Glimepiride Tablets is used to treat a certain form of diabetes (type 2 diabetes mellitus) when diet, physical exercise and weight reduction alone have not been able to control your blood sugar levels.

Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.

Taking this medicine

• Take this medicine by mouth just before or with the first main meal of the day (usually breakfast). If you do not have breakfast you should take the product on schedule as prescribed by your doctor. It is important not to leave out any meal when you are on Glimepiride Tablets
• Swallow the tablets whole with at least half a glass of water. Do not crush or chew the tablets How much to take The dose of Glimepiride Tablets depends on your needs, condition, and results of blood and urine sugar tests and is determined by your doctor. Do not take more tablets than your doctor has prescribed.
• The usual starting dose is one Glimepiride 1 mg tablet once a day.
• If necessary, your doctor may increase the dose after each 1 – 2 weeks of treatment.
• The maximum recommended dose is 6 mg Glimepiride tablets per day.
• A combination therapy of glimepiride plus metformin or of glimepiride plus insulin may be started. In such a case your doctor will determine the proper doses of glimepiride, metformin or insulin individually for you.
• Your dose of Glimepiride tablets may need to be adjusted if you change weight, change your lifestyle, or if you are under a lot of stress. Please speak to your doctor if any of these situations apply to you.

If you feel the effect of your medicine is too weak or too strong do not change the dose yourself, but ask your doctor

If you take more Glimepiride Tablets than you should

If you happen to have taken too much Glimepiride Tablets or an additional dose there is a danger of hypoglycemia and therefore you should instantly consume enough sugar (e.g. a small bar of sugar cubes, sweet juice, sweetened tea) and inform a doctor immediately. When treating hypoglycemia due to accidental intake in children, the quantity of sugar given must be carefully controlled to avoid the possibility of producing dangerous hyperglycemia.

If you forget to take Glimepiride Tablets

If you forget to take a dose, do not take a double dose to make up for forgotten doses.

If you stop taking Glimepiride Tablets

If you interrupt or stop the treatment you should be aware that the desired blood sugar lowering effect is not achieved or that the disease will get worse again. Keep taking Glimepiride Tablets until your doctor tells you to stop.

If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist or nurse.

Other medicines and Glimepiride tablets:

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription.

Your doctor may wish to change your dose of Glimepiride tablets if you are taking other medicines, which may weaken or strengthen the effect of Glimepiride tablets on the level of sugar in your blood.

The following medicines can increase the blood sugar-lowering effect of Glimepiride tablets. This can lead to a risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar):

• Medicines to treat pain and inflammation (phenylbutazone, azopropazone, oxyphenbutazone, aspirinlike medicines)
• Other medicines to treat diabetes mellitus (such as insulin or metformin)
• Medicines supporting muscle build-up (anabolics)
• Medicines to inhibit blood clotting (coumarin derivatives such as warfarin)
• Medicines used to reduce weight (fenfluramine)
• Medicines called anti-arrhythmic agents used to control the abnormal heartbeat (disopyramide)
• Medicines to treat urinary infections (such as some long-acting sulfonamides)
• Medicineslowering high blood pressure (ACE inhibitors)
• Medicines to treat bacterial and fungal infections (tetracyclines, chloramphenicol, fluconazole, miconazole, quinolones, clarithromycin)
• Medicines to treat depression (fluoxetine, MAO inhibitors)
• Medicines to treat gout (allopurinol, probenecid, sulfinpyrazone)

The following medicines may decrease the blood sugar lowering effect of Glimepiride Tablets. This can lead to a risk of hyperglycemia (high blood sugar level):

• Medicines containing female sex hormones (oestrogens, progestogens)
• Medicines to treat high blood pressure called thiazide diuretics (water tablets)
• Medicines used to stimulate the thyroid gland (such as levothyroxine)
• Medicines to treat allergies and inflammation (glucocorticoids)
• Medicines to treat severe mental disorders (chlorpromazine and other phenothiazine derivatives
• Medicines used to raise heart beat, to treat asthma or nasal congestion, coughs and colds, used to reduce weight, or used in life-threatening emergencies (adrenaline and sympathomimetics
• Medicines to treat high cholesterol level (nicotinic acid)
• Medicines to treat constipation when they are used long term (laxatives)
• Medicines to treat fits (phenytoin)
• Medicines to treat high blood pressure or lowering blood sugar (diazoxide)
• Medicines to treat severe low blood sugar levels (glucagon)
• Medicines to treat nervousness and sleep problems (barbiturates

Glimepiride Tablets with food and drink:

Alcohol intake may increase or decrease the blood sugar lowering action of Glimepiride Tablets in an unpredictable way

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.

Tell your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms :

• Allergic reactions (including inflammation of blood vessels, often with skin rash) which may develop into serious reactions with difficulty in breathing, fall in blood pressure and sometimes progressing to shock
• Abnormal liver function including yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), problems with the bile flow (cholestasis), inflammation of the liver (hepatitis) or liver failure
• Allergy (hypersensitivity) of the skin such as itching, rash, hives, and increased sensitivity to the sun. Some mild allergic reactions may develop into serious reactions
• Severe hypoglycemia including loss of consciousness, seizures or coma

Do not take Glimepiride Tablets and tell your doctor if:

• You are allergic (hypersensitive) to Glimepiride or other sulfonylureas (medicines used to lower your blood sugar such as glibenclamide) or sulfonamides (medicines for bacterial infections such as sulfamethoxazole) or any of the other ingredients of this medicine.
• You have insulin-dependent diabetes (type 1 diabetes mellitus)
• You have diabetic ketoacidosis ( a complication of diabetes when your acid level is raised in your body and you may have some of the following signs: fatigue, feeling sick (nausea), frequent urination and muscular stiffness)
• You are in a diabetic coma.
• You have severe kidney disease.
• You have a severe liver disease Do not take this medicine if any of the above apply to you.

If you are not sure, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Glimepiride tablets.