucial to maintain a nutritious diet, exercise frequently, and, if required, reduce weight.

Ask your doctor what to do if you forget to take a dose of glipizide before you start taking it. To remember these instructions later, write them down.

Take the missing dose as soon as you remember it, as a general rule. Skip the missed dose if the next one is almost due, and carry on with your regular dosing plan. To make up for a missing dose, do not take a second one.

Your blood sugar levels may alter as a result of this drug. You should be aware of the signs of low and high blood sugar as well as what to do if you experience these signs.

Side effects from glipizide are possible. If any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away, let your doctor know right once:

• Diarrhea
• Gas
• Feeling uneasy
• Dizziness
• Body part shaking that is uncontrollable
• Itching or rosy skin
• Rash
• Hives
• Blisters

Some adverse effects can be very harmful. Call your doctor right away if any of these symptoms occur to you:

• Eyes or skin that have a yellow tint
• Stools with a light color
• Dark feces
• Stomach ache in the top right corner
• Significant bruising or bleeding
• Fever
• Unwell throat

Other adverse effects of glipizide are possible. If you have any strange side effects while taking this medicine, contact your doctor right once.

You or your doctor can submit a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch or by phone at 1-800-332-1088 if you have a serious side event.

In one trial, patients with diabetes who took a drug related to glipizide had a higher risk of dying from cardiac problems than those who received insulin and dietary adjustments as treatment. You should discuss the dangers of taking glipizide with your doctor.

Keep this medication tightly closed in the original container and out of the reach of children. Keep it at room temperature and out of the bathroom and other places with excessive heat and moisture.

As many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and are simple for young children to open, it is crucial to keep all medications out of sight and out of reach of children. Always lock safety caps and promptly stash medication up and away from young children where it is out of their sight and reach to prevent poisoning.http://www.upandaway.org

To make sure that pets, kids, and other people cannot take leftover pharmaceuticals, they should be disposed of in a specific manner. You shouldn’t flush this medication down the toilet, though. The best option to get rid of your medication is instead through a medication take-back program. To find out about take-back initiatives in your neighborhood, speak with your pharmacist or get in touch with your city’s waste/recycling department. If you do not have access to a take-back program, you can find more information at the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medicines website (http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p).

Call the poison control hotline at 1-800-222-1222 in the event of an overdose. Additionally, information can be found online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. Call 911 right once if the person has collapsed, experienced a seizure, is having difficulty breathing, or cannot be roused.

In addition to hypoglycemic symptoms, overdose symptoms may also include the following:

• Seizures
• Consciousness is lost

Keep all of your appointments with your physician and the lab. To ascertain how you are reacting to glipizide, you should routinely check your blood sugar and urine sugar levels. For additional lab tests, such as the glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) test, your doctor may request them to monitor your response to glipizide. Your doctor will also instruct you on how to measure your blood or urine sugar levels at home in order to monitor your response to this medicine. Pay close attention to these directions.

You might find anything that resembles a tablet in your feces if you’re taking extended-release medications. The fact that the tablet is empty does not imply that you did not take the whole prescribed amount of medication.

Wearing a diabetes identity bracelet will ensure that you receive the right care in an emergency.

No one else should take your medication. Any queries you may have regarding medication refills should be directed to your pharmacist.

You should keep a written record of every medication you take, including any over-the-counter (OTC) items, prescription drugs, and dietary supplements like vitamins and minerals. This list should be brought with you whenever you see a doctor or are admitted to the hospital. You should always have this information with you in case of emergencies.