Amaryl Side Effects

Serious Adverse Side Effects

Amaryl | Glimepiride has some very serious adverse side effects associated with it, such as:

Dermatological side effects such as skin hypersensitivity, Stevens-Johnson syndrome (a potentially deadly allergic skin reaction), and lichenoid drug eruption (an eruption in the skin after ingesting this drug)

Common Adverse Side Effects

More common and less severe adverse side effects associated with Amaryl | Glimepiride are:

Endocrine metabolic side effects such as low glucose levels
Gastrointestinal side effects such as nausea
Neurological side effects such as dizziness, headache and weakness

Warnings & Recalls for Amaryl

Contraindications

Contraindications to Amaryl | Glimepiride that hinder a patient’s ability to take it include:

A hypersensitivity to Glimepiride or any product component
A hypersensitivity to sulfonamide derivatives

Who Should Not Take This Drug

Preexisting conditions that hinder a patient’s ability to take Amaryl | Glimepiride include:

An allergy to sulfonamide derivatives
Autonomic neuropathy
Elderly patients are at risk of hypoglycemia
G6PD deficiency can lead to hemolytic anemia
Hypoglycemia can occur in patients with adrenal, pituitary, renal or liver insufficiency
Patients who drink excessive alcohol

Amaryl Treatment and Use

Amaryl | Glimepiride is a drug that’s manufactured and marketed by Sanofi-Aventis and is used along with diet, exercise and at times other medications to treat type 2 diabetes. Its drug classification is that of a medium-to-long-acting sulfonylurea anti-diabetes drug. It should be known that this medicine will help patients whose bodies produce insulin naturally. Amaryl | Glimepiride cannot treat type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis.

It is worth noting that in 2008, the total revenue for Amaryl | Glimepiride was $387 million.

How This Drug Works

The anti-diabetic agent Glimepiride works by lowering the blood glucose levels of patients with type 2 diabetes. It does this by stimulating the release of insulin from the functioning pancreatic beta cells. This agent also produces an increase of the sensitivity of the peripheral tissues to insulin through an extra-pancreatic mechanism.

Dosage Information

The dosage information for Amaryl | Glimepiride to treat type 2 diabetes is relative to the severity of the disorder in each patient. Typically the dosage of Amaryl | Glimepiride is based upon either the initial dosing when this drug is first administered to a patient or when a patient takes this drug to maintain their type 2 diabetes treatment.

Initial treatment starts with 1 to 2mg orally once daily
For maintenance treatment, there’s an incremental increase from 1 to 2mg orally per day while the duration is expected to be no more than every 1 to 2 weeks based upon glycemic response. (Maximum 8mg per day)

Other Names for Amaryl

Brand Names

Amaryl

GLIMPID

GLIMY

Generic Name

Glimepiride