General Information on Glucotrol
Glucotrol is the trade name for Glipizide, an oral anti-diabetic drug belonging to the sulfonylurea class. Glipizide is considered to be a second generation sulfonylurea because it goes through enterohepatic circulation. Glucotrol helps in controlling blood sugar levels in the human body. It is normally prescribed along with appropriate exercises and a controlled diet to treat type 2 diabetes.
Glucotrol is prescribed to those patients who have high blood sugar levels and become resistant to insulin. The pancreas in type 2 diabetes patients cannot produce the necessary amount of insulin in order to overcome this resistance. Hence, Glucotrol is prescribed as it is able to reduce blood glucose by helping the pancreas to produce a higher amount of insulin. You can buy Glucotrol only if it has been prescribed. You must keep in mind that this medication is not a cure for type 2 diabetes.
Side effects of Glucotrol
Oral intake of Glucotrol can lead to minor side effects but in some cases the side effects can be quite severe. One of the most commonly seen side effects is low blood sugar, or Hypoglycemia. The best way to identify this condition is through the symptoms. The symptoms include nausea, mild to severe headache, confusion, hunger, weakness, drowsiness, blurred vision leading to dizziness, faster heartbeat, tremors and sweating, trouble focusing, and even convulsions or seizure. If you see any of these symptoms, you must inform your doctor.
Administration of Glucotrol can affect different systems within the human body. It causes gastrointestinal disturbances and incidences of nausea followed by diarrhea, gastralgia, constipation and even Cholestatic jaundice has been noticed. These disturbances are greatly reduced by lowering the dosage.
Side effects of Glucotrol can give rise to Hematologic conditions like aplastic anemia, agranulocytosis, pancytopenia, Leukopenia, hemolytic anemia, and thrombocytopenia. Intake of Glipizide also causes reactions in the metabolic system leading to Hepatic porphyria.
Skin reactions and endocrine reactions have also been quite common in patients being administered Glucotrol. Skin reactions include morbilliform, eczema, erythema, maculopapular eruptions, pruritus, and urticaria. Most doctors would discontinue the drug if such allergic reactions are reported.
Precautions
The intake of Glucotrol increases the risk of cardiovascular mortality and renal as well as hepatic disease. Most medical professionals suggest changes in the dosage if a patient shows symptoms of hypoglycemia. The most important precaution should be taken in the form of the diet and this should also be the primary treatment and not Glucotrol. A diet chart should be prepared and followed. Apart from the diet, you need to also focus on regular physical activity to lower cardiovascular risk. Pregnant women are risk prone to Glucotrol as it has proven to be fetotoxic in laboratory tests. The risk is there for an infant and hence nursing mothers are mostly warned against taking Glipizide as it can be excreted through human milk.
Glucotrol Dosage
You can buy Glucotrol in the following forms- Glucotrol 5mg and Glucotrol 10mg immediate release tablets, but you cannot buy it over the counter. The recommended dosage is Glucotrol 5mg that has to be taken 30 minutes before every meal. The maximum dosage that can be administered is Glucotrol 40mg daily although most patients will never be prescribed more than 20mg a day.
Interactions
There are certain drugs that Glucotrol interacts with to cause adverse reactions, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, corticosteroids, sulfonamides, sympathomimetics, salicylates, and oral miconazole among others.
