Micronase

Micronase is a prescription medication used in the management of type 2 diabetes. Micronase belongs to a group of drugs called sulfonylureas. These work by stimulating the release of insulin from the pancreas. They also help the body use insulin more efficiently.

Micronase comes in tablet form. It is usually taken once daily, with breakfast or the first main meal of the day. Sometimes a second daily dose is required. Micronase should be used with diet and exercise, and sometimes other medications, to manage blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetes.

Common side effects of Micronase include nausea, heartburn, and a feeling of abdominal fullness.

Micronase may cause blurred vision. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how Micronase affects you.

Micronase is a prescription medication used in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus. It helps to lower the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

• Pharmacia, Inc.

Serious side effects have been reported with Micronase. See the "Micronase Precautions" section.

Common side effects of Micronase include:

• nausea
• heartburn
• feeling full
• rash

This is not a complete list of Micronase side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors such as benazepril (Lotensin), captopril (Capoten), enalapril (Vasotec), fosinopril (Monopril), lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), moexipril (Univasc), perindopril, (Aceon), quinapril (Accupril), ramipril (Altace), and trandolapril (Mavik)
• anticoagulants ('blood thinners') such as warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven)
• aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn)
• beta blockers such as atenolol (Tenormin), labetalol (Normodyne), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL), nadolol (Corgard), and propranolol (Inderal)
• bosentan(Tracleer)
• calcium channel blockers such as amlodipine (Norvasc), diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor, Tiazac, others), felodipine (Plendil), isradipine (DynaCirc), nicardipine (Cardene), nifedipine (Adalat, Procardia), nimodipine (Nimotop), nisoldipine (Sular), and verapamil (Calan, Isoptin, Verelan)
• chloramphenicol
• clarithromycin (Biaxin)
• cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune)
• disopyramide (Norpace)
• diuretics ('water pills')
• fluconazole (Diflucan)
• fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem)
• hormone replacement therapy and hormonal contraceptives (birth control pills, patches, rings, implants, and injections)
• insulin or other medications to treat high blood sugar or diabetes
• isoniazid (INH)
• MAO inhibitors such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar), and tranylcypromine (Parnate)
• medications for asthma and colds
• medications for mental illness and nausea
• miconazole (Monistat)
• niacin
• oral steroids such as dexamethasone (Decadron, Dexone), methylprednisolone (Medrol), and prednisone (Deltasone)
• phenytoin (Dilantin)
• probenecid (Benemid)
• quinolone and fluoroquinolone antibiotics such as cinoxacin (Cinobac), ciprofloxacin (Cipro), enoxacin (Penetrex), gatifloxacin (Tequin), levofloxacin (Levaquin), lomefloxacin (Maxaquin), moxifloxacin (Avelox), nalidixic acid (NegGram), norfloxacin (Noroxin), ofloxacin (Floxin), sparfloxacin (Zagam), trovafloxacin and alatrofloxacin combination (Trovan)
• rifampin
• salicylate pain relievers such as choline magnesium trisalicylate, choline salicylate (Arthropan), diflunisal (Dolobid), magnesium salicylate (Doan's, others), and salsalate (Argesic, Disalcid, Salgesic)
• sulfa antibiotics such as co-trimoxazole (Bactrim, Septra)
• sulfasalazine (Azulfidine)
• thyroid medications

This is not a complete list of Micronase drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Serious side effects have been reported with Micronase including the following:

• Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have some or all of the following symptoms of hypoglycemia:
  • Lightheadedness
  • Dizziness
  • Shakiness
  • Hunger
• Chest pain
• Rash
• Yellowing of the skin or eyes
• Light-colored stools
• Dark urine
• Pain in the upper right part of the abdomen
• Unusual bleeding or bruising
• Fever
• Sore throat
• Swelling of the eyes, face, tongue, or throat

Micronase may increase your chance of death from heart problems.

Micronase can decrease the number of red blood cells in people with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency. Alert your doctor if you have a history of G6PD deficiency or anemia.

Ask your doctor about the safe use of alcoholic beverages while you are taking Micronase. Alcohol can make the side effects from Micronase worse. Consuming alcohol while taking Micronase also rarely may cause symptoms such as flushing (reddening of the face), headache, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, weakness, blurred vision, mental confusion, sweating, choking, breathing difficulty, and anxiety.

Avoid unnecessary or prolonged exposure to sunlight, and wear protective clothing, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Micronase may make your skin sensitive to sunlight.

Ask your doctor what to do if you get sick, develop an infection or fever, experience unusual stress, or are injured. These conditions can affect your blood sugar and the amount of Micronase you may need.

After exposure to stress, such as fever, trauma, infection, or surgery, glyburide may cause you to lose control over your blood glucose levels.

Do not take Micronase if you:

• are allergic to Micronase or to any of its ingredients
• have type 1 diabetes mellitus or diabetic ketoacidosis, with or without coma. These conditions should be treated with insulin.

Medications can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Micronase, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this medication.

Before taking Micronase, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions. Especially tell your doctor if you:

• are allergic to Micronase or to any of its ingredients
• have or have ever had G6PD deficiency (an inherited condition causing premature destruction of red blood cells or hemolytic anemia)
• have hormone disorders involving the adrenal, pituitary, or thyroid gland
• have heart, kidney, or liver disease
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. If you become pregnant while taking Micronase, call your doctor.
• are breastfeeding
• are having surgery, including dental surgery
• you are taking bosentan (Tracleer). Your doctor may tell you not to take Micronase if you are taking this medication.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

Micronase falls into category C. There are no well-controlled studies that have been done in pregnant women. Micronase should be used during pregnancy only if the possible benefit outweighs the possible risk to the unborn baby.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed

Although it is not known whether Micronase is excreted in human milk, some sulfonylurea drugs are known to be excreted in human milk. Because of the possibility for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants with use of this medication, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or stop the use of this medication. Your doctor and you will decide if the benefits outweigh the risk of using Micronase.

If the drug is discontinued, and if diet alone is inadequate for controlling blood glucose, insulin therapy should be considered.

Take Micronase exactly as prescribed.

Micronase comes in tablet form. It is usually taken once daily, with breakfast. Sometimes a second daily dose is required.

If you miss a dose, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the regular time. Do not take 2 doses of Micronase at the same time.

Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.

The dose your doctor recommends may be based on the following:

• other medical conditions you have
• other medications you are taking
• how you respond to this medication
• age

There is no fixed dose range for Micronase for the management of type 2 diabetes. Blood sugar levels should be monitored and the dose of Micronase adjusted based on response. Micronase should be started at a low dose (1.25 to 2.5 mg daily) and increased slowly.

If you take too much Micronase, call your healthcare provider or local Poison Control Center or seek emergency medical attention right away.

If Micronase is administered by a healthcare provider in a medical setting, it is unlikely that an overdose will occur. However, if overdose is suspected, seek emergency medical attention.

• Store Micronase at room temperature.
• Keep this and all medicines out of the reach of children.
• Avoid unnecessary or prolonged exposure to sunlight and wear protective clothing, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Micronase may make your skin sensitive to sunlight.