Glipizide is a generic drug that’s prescribed for type 2 diabetes. As with other drugs, glipizide can cause side effects. These include low blood sugar and digestive side effects, such as diarrhea and nausea.

Glipizide comes as immediate-release (IR) and extended-release (ER) oral tablets. IR means the drug is released into your body right away, and ER means the drug is slowly released into your body over a long period of time.

Glipizide IR oral tablet is not available in a brand-name version. Glipizide ER oral tablet is available as the brand-name drug Glucotrol XL.

Read on to learn about potential common, mild, and serious side effects of glipizide. For a general overview of the drug, including details about its uses, see this article.

Glipizide can cause certain side effects, some of which are more common than others. These side effects may be temporary, lasting a few days to weeks. However, if the side effects last longer than that, bother you, or become severe, be sure to talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

These are just a few of the more common side effects reported by people in clinical trials of glipizide IR oral tablet and glipizide ER oral tablet:

* For more information about this side effect, see “Glipizide: Side effect specifics.”

Mild side effects can occur with glipizide use. This list doesn’t include all possible mild side effects of the drug. For more information, you can refer to the prescribing information for glipizide IR oral tablet and glipizide ER oral tablet.

Mild side effects that have been reported with glipizide include:

  • dizziness
  • drowsiness
  • feeling nervous
  • headache
  • tremor
  • mild low blood sugar*
  • digestive side effects*

These side effects may be temporary, lasting a few days to weeks. However, if the side effects last longer than that, bother you, or become severe, be sure to talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Note: After the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves a drug, it tracks and reviews side effects of the medication. If you develop a side effect while taking glipizide and want to tell the FDA about it, visit MedWatch.

* For more information about this side effect, see “Glipizide: Side effect specifics.”

Glipizide may cause serious side effects. The list below may not include all possible serious side effects of the drug. For more information, you can refer to the prescribing information for glipizide IR oral tablet and glipizide ER oral tablet.

If you develop serious side effects while taking glipizide, call your doctor right away. If the side effects seem life threatening or you think you’re having a medical emergency, immediately call 911 or your local emergency number.

Serious side effects that have been reported and their symptoms include:

* For more information about this side effect, see “Side effect specifics.”

ALLERGIC REACTION

For some people, glipizide oral tablets can cause an allergic reaction.

In general, symptoms of allergic reaction can be mild or serious.

Ways to manage

For mild allergic reaction symptoms, such as a mild rash, call your doctor right away. They may recommend treatments to help manage your symptoms. They’ll also let you know whether you should keep taking the medication.

For severe allergic reaction symptoms, such as swelling or trouble breathing, call 911 or your local emergency number right away. These symptoms require immediate medical care because they can become life threatening. If you’ve had a serious allergic reaction to glipizide oral tablets, your doctor may recommend taking a different medication instead.

Glipizide may cause several side effects. Here are some frequently asked questions about the drug’s side effects and their answers.

What are the long-term side effects of glipizide?

Although rare, long-term use of glipizide may increase the risk of death related to cardiovascular problems such as heart attack or stroke.

This risk wasn’t specifically reported in clinical trials of glipizide IR oral tablet or glipizide ER oral tablet. However, a 1970 study showed this risk with a different sulfonylurea drug. Since glipizide is a sulfonylurea, it’s possible the drug may also increase this risk.

To be safe, your doctor may ask about any cardiovascular conditions you have before starting glipizide treatment. For example, they may ask if you have high cholesterol or high blood pressure. These factors will help your doctor recommend whether glipizide is the right treatment option.

If you have concerns about the risk of long-term side effects with glipizide, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Is weight gain a side effect of glipizide?

Possibly.

Weight gain wasn’t specifically reported in clinical trials of glipizide IR oral tablet and glipizide ER oral tablet. However, a review of studies has shown a risk of weight gain with sulfonylureas. Since glipizide is a sulfonylurea, it may also carry this risk.

If you’re concerned about weight gain while taking glipizide, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They can suggest ways to help you manage your weight during glipizide treatment.

Does glipizide cause different side effects when it’s taken with metformin?

Not necessarily. The side effects of glipizide are expected to be the same whether it’s taken alone or with other medications, including metformin (Fortamet, Glumetza).

However, if you take glipizide with metformin, you might have side effects from both drugs. For example, both glipizide and metformin can cause diarrhea and other digestive side effects. These side effects could become worse or more frequent if you take these drugs together.

If you have other questions about what to expect when taking glipizide and metformin together, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. You can also view this article for details about metformin’s side effects.

Learn more about some of the side effects that glipizide may cause. To find out how often side effects occurred in clinical trials, see the prescribing information for glipizide IR oral tablet and glipizide ER oral tablet.

Low blood sugar

Glipizide may cause low blood sugar. This was one of the more common side effects in clinical trials of glipizide IR oral tablet and glipizide ER oral tablet. With this side effect, your blood sugar may fall below a suitable range.

Low blood sugar may cause mild symptoms such as dizziness, headache, and sweating. In more severe cases, extremely low blood sugar may cause you to lose consciousness.

Certain factors may increase your risk of low blood sugar with glipizide. A few examples include:

  • being an adult ages 65 years or older
  • taking certain other diabetes medications, such as insulin
  • consuming alcohol
  • having kidney or liver problems

What you can do

Your doctor will recommend monitoring your blood sugar while you’re taking glipizide. If you develop symptoms of low blood sugar, check your blood sugar level right away. However, if your symptoms seem severe or life threatening, you or a bystander should call 911 or a local emergency number.

Your doctor can recommend the best way to increase your blood sugar if it becomes too low. This may include drinking juice or eating hard candies. They can also recommend whether your glipizide dosage should be reduced to lower the risk of this side effect.

Digestive side effects

Glipizide may cause digestive side effects. Diarrhea, nausea, and flatulence (gas) were some of the more common side effects in clinical trials of glipizide IR oral tablet and glipizide ER oral tablet. Constipation, indigestion, and vomiting were less common.

What you can do

If you have bothersome or long lasting digestive side effects with glipizide, talk with your doctor. They can recommend ways to ease these side effects. For example, they may reduce your glipizide dosage.

Before taking glipizide, discuss your health history with your doctor. Glipizide may not be right for you if you have certain medical conditions or other factors affecting your health. Be sure to talk with your doctor if any of the following apply to you:

Disclaimer: Medical News Today has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.