Glipizide — uses, dosing, side effects & the brands that sell it · pharmaranks
Glipizide: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Glipizide is a sulfonylurea sold in the U.S. under 3 brand and generic names, for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
By the pharmaranks editorial team·Reviewed against the FDA (openFDA label, NDC Directory & Enforcement) sources·How we research
Key facts
Drug class
Sulfonylurea
Treats
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Available as
Tablet · Tablet, extended release
Sold as
3 products — Glipizide, Glucotrol and Glucotrol XL
Prescription?
Prescription only
Generic available?
Yes
Typical price
about $1 for a 30-count supply
How glipizide is dosed
From the FDA label for Glipizide (application ANDA075795). Other glipizide products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
There is no fixed dosage regimen for the management of diabetes mellitus with glipizide or any other hypoglycemic agent. In addition to the usual monitoring of urinary glucose, the patient's blood glucose must also be monitored periodically to determine the minimum effective dose for the patient; to detect primary failure, i.e., inadequate lowering of blood glucose at the maximum recommended dose of medication; and to detect secondary failure, i.e., loss of an adequate blood-glucose-lowering response after an initial period of effectiveness. Glycosylated hemoglobin levels may also be of value in monitoring the patient's response to therapy. Short-term administration of glipizide may be sufficient during periods of transient loss of control in patients usually controlled well on diet. In general, glipizide tablets should be given approximately 30 minutes before a meal to achieve the greatest reduction in postprandial hyperglycemia. Initial Dose The recommended starting dose is 5 mg, given before breakfast. Geriatric patients or those with liver disease may be started on 2.5 mg. Titration Dosage adjustments should ordinarily be in increments of 2.5 to 5 mg, as determined by blood glucose response. At least several days should elapse between titration steps. If response to a single dose is not satisfactory, dividing that dose may prove effective. The maximum recommended once…
Glipizide side effects
In U.S. and foreign controlled studies, the frequency of serious adverse reactions reported was very low. Of 702 patients, 11.8% reported adverse reactions and in only 1.5% was glipizide discontinued. Hypoglycemia See PRECAUTIONS and OVERDOSAGE sections. Gastrointestinal Gastrointestinal disturbances are the most common reactions. Gastrointestinal complaints were reported with the following approximate incidence: nausea and diarrhea, one in seventy; constipation and gastralgia, one in one hundred. They appear to be dose-related and may disappear on division or reduction of dosage. Cholestatic jaundice may occur rarely with sulfonylureas: glipizide should be discontinued if this occurs. Dermatologic Allergic skin reactions including erythema, morbilliform or maculopapular eruptions, urticaria, pruritus, and eczema have been reported in about one in seventy patients. These may be transient and may disappear despite continued use of glipizide; if skin reactions persist, the drug should be discontinued. Porphyria cutanea tarda and photosensitivity reactions have been reported with sulfonylureas. Hematologic Leukopenia, agranulocytosis, thrombocytopenia, hemolytic anemia (see PRECAUTIONS ), aplastic anemia, and pancytopenia have been reported with sulfonylureas. Metabolic Hepatic porphyria and disulfiram-like reactions have been reported with sulfonylureas. In the mouse, glipizide…
Every glipizide product we track (3)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
Glipizide is an oral blood-glucose-lowering drug of the sulfonylurea class. The Chemical Abstracts name of glipizide is 1-cyclohexyl-3-[[p-[2-(5-methylpyrazine-carboxamido)ethyl]phenyl]sulfonyl]urea. The molecular formula is C 21 H 27 N 5 O 4 S; the molecular weight is 445.55; the structural formula is shown below: Glipizide is a whitish, odorless powder with a pKa of 5.9. It is insoluble in water and alcohols, but soluble in 0.1 N NaOH; it is freely soluble in dimethylformamide. Glipizide tablets, USP for oral use are available in 5 and 10 mg strengths. Inert ingredients are: anhydrous lactose; colloidal silicon dioxide; magnesium stearate; sodium starch glycolate. Meets USP Dissolution Test 2.
What kind of drug is glipizide?
The FDA classifies glipizide as a sulfonylurea. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.
Can you take glipizide with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run glipizide against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What brand names is glipizide sold under?
We track 3 glipizide-containing products in the U.S.: Glipizide, Glucotrol and Glucotrol XL. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.
What forms does glipizide come in?
Across the brands we track, glipizide is currently marketed as tablet and tablet, extended release, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic glipizide?
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Who shouldn’t take glipizide
Glipizide is contraindicated in patients with: 1. Known hypersensitivity to the drug. 2. Type 1 diabetes mellitus, diabetic ketoacidosis, with or without coma. This condition should be treated with insulin.
Glipizide drug interactions
The hypoglycemic action of sulfonylureas may be potentiated by certain drugs including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, some azoles, and other drugs that are highly protein bound, salicylates, sulfonamides, chloramphenicol, probenecid, coumarins, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, quinolones and beta adrenergic blocking agents. When such drugs are administered to a patient receiving glipizide, the patient should be observed closely for hypoglycemia. When such drugs are withdrawn from a patient receiving glipizide, the patient should be observed closely for loss of control. In vitro binding studies with human serum proteins indicate that glipizide binds differently than tolbutamide and does not interact with salicylate or dicumarol. However, caution must be exercised in extrapolating these findings to the clinical situation and in the use of glipizide with these drugs. Certain drugs tend to produce hyperglycemia and may lead to loss of control. These drugs include the thiazides and other diuretics, corticosteroids, phenothiazines, thyroid products, estrogens, oral contraceptives, phenytoin, nicotinic acid, sympathomimetics, calcium channel blocking drugs, and isoniazid. When such drugs are administered to a patient receiving glipizide, the patient should be closely observed for loss of control. When such drugs are withdrawn from a patient receiving glipizide,…
Yes. Our catalog lists 1 generic glipizide product alongside the brand versions. A generic has the same active ingredient and must meet the FDA's bioequivalence standard; it usually costs less. Ask your pharmacist which one your plan covers.
Has glipizide been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement database lists 1 recall record whose product description mentions glipizide. The most recent: glipiZIDE, Extended-Release Tablets, 2.5 mg, 30-count (3x10 blister cards) carto… (Dec 17, 2024). A recall applies to specific lots, not to the drug as a whole — check the record for the affected lot numbers.