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Are You Taking the Right Diabetes Drug? |
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There is new controversy about a common drug for diabetes. Glyburide has been used for years in patient to help control high blood sugar. The only problem with this medications (and others in its class) is it can cause bouts of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Low blood sugar can be very serious. When blood sugar gets too low, it can cause fainting, coma or even death.
Of all of the drugs in its class, glyburide tends to be the biggest offender when it comes to causing low blood sugar. This is causing many doctors to recommend newer medications in the same class like glipizide or glimepiride for controlling blood sugar. Glipizide and glimepiride work the same way as glyburide but tend to linger for less time in the body, which can make them less likely to cause low blood sugar.
If you currently take glyburide and find that you too suffer from bouts of low blood sugar, you may want to talk to your doctor about switching to glipizide or glimepiride. If you take glyburide and do not have bouts of low blood sugar, there is probably no reason to switch at this time. If you think you may benefit from switching from glyburide to glipizide or glimepiride, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
Author: Christi Larson, Pharm. D.
Dr. Larson is a Clinical Infusion Pharmacist, author of Empowered Medicine; A Guide for Consumers and creator of www.empoweredmedicine.com. You can read more about her by visiting www.EmpoweredMedicine.com and clicking on the 'About Us' tab. EmpoweredMedicine.com is committed to providing evidence-based medical information.
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