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dapagliflozin vs glimepiride

Side-by-side comparison of dapagliflozin and glimepiride. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.

minor Known Drug Interaction

No dosing adjustments required for the following: Oral Antidiabetic Agents Metformin (1000 mg) 20 mg ↔ ↔ Pioglitazone (45 mg) 50 mg ↔ ↔ Sitagliptin (100 mg) 20 mg ↔ ↔ Glimepiride (4 mg) 20 mg ↔ ↔ Voglibose (0.2 mg three times daily) 10 mg ↔ ↔ Other Medications Hydrochlorothiazide (25 mg) 50 mg ↔ ↔ Bumetanide (1 mg) 10 mg once daily for 7 days ↔ ↔ Valsartan (320 mg) 20 mg ↓12% [↓3%, ↓20%] ↔ Simvastatin (40 mg) 20 mg ↔ ↔ Anti-infective Agent Rifampin (600 mg once daily for 6 days) 10 mg ↓7% [↓22%, ↑11%] ↓22% [↓27%, ↓17%] Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Agent Mefenamic Acid (loading dose of...

Recommendation: You do not need to change your dose when taking these medicines together.

Drug Class
dapagliflozin SGLT2 Inhibitor
glimepiride Sulfonylurea
Type
dapagliflozin Prescription
glimepiride Prescription
Summary
dapagliflozin

Dapagliflozin (Farxiga) helps lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. It also helps adults with heart failure or chronic kidney disease.

glimepiride

Glimepiride is a medicine that helps lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. It works along with diet and exercise.

What It Treats
dapagliflozin

This medicine can help adults with chronic kidney disease by reducing the risk of kidney problems, heart problems, and needing to go to the hospital for heart failure. It can also help adults with heart failure by reducing the risk of heart problems and needing urgent care for heart failure. For adults with type 2 diabetes, it can help lower the risk of needing to go to the hospital for heart failure.

glimepiride

Glimepiride is used to help control blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes. It should be used with a healthy diet and regular exercise. This medicine will not work for type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis.

How It Works
dapagliflozin

Dapagliflozin is a type of medicine called an SGLT2 inhibitor. It works in the kidneys to remove extra sugar from your body through your urine. This helps to lower your blood sugar levels.

glimepiride

Glimepiride helps your body release more insulin. Insulin helps move sugar from your blood into your cells for energy. This lowers your blood sugar levels.

Common Side Effects
dapagliflozin
  • Yeast infections of the vagina
  • Common cold
  • Urinary tract infections
glimepiride
  • Low blood sugar
  • Headache
  • Nausea
  • Dizziness
FAERS Reports
dapagliflozin
  • Death 7,017
  • Tiredness 2,250
  • Feeling sick to your stomach 2,218
  • Feeling lightheaded 2,096
  • Loose stools 2,074
glimepiride
  • High blood sugar 2,972
  • Feeling sick to your stomach 2,274
  • Loose stools 2,169
  • Feeling tired 1,827
  • Low blood sugar 1,639
Serious Warnings
dapagliflozin

Dapagliflozin can cause a serious condition called diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), especially if you have type 1 diabetes. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, and trouble breathing. If you have these symptoms, stop taking this medicine and get medical help right away. This medicine can also cause serious infections in the area between your genitals and anus. Get medical help right away if you have pain, tenderness, redness, or swelling in this area, along with a fever or feeling unwell.

glimepiride

Glimepiride can cause low blood sugar, which can be severe. Be careful when driving or operating machinery. If you have an allergic reaction, stop taking glimepiride right away. People with a certain enzyme problem (G6PD deficiency) may get anemia.

Pregnancy
dapagliflozin

This medicine may harm your unborn baby, especially during the second and third trimesters. It is not recommended while breastfeeding.

glimepiride

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Glimepiride may not be safe for your baby. It is usually stopped 2 weeks before delivery.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

How to Read This dapagliflozin vs glimepiride Comparison

dapagliflozin is classified in the SGLT2 Inhibitor drug class, while glimepiride sits within the Sulfonylurea class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.

Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, dapagliflozin has 15,655 submissions while glimepiride has 10,881. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to these medicines do not have a meaningful effect on each other's levels in your system.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.

A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between dapagliflozin and glimepiride - always consult your physician or pharmacist first.

Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.