Glyburide is used to treat type 2 diabetes, a condition in which the body does not use insulin normally and cannot control the quantity of sugar in the blood. It may also be used in combination with other drugs, diet, and exercise. Sulfonylureas, which include glyburide, are a group of drugs. Glyburide decreases blood sugar levels by stimulating the pancreas to create insulin, a hormone that the body naturally needs to break down sugar. It also makes insulin more effective for utilization by the body. Only those whose bodies naturally make insulin will benefit from using this medication to decrease blood sugar. Glyburide is not used to treat diabetic ketoacidosis, a serious 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.

Glyburide is available as an oral tablet. It is often taken once day, with breakfast or the morning’s first substantial meal. But occasionally, your doctor might advise you to take glyburide twice day. Take glyburide every day at about the same time(s) to help you remember to take it. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any instructions on your prescription label that you are unsure about following. Follow the glyburide directions exactly. Never take it in larger or less amounts or more frequently than directed by your doctor.

A low dose of glyburide will likely be prescribed by your doctor, and if necessary, that dose will be gradually increased. The blood sugar-controlling effects of glyburide may diminish over time compared to when you first started taking it. To ensure that the drug is working as effectively for you as possible, your doctor may change the dose as necessary. When your blood sugar test results have been higher or lower than usual at any point while you are receiving treatment, be careful to let your doctor know how you are feeling.

Glyburide aids in blood sugar management but does not treat diabetes. Even if you feel good, keep taking glyburide. Without consulting your doctor, do not discontinue taking glyburide.

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

Before taking glyburide,

• If you have any allergies, including to glyburide, other drugs, or any of the substances in glyburide, let your doctor and pharmacist know right away. Request an ingredient list from your pharmacist.
• If you take bosentan (Tracleer), tell your doctor. If you are taking this medicine, your doctor might advise you to avoid using glyburide.
• Inform your physician and pharmacist about all prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, dietary supplements, and herbal products you are currently taking or intend to use. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors such benazepril (Lotensin), captopril (Capoten), enalapril (Vasotec), fosinopril (Monopril), and lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril) should be mentioned; anticoagulants (also known as “blood thinners”) like warfarin (Coumadin), moexipril (Univasc), perindopril (Aceon), quinapril (Accupril), ramipril (Altace), and trandolapril (Mavik); aspirin, as well as NSAIDs like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL), atenolol (Tenormin), labetalol (Normodyne), nadolol (Corgard), and propranolol (Inderal) are examples of beta blockers; calcium channel blockers such isradipine (DynaCirc), felodipine (Plendil), diltiazem (Cardizem), and amlodipine (Norvasc), verapamil (Calan, Isoptin, Verelan), nicardipine (Cardene), nifedipine (Adalat, Procardia), nimodipine (Nimotop), nisoldipine (Sular), and nimodipine (Nimotop); cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune), disopyramide (Norpace), diuretics (often known as “water pills”), chloramphenicol, clarithromycin (Biaxin); hormone replacement treatment and hormonal contraceptives (birth control pills, patches, rings, implants, and injections), gemfibrozil (Lopid), fluconazole (Diflucan), fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), and hormonal injections; isoniazid (INH); MAO inhibitors such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar), and tranylcypromine (Parnate); Insulin or other drugs to treat excessive blood sugar or diabetes; pharmaceuticals for nausea and mental illness; niacin; miconazole (Monistat); treatments for asthma and colds; phenytoin (Dilantin), probenecid (Benemid), and oral steroids such dexamethasone (Decadron, Dexone), methylprednisolone (Medrol), and prednisone (Deltasone); antibiotics known as quinolones and fluoroquinolones, such as ciprofloxacin (Cipro), enoxacin (Penetrex), gatifloxacin (Tequin), levofloxacin (Levaquin), and lomefloxacin (Maxaquin), norfloxacin (Noroxin), Ofloxacin (Floxin), Sparfloxacin (Zagam), Moxifloxacin (Avelox), Nalidixic Acid (NegGram), Trovafloxacin and Alatrofloxacin Combined (Trovan); rifampin; diflunisal (Dolobid); and salicylate analgesics as choline magnesium trisalicylate, choline salicylate (Arthropan), sulfa antibiotics like co-trimoxazole (Bactrim, Septra), salsalate (Argesic, Disalcid, Salgesic), and magnesium salicylate (Doan’s, etc); sulfasalazine (Azulfidine); and thyroid medicines. As long as you are taking glyburide, 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 are expecting, intend to get pregnant, or are nursing a baby. Call your doctor if you become pregnant while taking glyburide.
• If you are 65 years of age or older, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of taking glyburide with your doctor. Glyburide is typically not recommended for usage in older adults since it is less reliable and less efficient than alternative drugs that can be used to treat the same disease.
• Be sure to inform your doctor or dentist that you are taking glyburide if you are undergoing surgery, including dental surgery.
• Inquire with your doctor if drinking alcohol is okay for you to do so while taking glyburide. The adverse effects of glyburide can be exacerbated by alcohol. Rarely, drinking alcohol while taking glyburide may 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.
• Plan to use protective clothing, sunglasses, and sunscreen as well as to minimize excessive or prolonged sun exposure. Your skin may become more sun-sensitive if you take glyburide.
• In the event that you become ill, encounter exceptional stress, a feverish infection, or an injury, consult your doctor for advice. Your blood sugar and the potential amount of glyburide you require may be affected by these circumstances.

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 glyburide before you begin 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 could be affected by this medicine. The signs of low and high blood sugar, as well as what to do if you experience these signs, should be known to you.

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

• Nausea
• Fullness in the upper abdomen
• Heartburn
• Rash

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
• Diarrhea
• Fever
• Unwell throat
• Enlargement of the throat, lips, tongue, eyes, or face

Other adverse effects of gluburide are possible. If you experience any strange issues while taking this medicine, contact your doctor right away.

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 identical to glyburide had a higher risk of dying from cardiac problems than those who received insulin and dietary adjustments as treatment. The dangers of using glyburide should be discussed 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 monitor your reaction to glyburide, your fasting blood sugar levels and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) should be monitored often. To monitor your response to glyburide, your doctor might request additional lab tests. Your doctor will also instruct you on how to measure your blood sugar levels at home in order to monitor your reaction to this medicine. Pay close attention to these directions.

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.