Glynase

Glynase is a prescription medication used to treat type 2 diabetes.

This medication belongs to a group of drugs called sulfonylureas, which help lower blood sugar levels by causing the pancreas to secrete insulin. It also helps the body use insulin more efficiently.

Glynase comes in tablet form. It is usually taken once daily, with breakfast. Sometimes a second daily dose is required.

Common side effects include nausea, heartburn and "feeling full". 

Glynase is a prescription medication used to treat type 2 diabetes. Glynase lowers blood sugar levels along with exercise and an appropriate diet.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

• Pharmacia and Upjohn Company

Common side effects include:

• nausea
• heartburn
• "feeling full"
• rash

This is not a complete list of Glynase side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• bosentan (Tracleer)
• angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors such as benazepril (Lotensin), captopril (Capoten), enalapril (Vasotec), fosinopril (Monopril), lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), moexipril (Univasc), perindopril, (Aceon), quinapril (Accupril), ramipril (Altace), and trandolapril (Mavik)
• anticoagulants ('blood thinners') such as warfarin (Coumadin)
• aspirin
• nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn)
• beta blockers such as atenolol (Tenormin), labetalol (Normodyne), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL), nadolol (Corgard), and propranolol (Inderal)
• calcium channel blockers such as amlodipine (Norvasc), diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor, Tiazac, others), felodipine (Plendil), isradipine (DynaCirc), nicardipine (Cardene), nifedipine (Adalat, Procardia), nimodipine (Nimotop), nisoldipine (Sular), and verapamil (Calan, Isoptin, Verelan)
• chloramphenicol
• clarithromycin (Biaxin)
• cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune)
• disopyramide (Norpace)
• diuretics ('water pills')
• fluconazole (Diflucan)
• fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem)
• hormone replacement therapy and hormonal contraceptives (birth control pills, patches, rings, implants, and injections)
• insulin or other medications to treat high blood sugar or diabetes
• isoniazid (INH)
• MAO inhibitors such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar), and tranylcypromine (Parnate)
• medications for asthma and colds
• medications for mental illness and nausea
• miconazole (Monistat)
• niacin
• oral steroids such as dexamethasone (Decadron, Dexone), methylprednisolone (Medrol), and prednisone (Deltasone)
• phenytoin (Dilantin)
• probenecid (Benemid)
• quinolone and fluoroquinolone antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin (Cipro), gatifloxacin (Tequin), levofloxacin (Levaquin), moxifloxacin (Avelox), ofloxacin (Floxin)
• rifampin
• salicylate pain relievers
• sulfa antibiotics such as sulfamethoxazole/ trimethoprim (Bactrim, Septra)
• sulfasalazine (Azulfidine)
• thyroid medications

This is not a complete list of Glynase drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Serious side effects have been reported with Glynase including the following:

• Glynase may increase your chance of death from heart problems.
• Glynase can cause low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia) in patients. Tell your doctor if you have a history of kidney or liver disease or drink alcohol. Symptoms of low blood sugar include:
  • shakiness
  • tremors
  • cold sweat
  • fast heart rate
  • headache
  • moodiness
  • dizziness
  • blurred vision
  • confusion

• Glynase can decrease the number of red blood cells in people with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency.  Alert your doctor if you have a history of G6PD deficiency or anemia.

Ask your doctor about the safe use of alcoholic beverages while you are taking Glynase. Alcohol can make the side effects from Glynase worse. Consuming alcohol while taking Glynase also rarely may cause symptoms such as flushing (reddening of the face), headache, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, weakness, blurred vision, mental confusion, sweating, choking, breathing difficulty, and anxiety.

Avoid unnecessary or prolonged exposure to sunlight, and wear protective clothing, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Glynase may make your skin sensitive to sunlight.

Ask your doctor what to do if you get sick, develop an infection or fever, experience unusual stress, or are injured. These conditions can affect your blood sugar and the amount of Glynase you may need.

After exposure to stress, such as fever, trauma, infection, or surgery, Glynase may cause you to lose control over your blood glucose levels.

Do not take Glynase if you:

• are allergic to Glynase or to any of its ingredients
• have type 1 diabetes mellitus or diabetic ketoacidosis, with or without coma. These conditions should be treated with insulin.
• are being treated with bosentan

Medications can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Glynase, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this medication.

Before taking Glynase, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions. Especially tell your doctor if you:

• are allergic to Glynase or to any of its ingredients
• have or have ever had G6PD deficiency (an inherited condition causing premature destruction of red blood cells or hemolytic anemia)
• have hormone disorders involving the adrenal, pituitary, or thyroid gland
• have heart, kidney, or liver disease
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. If you become pregnant while taking Glynase, call your doctor.
• are breast-feeding
• are having surgery, including dental surgery
• you are taking bosentan (Tracleer). Your doctor may tell you not to take Glynase if you are taking this medication.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

Glynase falls into category B. There are no well-done studies that have been done in humans with Glynase. In animal studies, pregnant animals were given this medication, and the babies did not show any medical issues related to this medication.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed

Although it is not known whether Glynase is excreted in human milk, some sulfonylurea drugs are known to be excreted in human milk. Because of the possibility for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants with use of this medication, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or stop the use of this medication. Your doctor and you will decide if the benefits outweigh the risk of using Glynase.

If the drug is discontinued, and if diet alone is inadequate for controlling blood glucose, insulin therapy should be considered.

Take Glynase exactly as prescribed.

Glynase comes in tablet form. It is usually taken once daily, with breakfast. Sometimes a second daily dose is required.

If you miss a dose, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the regular time. Do not take two doses of Glynase at the same time.

Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.

The dose your doctor recommends may be based on the following:

• other medical conditions you have
• other medications you are taking
• how you respond to this medication
• age

The recommended maintenance dose range of glyburide (Glynase) is 0.75 to 12 mg daily (12 mg/day is the maximum daily dose).

If you take too much Glynase, call your healthcare provider or local Poison Control Center, or seek emergency medical attention right away.

• Store Glynase at 20° to 25°C (68° to 77°F).
• Keep this and all medicines out of the reach of children.