Diabetes mellitus

Active Ingredient: Glibenclamide

Indication for Glibenclamide

Population group: only adults (18 years old or older)
Therapeutic intent: Adjuvant - intent

Glibenclamide is is a sulphonylurea hypoglycaemic agent, indicated for the oral treatment of patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes who respond inadequately to dietary measures alone.

For this indication, competent medicine agencies globally authorize below treatments:

2.5-5 mg once daily and thereafter 2.5-15 mg daily

For:

Dosage regimens

Oral, between 2.5 milligrams glibenclamide and 5 milligrams glibenclamide, once daily to breakfast, over the duration of 1 to 2 weeks. Afterwards, oral, between 2.5 milligrams glibenclamide and 15 milligrams glibenclamide, daily to meals, 1 to 2 doses in total. The maximum allowed total dose is 15 milligrams glibenclamide daily.

Detailed description

The dosage of glibenclamide is governed by the desired blood glucose level.

The dosage of glibenclamide must be the lowest possible dose which is effective.

Mistakes, e.g. forgetting to take a dose, must never be corrected by subsequently taking a larger dose.

The usual total daily dosage is 2.5 mg to 15 mg daily with a usual initial dose of 5 mg daily. Weekly adjustments can be made to increase the dosage to the optimal level. Doses of 10 mg or less may be taken as a single dose immediately before breakfast, but should the daily dose exceed 10 mg, the remainder should be taken immediately before the evening meal.

The elderly usually require lower dosage.

Dose omission

A physician should be consulted in the event that a dose has not been taken at the prescribed time, a meal has been skipped or an extra dose has been taken.

It is very important not to skip meals after the tablets have been taken.

Secondary dosage adjustment

As an improvement in control of diabetes is, in itself, associated with higher insulin sensitivity, glibenclamide requirements may fall as treatment proceeds. To avoid hypoglycaemia, timely dose reduction or cessation of glibenclamide therapy must therefore be considered.

Correction of dosage must also be considered, whenever:

  • the patients weight changes;
  • the patients life-style changes;
  • other factors arise, which cause an increased susceptibility to hypoglycaemia or hyperglycaemia.

Changeover from other oral antidiabetics to glibenclamide

Change over from other oral antidiabetic agents to glibenclamide should be done under the supervision of a specialist, and due to the potential summation of effects of both medications, entails a risk of hypoglycaemia. A break from medication may therefore be required when changing over medications. This should be decided by the attending physician.

Active ingredient

Glibenclamide

Glibenclamide, a second-generation, short half-life sulphonylurea, is a hypoglycaemic agent that reduces blood-glucose by stimulating insulin release by the pancreas. Sulphonylureas act on pancreatic beta-cells by inhibiting ATP-sensitive potassium channels.

Read more about Glibenclamide

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