Glipizide Uses

Glipizide is used, either alone or in combination with other medications, as an adjunct to diet and exercise in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus, a condition associated with high blood sugar levels as a result of the body not using insulin hormone normally.

Note: Glipizide is not used to treat type 1 diabetes mellitus (a condition in which the pancreas makes little to no insulin), which requires insulin therapy. Glipizide is also not used to treat diabetic ketoacidosis (a complication of diabetes). 

There may be other uses of glipizide—your pharmacist or doctor can give you further drug information.

Glipizide Mechanism of Action

Glipizide works by stimulating insulin release from the pancreas and by helping the body use insulin more efficiently.

Glipizide Doses

Glipizide is available as 5 mg and 10 mg immediate-release tablets and 2.5 mg, 5 mg, and 10 mg extended-release tablets. 

The usual starting dose of glipizide immediate-release is 5 mg taken 30 minutes before breakfast. The dose may be increased by 2.5 mg to 5 mg after a few days based on blood sugar control. If once-daily dosing does not control blood sugar levels, your doctor may recommend higher doses or taking the medicine in divided doses. The maximum dose of glipizide is 40 mg daily. The maximum dosage for a single dose is 15 mg. Any dose above 15 mg is to be taken in divided doses.

The usual starting dose of glipizide extended-release tablets is 5 mg daily, taken with breakfast. Most people require a maintenance dose of 5 mg to 10 mg daily. Some people may require a higher dose of 20 mg daily of extended-release glipizide, although doses above 10 mg have not been found to decrease hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) which is a measure of blood sugar levels over the past three months. People who are sensitive to hypoglycemic (blood sugar lowering) drugs may need to be started on a lower dose.

It is safe to switch from immediate-release glipizide to extended-release tablets at the equivalent total daily dose. 

Conservative dosing (a lower starting dose) may be necessary when you initiate glipizide therapy if you are an older adult, are debilitated or malnourished, or have impaired renal or hepatic function, as you may be more sensitive to hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) reactions.