Glimepiride is a medicine used to treat type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is a condition where the body does not make enough insulin, or the insulin that it makes does not work properly. This can cause high blood sugar levels (hyperglycaemia).
Glimepiride lowers your blood sugar by increasing the amount of insulin your body produces.
Glimepiride is only available on prescription. It comes as tablets.
Key facts
- You'll usually take glimepiride once a day in the morning.
- Glimepiride reduces blood sugar levels in 2 to 3 hours. You may not feel any different if you do not have symptoms from diabetes, but it's important to keep taking it.
- The most common side effects are feeling sick, indigestion and diarrhoea.
- Glimepiride can sometimes give you low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia). Carry some sweets or fruit juice with you to help when this happens.
- Some people find they put on weight with glimepiride. Eating a healthy, balanced diet and regular exercise can help with this.
- If you have diabetes, you're entitled to free prescriptions for all of your medicines, not just your diabetes ones.