Gluconor (Glimepiride)

Therapeutic Group : Antidiabetic

Presentation:

Gluconor-1 Tablet: Each tablet contains Glimepiride USP 1 mg.
Gluconor-2 Tablet: Each tablet contains Glimepiride USP 2 mg.

Indications:

Gluconor is indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to lower the blood glucose in patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus whose hyperglycaemia cannot be controlled by diet and exercise alone.

Dosage & Administration:

Initial dose: 1-2 mg once daily, given with breakfast or the first main meal. Patients sensitive to hypoglycemic drugs should begin at 1 mg once daily. Maximum starting dose is 2 mg.
Maintenance dose: 1-4 mg once daily. The maximum recommended dose is 8 mg once daily. After a dose of 2 mg is reached, increase dose at increments of 2 mg at 1-2 week intervals based on the patients’ blood glucose response. Monitor long-term efficacy by measurements of HbA1c levels, for example, every 3-6 months.
Combination insulin therapy: The recommended dose is 8 mg once daily with the first main meal with low dose insulin.
Patients on other oral antidiabetic agents: When transferring patients to Glimepiride, no transition period is necessary. No exact dosage relationship exists between Glimepiride and the other oral hypoglycaemic agents. Observe patients carefully when being transferred from longer half-life sulfonylureas to Glimepiride due to potential overlapping of drug effect.

Contrainidications:

Glimepiride is not suitable for the treatment of Type-2 diabetes (e.g. for the treatment of diabetes with a history of ketoacidosis), or of diabetic precoma or coma. Glimepiride must not be used in-patients hypersensitivity to Glimepiride, other sulfonylureas, other sulfonamides.

Warning & Precautions:

In the initial weeks of treatment, the risk of hypoglycaemia may be increased and necessitates careful monitoring. If such risk is present it may be necessary to adjust the dosage of Glimepiride.

Side effects:

Hypoglycaemia, temporary visual impairment, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, urticaria & fall in blood pressure.

Drug interaction:

Potentiation of the blood-sugar-lowering effect may occur with insulin and other oral anti-diabetics, ACE inhibitors, allopurinol, anabolic steroids and male sex hormones, chloramphenical, coumarin derivatives, fluxetine, MAOIs, miconazole, para-aminosalicylic acid, pentoxifylline (high dose parenteral), phenylbutazone, oxyphenbutazone, quinolones, salicylates, sulfonamides, tetracyclines & beta blockers.
Aacetazolamide, barbiturates, corticosteroids, diazoxide, diuretics, epinephrine and other sympathomimetic agents, laxatives, oestrogens and progesterons, phenothiazines, phenytoin, rifampicin, thyroid hormones. H2 -receptors antagonists, clonidine and reserpine may lead to either potentiation or weakening of the blood sugar lowering effect.
Both acute and chronic alcohol intakes may potentiate or weaken the blood sugar lowering action of Glimepiride unpredictably.

Use in special groups:

Use in pregnancy: Glimepiride must not be taken during pregnancy; a changeover to insulin is necessary.
Use in nursing mothers: Ingestion of Glimepiride with breast milk may harm the child. Therefore, breast-feeding women must not take Glimepiride.

Packing:

Gluconor-1 Tablet: Each box contains 50’s tablets in blister pack.
Gluconor-2 Tablet: Each box contains 30’s tablets in blister pack.