Glipizida

About glipizide

Insulin is a hormone that is made naturally in your body, in the pancreas. It helps to control the levels of sugar in your blood. If your body does not make enough insulin to meet its needs, or if it does not use the insulin it makes effectively, this results in the condition called diabetes (diabetes mellitus).

People with diabetes need treatment to control the amount of sugar in their blood. This is because good control of blood sugar (glucose) levels reduces the risk of complications later on. Some people can control the sugar in their blood by making changes to the food they eat but for other people, medicines like glipizide are given alongside the changes in diet.

Glipizide works by increasing the amount of insulin that your pancreas produces. It can be given on its own or alongside other antidiabetic medicines or insulin.

Before taking glipizide

Some medicines are not suitable for people with certain conditions, and sometimes a medicine may only be used if extra care is taken. For these reasons, before you start taking glipizide it is important that your doctor or pharmacist knows:

• Si estás embarazada, intentando tener un bebé o amamantando.

• Si tienes problemas renales o hepáticos.

• Si le han dicho que tiene porfiria o deficiencia de glucosa-6-fosfato deshidrogenasa (G6PD). Estas son enfermedades hereditarias raras.

• If you have been told you have problems with your pituitary or adrenal glands.

• Si está tomando otros medicamentos. Esto incluye cualquier medicamento que esté tomando y que esté disponible para comprar sin receta, así como medicamentos herbales y complementarios.

• Si alguna vez has tenido una reacción alérgica a un medicamento.

How to take glipizide

• Before you start this treatment, read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside your pack. The leaflet will give you more information about glipizide and a full list of side-effects which you may experience from taking it.

• Take glipizide exactly as your doctor has told you. It is usually taken once a day around half an hour before breakfast or lunch, although some people may be asked to take two doses a day. Your doctor or pharmacist will tell you which is right for you, and your dose will also be on the label of the pack to remind you.

• Try to take the tablets at the same time of day each day, as this will help you to remember to take them.

• Si olvida tomar una dosis, tómela tan pronto como lo recuerde. Si no lo recuerda hasta el día siguiente, omita la dosis olvidada - no tome dos dosis juntas para compensar una dosis olvidada.
  

Obteniendo el máximo de tu tratamiento

• It is important that you keep your regular doctor's and clinic appointments. This is so your progress can be monitored. You are likely to need regular check-ups with an eye clinic and a foot clinic as well as with your doctor and diabetes clinic.

• Su médico puede recomendarle que se realice pruebas de azúcar (glucosa) en su sangre regularmente para verificar que su diabetes esté controlada. Su médico o enfermero de diabetes le mostrarán cómo hacerlo.

• Si tu médico te ha dado consejos sobre cambios en tu dieta, dejar de fumar o hacer ejercicio regularmente, es importante que sigas los consejos que te han dado.

• Make sure you know what it feels like if your blood sugar is too low. This is known as hypoglycaemia, or a 'hypo'. The first signs of hypoglycaemia are feeling shaky or anxious, sweating, looking pale, feeling hungry, having a feeling that your heart is pounding (palpitations), and feeling dizzy. If this happens, eat something containing sugar, such as dextrose tablets, or sugary sweets or drinks (non-diet), and then follow this up with a snack such as a sandwich or a banana.

• Hypoglycaemia may occur if you miss a meal, if you exercise more than usual, if you are ill, or if you drink a lot of alcohol.

• Si eres conductor, debes tener especial cuidado, ya que tu capacidad de concentración puede verse afectada si tu diabetes no está bien controlada. Se te puede aconsejar que verifiques tus niveles de azúcar en sangre antes de viajar y que lleves un refrigerio contigo en viajes largos.

• Los conductores en el Reino Unido pueden necesitar informar a la Agencia de Licencias de Conducir y Vehículos (DVLA) si experimentan un episodio de hipoglucemia severa o sufren una 'hipo' mientras conducen. Consulte a su médico para obtener asesoramiento. Los conductores en otros países deben ponerse en contacto con la agencia de licencias de vehículos correspondiente.

• Consulte a su médico antes de comenzar cualquier ejercicio físico nuevo, ya que esto afectará sus niveles de azúcar en la sangre y es posible que deba controlar sus niveles de sangre con más frecuencia.

• Drinking alcohol is not advisable with glipizide. If you do have a drink, keep well within the recommended alcohol limits, as alcohol will affect the control of your blood sugar.

• If you become unusually thirsty, pass urine more frequently, and feel very tired, then let your doctor know. Your dose of glipizide may need adjusting.

• Treatment for diabetes is lifelong. Continue to take the tablets unless you are advised otherwise by your doctor.

• If you are due to have an operation or dental treatment, you should tell the person carrying out the treatment that you have diabetes and are taking glipizide.

• If you buy any medicines, check with a pharmacist that they are suitable for you to take. This is because some medicines may interfere with glipizide.

Can glipizide cause problems?

Along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them. The table below contains some of the more common ones associated with glipizide. You will find a full list in the manufacturer's information leaflet supplied with your medicine. The unwanted effects often improve as your body adjusts to the new medicine, but speak with your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following side-effects continue or become troublesome.

Si experimenta otros síntomas que cree que pueden deberse a este medicamento, hable con su médico o farmacéutico.

How to store glipizide

• Mantenga todos los medicamentos fuera del alcance y la vista de los niños.

• Almacenar en un lugar fresco y seco, lejos del calor y la luz directos.
  

Información importante sobre todos los medicamentos