Repaglinide (Systemic)

Brand Names : Prandin

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 repaglinide, the following should be considered:

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

Pregnancy - Repaglinide has not been studied in pregnant women. However, it is easier during pregnancy to control your blood sugar by using injections of insulin, rather than by taking repaglinide. Close control of your blood sugar can reduce the chance of your baby gaining too much weight, having birth defects, or having high blood sugar before birth. Be sure to tell your doctor if you plan to become pregnant or if you think you are pregnant.

Breast-feeding - It is not known whether repaglinide passes into human breast milk. However, it has been shown to cause unwanted effects in nursing animals. It may be necessary for you to take another medicine or to stop breast-feeding during treatment. Be sure you have discussed the risks and benefits of the medicine with your doctor.

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

Older adults - This medicine has been tested in a limited number of patients 65 years of age or older and has not been shown to cause different side effects or problems in older people than it does in younger adults. However, the first signs of low blood sugar are not easily seen or do not occur at all in older patients. This may increase the chance of low blood sugar developing during treatment.

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 repaglinide, 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 may increase the chance that high or low blood sugar can occur; also, they can hide symptoms of low blood sugar (such as fast heartbeat). 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 repaglinide. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Infection or
• Ketones in the blood (diabetic ketoacidosis) or
• Surgery or
• Trauma or
• Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes or
• Unusual stress - Insulin may be needed to control diabetes in patients with these conditions

• Kidney disease or
• Liver disease - Higher blood levels of repaglinide may occur; this may change the amount of medicine you need

• Underactive adrenal gland or
• Underactive pituitary gland or
• Undernourished condition or
• Weakened physical condition - Patients with these conditions may be more likely to develop low blood sugar while taking repaglinide