Glimepiride tablets for diabetes

About glimepiride

Insulin is a hormone which is made naturally in your body, in the pancreas. It helps to control the levels of sugar (glucose) in your blood. If your body does not make enough insulin to meet its needs, or if it does not use the insulin it makes effectively, this results in the condition called diabete (diabete mellito).

People with diabetes need treatment to control the amount of sugar in their blood. This is because good control of blood sugar levels reduces the risk of complications later on. Some people can control the sugar in their blood by making changes to the food they eat but for other people, medicines like glimepiride are given alongside the changes in diet.

Glimepiride works by increasing the amount of insulin that your pancreas produces. It can be given on its own or alongside other antidiabetic medicines or insulin.

Some medicines are not suitable for people with certain conditions, and sometimes a medicine can only be used if extra care is taken. For these reasons, before you start taking glimepiride it is important that your doctor knows:

• Se sei incinta o stai allattando.

• Se hai problemi con il funzionamento del tuo fegato, o se hai problemi con il funzionamento dei tuoi reni.

• If you have been told you have glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency. This is a rare inherited disorder.

• If you are taking any other medicines. This includes any medicines which are available to buy without a prescription, as well as herbal and complementary medicines.

• Se hai mai avuto una reazione allergica a un medicinale.

• Before you start the treatment, read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside the pack. It will give you more information about glimepiride, and it will also provide you with a full list of the side-effects which you could experience from taking it.

• Take glimepiride exactly as your doctor tells you to. It is usually prescribed as a once-daily dose to be taken shortly before, or with, your first meal of the day (usually breakfast). Swallow the tablet whole with a drink of water.

• To begin with, you will be asked to take 1 mg-strength tablets, although the strength of your tablets may be increased over the first few weeks if needed. There are several strengths of glimepiride tablets available: 1 mg, 2 mg, 3 mg and 4 mg. Each time you collect a prescription, check to make sure it is the strength of tablet that you are expecting.

• If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If you do not remember until the following day, leave out the forgotten dose from the previous day and take the dose that is due as normal. Do not take two doses at the same time to make up for a missed dose.
  

• It is important that you keep your regular doctor's and clinic appointments. This is so your progress can be monitored. You are likely to need regular check-ups with an eye clinic and a foot clinic as well as with your doctor and diabetes clinic.

• Your doctor may recommend that you test for sugar (glucose) in your blood regularly to check that your diabetes is being controlled. Your doctor or diabetes nurse will show you how to do this.

• Se il tuo medico ti ha dato consigli su cambiamenti nella tua dieta, smettere di fumare o fare esercizio fisico regolare, è importante che segui i consigli che ti sono stati dati.

• Make sure you know what it feels like if your blood sugar is too low. This is known as hypoglycaemia, or a 'hypo'. The first signs of hypoglycaemia are feeling shaky or anxious, sweating, looking pale, feeling hungry, having a feeling that your heart is pounding (palpitations), and feeling dizzy. If this happens, eat something containing sugar, such as dextrose tablets, or sugary sweets or drinks (non-diet), and then follow this up with a snack such as a sandwich or a banana.

• Hypoglycaemia can occur in particular if you miss a meal, if you exercise more than usual, if you are ill, or if you drink a lot of alcohol.

• Se sei un conducente, dovresti prestare particolare attenzione, poiché la tua capacità di concentrazione potrebbe essere compromessa se il tuo diabete non è ben controllato. Potresti essere consigliato di controllare i livelli di zucchero nel sangue prima di viaggiare e di avere uno spuntino con te durante i lunghi viaggi.

• Drivers in the UK may need to inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) if they experience an episode of severe hypoglycaemia or experience a 'hypo' whilst driving. Ask your doctor for advice. Drivers in other countries should contact the relevant vehicle licensing agency.

• Check with your doctor before taking up any new physical exercise, as this will have an effect on your blood sugar levels and you may need to check your blood levels more regularly.

• Drinking alcohol is not advisable with glimepiride. If you do have a drink, keep well within the recommended alcohol limits, as alcohol will affect the control of your blood sugar.

• If you get unusually thirsty, pass urine more frequently, and feel very tired then let your doctor know. Your dose of glimepiride may need adjusting.

• Treatment for diabetes is lifelong. Continue to take the tablets unless you are advised otherwise by your doctor.

• If you are due to have an operation or dental treatment, you should tell the person carrying out the treatment that you have diabetes and that you are taking glimepiride.

• If you buy any medicines, check with a pharmacist that they are suitable for you to take. This is because some medicines may interfere with glimepiride.

Along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them. The table below contains some of the ones associated with glimepiride. The best place to find a full list of the side-effects which can be associated with your medicine is from the manufacturer's printed information leaflet supplied with the medicine. Alternatively, you can find an example of a manufacturer's information leaflet in the reference section below. Speak with your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following continue or become troublesome.

Se si verificano altri sintomi che ritieni possano essere dovuti alle compresse, parla con il tuo medico o farmacista per ulteriori consigli.

• Tenere tutti i medicinali fuori dalla portata e dalla vista dei bambini.

• Conservare in un luogo fresco e asciutto, lontano da fonti di calore e luce diretta.