Patient Medication Information: uses, side effects, how to take - Glucobay
ABOUT THIS MEDICATION
What the medication is used for:
GLUCOBAY (acarbose) is used alone or in combination with a sulfonylurea (such as tolbutamide, chlorpropamide, or DiaBeta®/glyburide), metformin, or insulin to lower blood glucose in adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in addition to proper diet, exercise and weight reduction.
What it does:
GLUCOBAY will slow the absorption of glucose from your gut to reduce the high blood glucose levels that occur after each meal.
When it should not be used:
Do not take GLUCOBAY if you have or have had any of the following:
Allergic reaction to acarbose or any of the other
ingredients in GLUCOBAY
Inflammation or ulceration of the bowel (eg, ulcerative
colitis or Crohn’s disease)
- Diabetic ketoacidosis
- Bowel obstruction
Chronic intestinal diseases that affect digestion or
absorption of food, or a large hernia
What the medicinal ingredient is:
Acarbose
What the important nonmedicinal ingredients are:
corn starch, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, silicon dioxide
What dosage forms it comes in:
Tablets. Each tablet contains 50 mg or 100 mg acarbose.
WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS
GLUCOBAY in combination with a sulfonylurea or insulin may cause low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). You should ask your doctor, pharmacist or diabetes educator about the symptoms of low blood sugar and what to do if you experience these symptoms. You should also test your blood sugar according to instructions given to you by your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist.
Before you use GLUCOBAY talk to your doctor or pharmacist if:
- you have or have had kidney or liver disease
you are pregnant or planning to get pregnant
- you are breast-feeding
GLUCOBAY is not recommended for use in children under 18 years of age.
INTERACTIONS WITH THIS MEDICATION
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines, including the medicine you can buy without a prescription, and natural health products.
Drugs that interact with GLUCOBAY include digestive enzyme preparations, cholestyramine, diuretics (water pills), corticosteroids (such as prednisone), digoxin, thyroid medications, estrogen, oral contraceptives, phenytoin, nicotinic acid, sympathominetics, and isoniazid.
Avoid drinking alcohol while taking GLUCOBAY.
PROPER USE OF THIS MEDICATION
Take the tablets as prescribed by your doctor. Tablets should be taken orally with the first bite of a main meal. Do not take GLUCOBAY between meals.
You should continue to monitor your blood glucose levels according to the instructions given to you by your healthcare professional.
Usual dose
The usual starting dose is 50 mg once daily. The usual maintenance dose is 50 mg or 100 mg three times daily. The maximum dose is 100 mg three times daily.
Overdose
If you take more GLUCOBAY tablets than you should, contact a health care practitioner, hospital emergency department or regional Poison Control Centre immediately, even if there are no symptoms.
Missed Dose
If you miss a dose, take your next dose as usual. Do not double dose to make up for the missed dose.
SIDE EFFECTS AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT THEM
You may experience some side effects while taking GLUCOBAY. The most common are gastrointestinal in nature, such as flatulence (gas) and abdominal discomfort. It is also possible that you may pass softer stools or even experience diarrhea, particularly after a meal containing foods with sucrose (ordinary sugar). Normally, these symptoms will diminish with continued treatment. You should not take antacid preparations for treating these symptoms, as they are unlikely to have any beneficial effects. If your symptoms persist, or if you have any other undesirable effects, consult your doctor.
GLUCOBAY, when given alone, should not cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). However, since sulfonylureas (oral antidiabetic drugs) or insulin may cause hypoglycemia, the combination of a sulfonylurea or insulin and GLUCOBAY may also cause hypoglycemia. If you do experience hypoglycemia while you are taking GLUCOBAY, either alone or with a sulfonylurea, metformin or insulin, do not treat it with ordinary sugar (sucrose); instead, take glucose tablets (also known as dextrose).
| SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS, HOW OFTEN THEY | |||||
| HAPPEN AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT THEM | |||||
| Symptom/ Effect | Talk with your doctor or pharmacist | Stop taking drug and call your doctor or pharmacist | |||
| Only if severe | In all cases | ||||
| Uncommon | |||||
| Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain | T | ||||
| Rare | |||||
| Edema (swelling) | T | ||||
Jaundice (yellowing of the skin) | T | ||||
| Very Rare | |||||
Allergic reactions: rash, skin inflammation | T | ||||
This is not a complete list of side effects. For any unexpected effects while taking GLUCOBAY, contact your doctor or pharmacist.
HOW TO STORE IT
It is best if you keep your tablets in their original carton. The tablets should be kept in a dry place at a temperature between 15°C and 25°C.
Keep out of the reach of children.
Do not use the tablets beyond the expiry date.
REPORTING SUSPECTED SIDE EFFECTS
Canada Vigilance Program You can report any suspected adverse reactions associated with the use of health products to the Canada Vigilance Program by one of the following 3 ways:
Postage paid labels, Canada Vigilance Reporting Form and the adverse reaction reporting guidelines are available on the MedEffect™ Canada Web site at www.healthcanada.gc.ca/medeffect. | ||
| NOTE: Should you require information related to the management of the side effect, please contact your health professional. The Canada Vigilance Program does not provide medical advice. | ||
Bayer Inc. You can report any suspected adverse reactions associated with the use of health products to Bayer Inc. by:
NOTE: Should you require information related to the management of the side effect, please contact your health professional. Bayer Inc. does not provide medical advice. |
MORE INFORMATION
For more information, please contact your health professional or pharmacist first, or Bayer Medical Information at 1-800-265-7382 or canada.medinfo@bayer.com.
This document plus the full product monograph, prepared for health professionals can be found at: www.bayer.ca
or by contacting the sponsor at the above mentioned phone number and email address.
Bayer Inc.
77 Belfield Road
Toronto, Ontario
M9W 1G6
Canada
Last revised: June 10, 2010
© 2010, Bayer Inc.
™ GLUCOBAY is a registered trademark of Bayer AG, used under license by Bayer Inc.