Amaryl is a tablet for the treatment of type XNUMX diabetes. 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 benefit of the drug. You also need to have information about how to take it so that an overdose does not happen.
Amaryl is an expensive drug, but very convenient in terms of administration. After all, you need to drink a pill only 1 time per day. Also on sale there are inexpensive analogues of Amaryl, which are produced in Russia. The drug is based on the active substance called glimepiride.
Amaryl: instructions for use
How the drug works | After taking the drug, the pancreas is activated, which causes it to produce insulin and supply it to the blood. It helps lower blood sugar levels after meals. 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 the amount of 60% and by the kidneys in the amount of 40%. |
When to take | The drug is prescribed to people who suffer from type XNUMX diabetes and are not able to control the development of the disease with diet and physical activity. It is allowed to combine Amaryl with metformin and insulin injections. |
When not to take | Contraindications to taking the drug are:
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What you need to pay special attention to | During treatment, there is a risk of developing hypoglycemia, especially if the recommended daily dose is significantly exceeded. If a person has the first symptoms of this life-threatening condition, then you need to call an ambulance as soon as possible. In the first 1-2 weeks after the start of treatment with Amaryl, work that requires increased physical activity should be minimized. It is also highly desirable to refuse to control any type of transport. |
Dose of the preparation | You can not choose your own dose of the drug, it is in the competence of the doctor. You can find tablets with a dosage of 1, 2, 3 and 4 mg. Take the drug 1 time in 24 hours, before breakfast. The tablet must be swallowed whole. If there is a need, then it can be divided into two halves, but the drug cannot be chewed. Wash down Amaryl with water. |
Undesirable effects | The most formidable and quite common side effect is hypoglycemia. Other adverse reactions from the body include: itching, skin rashes, nausea and vomiting. It is possible to develop hypersensitivity of the skin to ultraviolet radiation. 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 bearing of the child and during the period of breastfeeding, Amaryl is not prescribed. |
Taking the drug with other drugs | It is not recommended to combine taking Amaryl 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 be sure to inform the doctor involved in the treatment of diabetes. |
If an overdose occurs | Taking a high dose of the drug is associated with the risk of developing hypoglycemia. This situation requires emergency hospitalization. |
Release form, storage features, composition | Amaryl is available in tablet form. The color of the tablets will vary, depending on the dose of the drug:
The composition of the drug, in addition to the main active ingredient (glimepiride), 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 with food
Amaryl is taken before meals so that glimepiride will start working by the time the food is digested. Doctors recommend taking Amaryl before breakfast. If a person in the morning meal, for one reason or another, refuses himself, then he needs to take an Amaryl tablet before dinner.
Similar recommendations for taking apply to other drugs that are analogues of Amaryl.
It is necessary 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 increased heart rate and even go into a coma.
Can I take Amaryl and drink alcohol?
During treatment with Amaryl, you must stop drinking alcohol. If this recommendation is not followed, then the person is more likely to develop hypoglycemia. The liver may also be affected. For many people, the complete rejection of alcoholic beverages is a serious problem, because the treatment of diabetes must continue throughout life.
Therefore, if the patient cannot eliminate alcohol, then he needs to switch to other drugs to lower blood sugar levels.
How long does it take Amaril to start working?
Blood sugar decreases as much as possible approximately 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 eating until a later date, otherwise a person will experience hypoglycemia.
The drug works for 24 hours after ingestion.
Amaryl or Diabeton – what to choose?
The drug Diabeton is not available for sale, at the moment you can find only a drug called Diabeton MB in pharmacies. This 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 drug based on metformin. He should be given preference in terms of the treatment of diabetes, since Glucophage does not cause hypoglycemia, but reduces blood sugar. To achieve maximum results, you need to not only take medicines, but also follow a diet.
Is it possible to combine the reception of Amaryl and Janumet?
Janumet is a combined drug based on metformin. It has a high cost and has no cheap analogues. You can try to start treatment with drugs that contain only one active ingredient – metformin. The original remedy based on it is Glucophage. Sometimes doctors recommend that patients with diabetes combine Amaryl and Janumet 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 companies.
Glimepiride from Atoll, Pharmproekt, Pharmstandard and Vertex.
Diamerid from Akrihin companies.
Glimepiride Canon from Canonpharma.
All manufacturers produce their drugs in dosages of 1, 2, 3, 4 mg. The cost of a particular drug must be specified at the pharmacy.
Amaryl M
Amaryl M is a combination drug which, in addition to glimepiride, contains metformin. This allows you to more effectively reduce blood sugar levels and protect a person from the complications of diabetes, which can be very severe.
However, it is best to start treatment with a drug only based on metformin. If it is not possible to achieve the desired effect, then you need to get medical advice.
Analogues of the drug Amaryl M
There are no analogues of the drug Amaryl M. Therefore, if a person decides to replace this drug with something else, then Metformin-based drugs should be preferred, without any additions, for example, Glucophage.
Reviews
Amaryl is more expensive than Maninil or Diabeton MB. Therefore, it is used for the treatment of diabetes is not a very large number of people. This explains the fact that there are not too many reviews about it.
The positive properties of the drug, patients include the fact that it allows you to reduce blood sugar levels, and you need to take it once a day.
Negative reviews relate to the fact that Amaryl can cause hypoglycemia, and also, over time, it leads to problems with the pancreas.