How to Use

Use this drug only as directed even if you feel well and do not notice any signs of high blood sugar. Do not take more of this drug and do not take it more often than your family doctor ordered . To do so may increase the risk of serious side effects. Remember that this drug will not cure your diabetes but it does help control it. Therefore, you must continue to take it as directed if you expect to lower your blood sugar and keep it low. You may have to take an antidiabetic drug for the rest of your life . If high blood sugar is not treated, it can cause serious problems, such as heart failure, blood vessel disease, eye disease, or kidney disease.

Your family doctor will give you instructions about diet, exercise, how to test your blood sugar levels and how to adjust your dose when you are sick.

• Diet The daily number of calories in the meal plan must be adjusted by your family doctor or a registered dietitian to help you reach and maintain a healthy body weight. In addition, regular meals and snacks are arranged to meet the energy needs of your body at various times of the day The best for you that you follow your meal plan carefully .
• Exercise Ask your family doctor what kind of exercise to do, the best time to do it and how much you must do each day.
• Blood tests This is the best way to tell whether your diabetes is being controlled properly. Blood sugar testing helps you and your health care team adjust the dose of your drug, meal plan, or exercise schedule.
• On sick days When you become sick with a cold, fever, or the flu, you need to take your usual dose of sulfonylurea, even if you feel too ill to eat. This is especially true if you have nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. Infection usually increases your need to produce more insulin. Sometimes you may need to be switched from your sulfonylurea to insulin for a short period of time while you are sick to properly control blood sugar. Call your family doctor for specific instructions.
  Continue taking your sulfonylurea and try to stay on your regular meal plan. If you have trouble eating solid food, drink fruit juices, nondiet soft drinks, or clear soups, or eat small amounts of bland foods. A dietitian or your health care professional can give you a list of foods and the amounts to use for sick days.
  Test your blood sugar level at least every 4 hours while you are awake and check your urine for ketones. If ketones are present, call your family doctor at once. If you have severe or prolonged vomiting, check with your family doctor. Even when you start feeling better, let your family doctor know how you are doing.

For diseaseds taking glipizide extended-release tablets :

• Swallow the tablet whole, without breaking, crushing, or chewing it.
• You may sometimes notice what looks like a tablet in your stool. Do not worry. After you swallow the tablet, the drug in the tablet is absorbed inside your body. Then the tablet passes into your stool without changing its shape. The drug has entered your body and will work properly.

Dosage

The number of tablets that you take depends on the strength of the drug. Always the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses and the length of time you take the drug depend on the amount of sugar in your blood or urine .

For acetohexamide
• For oral dosage form - tablets:
  • For treating type 2 diabetes:
    • Adults At first, 250 milligrams - mg once a day. Some elderly people may need a lower dose at first. Then, your family doctor may change your dose a little at a time if needed. The dose is usually not more than 1.5 grams a day. If your dose is 1 gram or more, the dose is usually divided into two doses. These doses are taken before the morning and evening meals.
    • Children The type of diabetes treated with this drug is rare in child. However, if a child needs this drug, the dose would have to be determined by the family doctor.

For chlorpropamide
• For oral dosage form - tablets:
  • For treating type 2 diabetes:
    • Adults At first, 250 milligrams - mg once a day. Some elderly people may need a lower dose of 100 to 125 mg a day at first. Then, your family doctor may change your dose a little at a time if needed. The dose is usually not more than 750 mg a day.
    • Children The type of diabetes treated with this drug is rare in child. However, if a child needs this drug, the dose would have to be determined by the family doctor.

For gliclazide
• For oral dosage form - tablets:
  • For treating type 2 diabetes:
    • Adults 80 milligrams - mg a day with a meal as a single dose or 160 to 320 mg divided into two doses taken with the morning and evening meals.
    • Children The type of diabetes treated with this drug is rare in child. However, if a child needs this drug, the dose would have to be determined by the family doctor.

For glimepiride
• For oral dosage form - tablets:
  • For treating type 2 diabetes:
    • Adults:
      • Glimepiride alone: At first, 1 to 2 milligrams - mg once a day with breakfast or the first main meal. The dose then may be increased by your family doctor based on your blood sugar level.
      • Glimepiride with metformin: The usual dose is 8 mg once a day with breakfast or the first main meal.
      • Glimepiride with insulin: The usual dose is 8 mg once a day with breakfast or the first main meal.
    • Children The type of diabetes treated with this drug is rare in child. However, if a child needs this drug, the dose would have to be determined by the family doctor.

For glipizide
• For oral dosage form - tablets:
  • For treating type 2 diabetes:
    • Adults At first, 5 milligrams - mg once a day. Some elderly people may need a lower dose of 2.5 mg a day at first. Then, your family doctor may change your dose a little at a time if needed. The dose is usually not more than 40 mg a day. If your dose is 15 mg or more, the dose is usually divided into two doses. These doses are taken thirty minutes before the morning and evening meals.
    • Children The type of diabetes treated with this drug is rare in child. However, if a child needs this drug, the dose would have to be determined by the family doctor.
• For oral dosage form - extended-release tablets:
  • For treating type 2 diabetes:
    • Adults At first, 5 mg once a day with breakfast. Then, your family doctor may change your dose a little at a time if needed. The dose is usually not more than 20 mg a day.
    • Children The type of diabetes treated with this drug is rare in child. However, if a child needs this drug, the dose would have to be determined by the family doctor.

For glyburide
• For oral dosage form - nonmicronized tablets:
  • For treating type 2 diabetes:
    • Adults At first, 2.5 to 5 milligrams - mg once a day. Some elderly people may need a lower dose of 1.25 to 2.5 mg a day at first. Then, your family doctor may change your dose a little at a time if needed. The dose is usually not more than 20 mg a day. If your dose is 10 mg or more, the dose usually is divided into two doses. These doses are taken with the morning and evening meals.
    • Children The type of diabetes treated with this drug is rare in child. However, if a child needs this drug, the dose would have to be determined by the family doctor.
• For oral dosage form - micronized tablets:
  • For treating type 2 diabetes:
    • Adults At first, 1.5 to 3 mg a day. Some elderly people may need a low dose of 0.75 to 3 mg a day at first. Then, your family doctor may change your dose a little at a time if needed. The dose is usually not more than 12 mg a day. If your dose is 6 mg or more, the dose is usually divided into two doses. These doses are taken with the morning and evening meals. A single dose is taken with breakfast or with the first meal.
    • Children The type of diabetes treated with this drug is rare in child. However, if a child needs this drug, the dose would have to be determined by the family doctor.

For tolazamide
• For oral dosage form - tablets:
  • For treating type 2 diabetes:
    • Adults At first, 100 to 250 milligrams - mg once a day in the morning. Then, your family doctor may change your dose a little at a time if needed. The dose is usually not more than 1 gram a day. If your dose is 500 mg or more, the dose is usually divided into two doses. These doses are taken with the morning and evening meals.
    • Children The type of diabetes treated with this drug is rare in child. However, if a child needs this drug, the dose would have to be determined by the family doctor.

For tolbutamide
• For oral dosage form - tablets:
  • For treating type 2 diabetes:
    • Adults At first, 1000 to 2000 milligrams - mg a day. Some elderly people may need lower doses to start. The dose is usually divided into two doses. These doses are taken before the morning and evening meals. Your family doctor may change your dose a little at a time if needed. The dose is usually not more than 3000 mg a day.
    • Children The type of diabetes treated with this drug is rare in child. However, if a child needs this drug, the dose would have to be determined by the family doctor.

Missed dose If you miss a dose of this drug, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.

Storage To store this drug:

• Keep out of the reach of children.
• Store away from heat and direct light.
• Do not store in the bathroom, near the kitchen sink, or in other damp places. Heat or moisture may cause the drug to break down.
• Do not keep outdated drug or drug no longer needed. Be sure that any discarded drug is out of the reach of children.