should I take Glyburide every morning even if my glucose level is within the acceptable range?

Question

I have Type 2 diabetes, my Dr. (a cardiologist, not an internist) has prescribed generic Glyburide. The instructions for taking Glyburide were to take 5 mg every morning (along with some other medications for such things as blood pressure and cholesterol regulation.
Mornings that I awaken to a blood glucose reading of less than about 120, I skip taking the Glyburide. If I find that my glucose level is good during the day I won't take any Glyburide that day. Conversely, if I find my glucose level is high at some point in the day I will take 5mg of Glyburide to bring the level down.
Is Glyburide best taken as needed or is it better to take it on a steady, daily basis?

Answer 1

Medications work best when there is a steady level in your body throughout time. Glyburide does not directly affect your blood sugar like insulin shots, but helps your body better utilize the insulin it produces.



Skipping a daily does may not have an immediate dramatic effect on your blood sugar, but could lead to a long term swinging of your sugar levels.



It is always best to take medication as prescribed, because the effects of proper dosing and proper long term blood levels is a very complex issue, and the Doctors and Pharmacists really do have the best understanding of how this affects you.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Actually Mark is fairly close to being correct.



Glyburide actually makes your body make more insulin, not better use the insulin.



"Glyburide appears to lower the blood glucose acutely by stimulating the release of insulin from the pancreas"



It is often give in combination with metformin (which does help you body to use insulin.) What he is doing is actually a very common way of controlling you blood sugar levels.



But many doctors question if that it the right way to go. There is a school of thought that if you stimulate the pancreas you can eventually wear it out. So they suggest that if you are fairly young, (say under 55-60) you try using a med such as metformin first. As long as you can control you blood sugar with less than 1500-2000mg of metformin, you stay with that. Sadly, type 2 DM generally gets worseas you get older and you end up adding glyburide eventually anyway.



Metforman is also a very inexpensive old-line medication, so we know a lot about it's long term effects. You can get it (depending on dose) for anywhere from $10 to $30 a month.

Answer 4

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RE:

should I take Glyburide every morning even if my glucose level is within the acceptable range?

I have Type 2 diabetes, my Dr. (a cardiologist, not an internist) has prescribed generic Glyburide. The instructions for taking Glyburide were to take 5 mg every morning (along with some other medications for such things as blood pressure and cholesterol regulation.

Mornings that I awaken to a...

Answer 5

The acceptable levels for glucose have not changed every few years. Depending upon the source the wording of the reference range often leads to confusion for physician and lay person alike. For at least the past 2 decades the goals for a non-diabetic has been a fasting glucose of less than 100 mg/dL or 5.6 mmol/L and a 2 hour postprandial (after meal) glucose of less than 140 mg/dL or 7.8 mmol/L. Tin S has far more rigid goals than that of practicing physicians in the US, Canada, the UK, and Europe all of which accept the above reference range as the so-called 'norm'. The development of better medications has not led to a change in the normal glucose range as Tin S has suggested but it has led to a decrease in the glycated hemoglobin A1C goal for a treated diabetic. If I may be of further assistance please let me know. I wish you and your family the very best of health and in all things may God bless.

Answer 6

Yes, you should have it every day.It works all day long, not just in the morning.

A great idea would be to see an endocrinologist to help you manage your diabetes.

Answer 7

prudent to seek Ur doctor's advice only. No dilly dallying, please.