glipizide at a glance
Medicine class
Sulfonylurea blood-glucose-lowering treatment
Licensed use
Improving glucose control in adults with type 2 diabetes
Key risk
Low blood glucose, particularly with missed meals, alcohol, strenuous exercise or other glucose-lowering treatments
Form
Immediate-release oral tablet
What is glipizide used for?
The selected UK product is licensed alongside diet and exercise.
Improving glycaemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
How does glipizide work?
Glipizide prompts functioning pancreatic beta cells to release more insulin, particularly in response to food. This helps move glucose from the blood into tissues and may improve the body's response to insulin.
glipizide preparations and strengths
Tablet
Route: Oral
Strengths: 5 mg
How to take glipizide
Follow the prescriber's instructions. The selected tablet is taken by mouth, and its score line is not intended for splitting.
Keep to the agreed meal and exercise plan.
Do not use the score line to divide the tablet.
Do not stop or alter treatment without discussing it with the prescriber.
glipizide side effects
Common or expected effects
- Low blood glucose, which may cause hunger, sweating, shaking, dizziness, palpitations, blurred vision or confusion
- Nausea
- Diarrhoea
- Abdominal pain
Get urgent medical advice
- Severe or prolonged hypoglycaemia, including seizure, unconsciousness or abnormal responsiveness
- Severe allergic reaction with breathing difficulty or facial, lip, tongue or throat swelling
- Yellow skin or eyes, which may indicate a liver reaction
- Unexplained fever, sore throat, bruising or bleeding, which may indicate a blood-cell disorder
glipizide in pregnancy
The selected UK product is contraindicated during pregnancy. Anyone planning pregnancy should request a treatment review. If pregnancy occurs unexpectedly, seek prompt specialist advice rather than stopping diabetes treatment without a replacement plan, because uncontrolled glucose is also harmful.
glipizide while breastfeeding
The selected product is contraindicated while breastfeeding because information is insufficient. UK specialist guidance prefers insulin or metformin and recommends individual advice for other antidiabetic treatments.
glipizide interactions
Ask a pharmacist or prescriber before starting, stopping or changing other medicines because glipizide's effect can increase or decrease.
Miconazole
Contraindicated with the selected product because it can cause profound hypoglycaemia, potentially including coma.
Fluconazole or voriconazole
May increase glipizide exposure and the risk of hypoglycaemia; closer glucose monitoring may be needed.
Alcohol
Can strengthen and prolong hypoglycaemia, particularly when food intake is inadequate.
Beta-blockers
May hide warning signs such as palpitations and increase the severity of hypoglycaemia.
Common questions about glipizide
Answers are fully visible for fast scanning and source review.
What is glipizide used for?
It is licensed to improve blood-glucose control in adults with type 2 diabetes alongside diet and exercise.
Is glipizide a type of insulin?
No. It is a sulfonylurea tablet that encourages the pancreas to release the body's own insulin.
What are the warning signs of low blood sugar?
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.