miglitol
Brand names: Glyset
Miglitol (Glyset) helps control blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. It should be used with diet and exercise.
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Generic Price
$1.75/unit
Generic Available
Yes (1 manufacturer)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Miglitol treats type 2 diabetes.
Common side effects
Gas, Diarrhea, Abdominal pain
Key warnings
There are no boxed warnings provided in the source data.
How It Works
Miglitol slows down the digestion of carbohydrates. This helps to prevent a large rise in blood sugar after you eat. It works in your gut to block certain enzymes.
How to Take It
Take miglitol three times a day at the start of each main meal. The usual starting dose is 25 mg. Your doctor may increase the dose slowly over time to 50 mg or 100 mg three times a day, depending on how well it works for you.
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
There is not enough information about the safety of miglitol during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding.
Missed Dose
If you miss a dose, take it with your next meal. Do not double your dose.
Storage
Store at room temperature, away from heat and moisture.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 368 FDA adverse event reports.
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 923 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2004–2025.
Total Reports
923
Death-Related Reports
106
Hospitalization Reports
542
Top Indication
Diabetes Mellitus
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HYPOGLYCAEMIA | 67 |
| 2 | HEPATIC FUNCTION ABNORMAL | 46 |
| 3 | DECREASED APPETITE | 39 |
| 4 | DIARRHOEA | 37 |
| 5 | RENAL IMPAIRMENT | 37 |
| 6 | LIVER DISORDER | 34 |
| 7 | DIABETES MELLITUS | 29 |
| 8 | NAUSEA | 28 |
| 9 | DRUG INTERACTION | 26 |
| 10 | ALANINE AMINOTRANSFERASE INCREASED | 25 |
| 11 | OFF LABEL USE | 25 |
| 12 | PLATELET COUNT DECREASED | 25 |
| 13 | DIABETES MELLITUS INADEQUATE CONTROL | 24 |
| 14 | HYPERGLYCAEMIA | 24 |
| 15 | CARDIAC FAILURE | 22 |
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
There are no boxed warnings provided in the source data.
Known Drug Interactions
The effect of miglitol (100 mg 3 times daily for 7 days) on the pharmacokinetics of a single 1000 mg dose of metformin was investigated in healthy volunteers. Mean AUC and C max values for metformin were 12% to 13% lower when the volunteers were given miglitol as compared with placebo, but this difference was not statistically significant.
Mechanism: Miglitol may slightly lower the amount of metformin that enters your bloodstream, but the change is usually not large enough to matter.
What to do: Your doctor may monitor your blood sugar levels to ensure your treatment is still working as expected.
Other healthy volunteer studies have demonstrated that miglitol may significantly reduce the bioavailability of ranitidine and propranolol by 60% and 40%, respectively.
Mechanism: Miglitol reduces the amount of propranolol that your body absorbs into the blood by about 40%.
What to do: Your doctor may need to adjust your propranolol dose to make sure it still works effectively for your heart or blood pressure.
No effect of miglitol was observed on the pharmacokinetics or pharmacodynamics of either warfarin or nifedipine.
Mechanism: Miglitol does not change how warfarin is processed by the body or how it works to thin the blood.
What to do: You can safely take these medications together without needing any dose adjustments.
No effect of miglitol was observed on the pharmacokinetics or pharmacodynamics of either warfarin or nifedipine.
Mechanism: Miglitol does not interfere with how nifedipine works or how much of it stays in your system.
What to do: No special precautions or dose changes are required when taking these two drugs together.
Drug Interactions Several studies investigated the possible interaction between miglitol and glyburide. In six healthy volunteers given a single dose of 5 mg glyburide on a background of 6 days treatment with miglitol (50 mg 3 times daily for 4 days followed by 100 mg 3 times daily for 2 days) or placebo, the mean C max and AUC values for glyburide were 17% and 25% lower, respectively, when glyburide was given with miglitol. In a study in diabetic patients in which the effects of adding miglitol 100 mg 3 times daily for 7 days or placebo to a background regimen of 3.5 mg glyburide daily wer...
Mechanism: Miglitol can lower the amount of glyburide that enters your blood.
What to do: Your doctor may need to check your blood sugar more often and adjust your dose.
Common Questions
What is the maximum dose of miglitol?
Can I take miglitol if I have bowel problems?
How often should my blood sugar be checked?
What should I do if I have a lot of gas or diarrhea?
Can I take miglitol with other diabetes medicines?
Does miglitol cause low blood sugar?
Can I take miglitol with antacids?
What if miglitol does not lower my blood sugar enough?
Can I stop taking miglitol if my blood sugar is normal?
Are there any foods I should avoid while taking miglitol?
What are the common side effects of miglitol?
Does miglitol interact with other medications?
What drug class is miglitol?
Is miglitol safe during pregnancy?
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What the FDA Data Shows for miglitol
The FDA label for miglitol (sold under brand names such as Glyset) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Alpha-Glucosidase Inhibitor class. Miglitol treats type 2 diabetes. Official labeling lists 3 commonly reported side effects, including Gas, Diarrhea, Abdominal pain.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 368 voluntary reports. The database also lists 7 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 $1.75.
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, 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).
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: December 7, 2021
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