Nateglinide (Systemic)

Brand Names : Starlix

Before Using This Medicine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For nateglinide, the following should be considered:

Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to nateglinide. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy - Nateglinide has not been studied in pregnant women. However, studies in animals have shown that nateglinide causes birth defects. Before taking this medicine, make sure your doctor knows if you are pregnant or if you may become pregnant.

Breast-feeding - It is not known whether nateglinide passes into human breast milk. However, nateglinide is not recommended during breast-feeding, because it may cause unwanted effects in nursing babies

Children - Studies on this medicine have been done only in adult patients, and there is no specific information comparing use of nateglinide in children with use in other age groups.

Older adults - This medicine has been tested and has not been shown to cause different side effects or problems in older people than it does in younger adults. However, older patients may be more likely to develop low blood sugar.

Other medicines - Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking nateglinide, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

• Beta-adrenergic blocking agents (acebutolol [e.g., Sectral], atenolol [e.g., Tenormin], betaxolol [e.g., Kerlone], bisoprolol [e.g., Zebeta], carteolol [e.g., Cartrol], labetalol [e.g., Trandate], metoprolol [e.g., Lopressor], nadolol [e.g., Corgard], oxprenolol [e.g., Trasicor], penbutolol [e.g., Levatol], pindolol [e.g., Visken], propranolol [e.g., Inderal], sotalol [e.g., Betapace], timolol [e.g., Blocadren]) - These medicines can hide some of the symptoms of low blood sugar; because of this, a person with diabetes might not recognize that he or she has low blood sugar and might not take immediate steps to treat it

Other medical problems - The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of nateglinide. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Ketones in the blood (diabetic ketoacidosis) or
• Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes - Insulin is needed to control diabetes in patients with these conditions
• Nervous system disorder (autonomic neuropathy) - Patients with this condition might not be able to detect the symptoms of low blood sugar and might not take immediate steps to treat it