glipizide
Brand names: Glucotrol
Glipizide is a medicine that helps lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. It works along with diet and exercise.
Drug Shortage Alert
glipizide is currently listed as to be discontinued by the FDA. Affected manufacturer: Pfizer Inc..
View all drug shortages →Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Generic Price
$0.04/unit
Generic Available
Yes (12 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Glipizide is used to improve blood sugar control in adults who have type 2 diabetes.
Common side effects
Nausea, Diarrhea, Skin rash
Key warnings
Glipizide can cause low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).
How It Works
Glipizide belongs to a class of drugs called sulfonylureas. It works by helping your pancreas release more insulin. Insulin then helps your body use sugar from the food you eat.
How to Take It
Take glipizide about 30 minutes before a meal. The usual starting dose is 5 mg before breakfast. Your doctor may adjust your dose by 2.5 to 5 mg based on your blood sugar levels. The maximum daily dose is 40 mg, usually divided into multiple doses.
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if glipizide will harm your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor about the best way to control your blood sugar during pregnancy. It is not recommended to breastfeed while taking this medication.
Missed Dose
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and continue with your regular schedule.
Storage
Store glipizide at room temperature, between 68° to 77°F (20° to 25°C), in a tightly closed container, away from light and moisture. Keep out of reach of children.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 32,935 FDA adverse event reports.
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 59,560 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2004–2025.
Total Reports
59,560
Death-Related Reports
5,214
Hospitalization Reports
17,788
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BLOOD GLUCOSE INCREASED | 6,677 |
| 2 | NAUSEA | 4,444 |
| 3 | DRUG INEFFECTIVE | 3,508 |
| 4 | DIARRHOEA | 3,265 |
| 5 | FATIGUE | 2,994 |
| 6 | WEIGHT DECREASED | 2,812 |
| 7 | DIZZINESS | 2,438 |
| 8 | DYSPNOEA | 2,402 |
| 9 | BLOOD GLUCOSE DECREASED | 2,232 |
| 10 | VOMITING | 2,166 |
| 11 | ASTHENIA | 2,112 |
| 12 | PAIN | 2,070 |
| 13 | HEADACHE | 2,039 |
| 14 | DEATH | 2,034 |
| 15 | DECREASED APPETITE | 1,972 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
Glipizide can cause low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Watch for symptoms like shakiness, sweating, confusion, and rapid heartbeat. If you have very low blood sugar, get medical help right away. Certain drugs can increase the risk of low blood sugar. Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take.
Known Drug Interactions
The effect of concomitant administration of DIFLUCAN ® (fluconazole) and glipizide has been demonstrated in a placebo-controlled crossover study in normal volunteers. All subjects received glipizide alone and following treatment with 100 mg of DIFLUCAN as a single daily oral dose for 7 days. The mean percentage increase in the glipizide AUC after fluconazole administration was 56.9% (range: 35 to 81).
Mechanism: Fluconazole slows down the way your body breaks down glipizide, which causes the medicine to build up in your blood. This can lead to a dangerous drop in blood sugar levels.
What to do: Your doctor may need to lower your glipizide dose while you are taking fluconazole. Be sure to check your blood sugar levels regularly.
In studies assessing the effect of colesevelam on the pharmacokinetics of glipizide ER in healthy volunteers, reductions in glipizide AUC 0-∞ and C max of 12% and 13%, respectively were observed when colesevelam was co-administered with glipizide ER. When glipizide ER was administered 4 hours prior to colesevelam, there was no significant change in glipizide AUC 0-∞ or C max , -4% and 0%, respectively. Therefore, glipizide should be administered at least 4 hours prior to colesevelam to ensure that colesevelam does not reduce the absorption of glipizide.
Mechanism: Colesevelam can bind to glipizide in your digestive system, which stops the medicine from being absorbed into your body. This makes the glipizide less effective at controlling your blood sugar.
What to do: Take your glipizide at least 4 hours before you take colesevelam. This gap ensures that the diabetes medicine is fully absorbed before the other drug interferes with it.
Drug Interactions The hypoglycemic action of sulfonylureas may be potentiated by certain drugs including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents, some azoles, and other drugs that are highly protein bound, salicylates, sulfonamides, chloramphenicol, probenecid, coumarins, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, quinolones and beta-adrenergic blocking agents.
Mechanism: Probenecid can strengthen the effect of glipizide, which may cause your blood sugar to drop too low. It does this by slowing down how the body removes the medicine or by changing how it travels in the blood.
What to do: Watch for signs of low blood sugar and check your levels frequently. Your doctor may need to adjust your medication plan.
These drugs include the thiazides and other diuretics, corticosteroids, phenothiazines, thyroid products, estrogens, oral contraceptives, phenytoin, nicotinic acid, sympathomimetics, calcium channel blocking drugs, and isoniazid.
Mechanism: Phenytoin can interfere with how glipizide controls blood sugar, potentially causing your blood sugar levels to rise.
What to do: Your doctor may need to monitor your blood sugar more closely and adjust your medication dose if necessary.
Oral Hypoglycemic Agents In pharmacokinetic studies of lovastatin in hypercholesterolemic non-insulin dependent diabetic patients, there was no drug interaction with glipizide or with chlorpropamide (see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY , Clinical Studies in Adults ).
Mechanism: Studies show these drugs do not interfere with each other when taken at the same time.
What to do: You can take these medications together as prescribed by your doctor without special adjustments.
Common Questions
What should I do if I feel shaky or sweaty after taking glipizide?
Can I drink alcohol while taking glipizide?
Will glipizide cure my diabetes?
What if glipizide stops working for me?
Can I take other medications with glipizide?
How often should I check my blood sugar?
What are the symptoms of high blood sugar?
Can glipizide cause weight gain?
What should I do if I have a skin rash while taking glipizide?
Can I stop taking glipizide if my blood sugar is under control?
What are the common side effects of glipizide?
Does glipizide interact with other medications?
What drug class is glipizide?
Is glipizide safe during pregnancy?
Has glipizide been recalled?
Is glipizide currently in shortage?
Active Recalls
Failed Dissolution Specifications:
Amerisource Health Services LLC
Related Medications in Sulfonylurea
Other drugs grouped near glipizide — same-class peers and common alternatives.
acarbose
Precose
Acarbose is a medicine that helps lower blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes.
Compare with glipizide →
alogliptin
Nesina
Alogliptin and Metformin HCl is a drug that helps lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes.
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bromocriptine
Cycloset
Bromocriptine (Cycloset) is a medicine that acts like dopamine in your body.
Compare with glipizide →
canagliflozin
Invokana
Invokana is a medicine used with diet and exercise to lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes.
Compare with glipizide →
colesevelam
Welchol
Colesevelam is a medicine that helps lower bad cholesterol (LDL-C) and control blood sugar in adults.
Compare with glipizide →
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What the FDA Data Shows for glipizide
The FDA label for glipizide (sold under brand names such as Glucotrol) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Sulfonylurea class. Glipizide is used to improve blood sugar control in adults who have type 2 diabetes. Official labeling lists 6 commonly reported side effects, including Nausea, Diarrhea, Skin rash.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 32,935 voluntary reports. The database also lists 8 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated minor severity. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $0.04.
Report counts do not establish causation — a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history (currently 1 recall record on file), and patent information further shape supply and switching decisions. This page summarizes public FDA data for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice — always consult a licensed healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC). Shortage status: FDA Drug Shortages Database.
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. Always consult a healthcare professional before making medication decisions.
Last updated: January 5, 2024
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book — approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed — NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) — post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm — standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files — federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database — current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages