Amaryl: how to take, what to replace, contraindications
Amaryl is a type 2 diabetes pill. So that they do not harm health, a person needs to carefully study the instructions for use before starting to take them, as well as familiarize themselves with possible side effects. This will allow you to correlate the harm and benefits of the drug. You also need to have information on how to take it so that an overdose does not happen.
Amaryl is an expensive drug, but very convenient to take. After all, the tablet needs to be drunk only once a day. Also on sale there are inexpensive analogues of Amaril, which are produced in Russia. The drug is based on an active ingredient called glimepiride.
Content:
- Amaryl: instruction for use
- Amaril's analogs
- Amaryl M
- Reviews
Amaryl: instruction for use
| How the drug works |
After taking the drug, the pancreas is activated, which forces it to produce insulin and supply it to the blood. It helps lower blood sugar levels after a meal. Oxidation of glimepiride in the liver occurs with the participation of an enzyme from the P450 group. Therefore, if a person takes any other drugs that need this cytochrome, certain problems may arise in the functioning of the body. These drugs include Fluconazole and Rifampicin. Glimepiride is excreted by the liver in a volume of 60% and by the kidneys in a volume of 40%. |
| When to take | The drug is prescribed for people who suffer from type 2 diabetes and are unable to control the development of the disease through diet and physical activity. It is allowed to combine taking the drug Amaryl with metformin and insulin injections. |
| When you can't take |
Contraindications to taking the drug are:
|
| What you need to pay special attention to |
During treatment, there is a risk of hypoglycemia, especially if the recommended daily dose is significantly exceeded. If a person develops the first symptoms of this life-threatening condition, then an ambulance should be called as soon as possible. In the first 1-2 weeks after the start of treatment with Amaril, you need to minimize work that requires increased physical exertion. It is also highly desirable to abandon the management of any means of transport. |
| Drug dose | You cannot independently select a dose of the drug for yourself, this is in the competence of the doctor. You can find tablets in dosages of 1, 2, 3 and 4 mg. The drug is taken once every 24 hours, before breakfast. The tablet must be swallowed whole. If necessary, it can be divided into two halves, but the drug cannot be chewed. Wash down Amaryl with water. |
| Unwanted effects | The most formidable and common side effect is hypoglycemia. Other adverse reactions from the body include: itching, skin rashes, nausea and vomiting. The development of hypersensitivity of the skin to ultraviolet radiation is possible. With prolonged use, there is a lack of sodium in the body. Sometimes patients complain of a temporary deterioration in vision, which occurs due to a rapid decrease in blood glucose levels. |
| Breastfeeding and pregnancy |
During the gestation period and during the period of breastfeeding, Amaryl is not prescribed. |
| Taking the drug with other drugs | It is not recommended to combine taking Amaril with other drugs, such as: drugs to lower blood pressure, NSAIDs, etc. Therefore, before starting treatment, you need to get medical advice. If the patient is taking any medications, then he must definitely inform the doctor who treats diabetes mellitus. |
| If an overdose occurs | Taking a high dose of the drug is associated with the risk of developing hypoglycemia. This situation requires urgent hospitalization. |
| Release form, storage features, composition |
Amaryl is released in tablet form. The color of the tablets will vary depending on the dose of the drug:
In addition to the main active ingredient (glimepiride), the drug contains auxiliary components: povidone, lactose monohydrate, sodium carboxymethyl starch, cellulose, magnesium stearate, dyes. It is necessary to store the drug at an air temperature that does not exceed 30 ° C. The shelf life of the tablets is 3 years. |
Taking Amaryl depending on food
Amaryl is taken before meals so that glimepiride will start working by the time the food is absorbed. Doctors recommend taking Amaryl before breakfast. If a person refuses to eat in the morning for one reason or another, then he needs to take an Amaril tablet before dinner.
Similar recommendations for taking apply to other drugs that are analogues of Amaril.
It is imperative to eat after taking the drug, otherwise a person may develop hypoglycemia, in which the blood sugar level drops to critical levels.
Depending on the severity of the course of hypoglycemia, it can be expressed in an increase in heartbeat and even go into a coma.
Can I take Amaryl and drink alcohol?
During treatment with the drug Amaryl, it is necessary to stop drinking alcohol. If you do not follow this recommendation, then the person is more likely to develop hypoglycemia. The liver can also be affected. For many people, completely avoiding alcohol is a serious problem, because diabetes treatment must continue throughout life.
Therefore, if the patient cannot exclude alcohol, then he needs to switch to other drugs to lower blood sugar levels.
How long does it take for Amaril to start working?
Blood sugar decreases as much as possible about 2-3 hours after taking the drug. Scientists believe that the drug begins to work half an hour - an hour before the maximum drop in blood glucose levels. Therefore, it is impossible to postpone food intake to a later date, otherwise the person will have hypoglycemia.
The drug works for 24 hours after administration.
Amaryl or Diabeton - what to choose?
The drug Diabeton is not on sale, at the moment you can find in pharmacies only a drug called Diabeton MV. It is a new generation drug that is milder than its predecessor.
If a person is thinking about which drug to choose - Diabeton or Amaryl, then he needs to consult a doctor and resolve this issue.
Amaryl or Glucophage - what to choose?
Glucophage is a metformin-based drug. He needs to be given preference in terms of treating diabetes mellitus, since Glucophage does not cause hypoglycemia, but lowers blood sugar. To achieve maximum results, you need to not only take medication, but also follow a diet.
Is it possible to combine the reception of Amaril and Yanumet?
Janumet is a combination drug based on metformin. It is distinguished by its high cost and has no cheap analogs. You can try to start treatment with medicines that contain only one active ingredient - metformin. An original remedy based on it is Glucophage. Sometimes doctors recommend that patients with diabetes mellitus combine the intake of Amaril and Yanumet in a complex scheme, but such combinations cannot be made on their own
Amaril's analogs
An analogue of Amaryl of foreign production is the drug Glimepiride-Teva. It is produced by the Croatian company Pliva Hrvatska.
Russian analogues of the drug Amaryl are:
- Glemaz, from Valiant.
- Glimepirid from Atoll, Pharmproject, Pharmstandard and Vertex.
- Diamerid from the Akrihin company.
- Glimepirid Canon from Canonpharm.
All manufacturers release their medicines in a dosage of 1, 2, 3, 4 mg. The cost of a specific drug must be checked at pharmacies.
Amaryl M
Amaryl M is a combined drug that contains metformin in addition to glimepiride. This allows you to more effectively lower blood sugar levels and protect a person from diabetes complications, which can be very severe.
However, it is best to start treatment with a metformin-only drug. If you cannot achieve the desired effect, then you need to get medical advice.
Analogs of the drug Amaryl M
There are no analogues of Amaryl M. Therefore, if a person decided to replace this drug with something else, then one should give preference to drugs based on metformin, without any additions, for example, the drug Glucophage.
Reviews
Amaryl is more expensive than Maninil or Diabeton MV. Therefore, it is not used by a very large number of people to treat diabetes. This explains the fact that there are not too many reviews about him.
Patients attribute the positive properties of the drug to the fact that it allows you to reduce blood sugar levels, and you need to take it once a day.
Negative reviews refer to the fact that Amaryl can cause hypoglycemia, and over time, it leads to problems with the pancreas.
Author of the article: Alekseeva Maria Yurievna | Therapist
Education: From 2010 to 2016 Practitioner of the therapeutic hospital of the central medical-sanitary unit No. 21, city of elektrostal. Since 2016 she has been working in the diagnostic center No. 3.
