Glipizide vs. Amaryl
See how Glipizide and Amaryl compare on approved uses, dosing, side effects, and cost.
Key Takeaways
Glipizide and Amaryl are both sulfonylureas that lower blood sugar by helping the pancreas release more insulin.
Amaryl (glimepiride) lasts longer in the body, so it works as a once-daily pill even at high doses, while glipizide's immediate-release form often needs two daily doses.
Both carry a risk of low blood sugar, but the rate of hypoglycemia reported in Amaryl's trials is notably higher than glipizide's.
Glipizide vs. Amaryl Drug Summary
Glipizide
Glipizide is a second-generation sulfonylurea used to lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes, taken alongside diet and exercise. It comes as an immediate-release tablet, often dosed once or twice daily, or as an extended-release tablet taken once a day and swallowed whole.
Amaryl
Amaryl (glimepiride) is also a sulfonylurea that helps the body release more insulin to control blood sugar in type 2 diabetes, used along with diet and exercise. It is taken as a single tablet once daily, and its long duration of action lets it work at both low and high doses without splitting doses.
Glipizide vs. Amaryl Side Effects
Glipizide
Amaryl
Glipizide vs. Amaryl Dosage
Glipizide
Amaryl
| STAGE | DOSE | WHEN |
| Starting dose | 5 mg once daily | At the start |
| Maximum dose | 5-20 mg once daily | If needed |
| Dose changes | 5 increases | As tolerated |
| STAGE | DOSE | WHEN |
| Starting dose | 1 mg or 2 mg once daily | At the start |
| Maximum dose | 8 mg once daily | If needed |
| Dose changes | 2 increases | As tolerated |
Glipizide
| STAGE | DOSE | WHEN |
| Starting dose | 5 mg once daily | At the start |
| Maximum dose | 5-20 mg once daily | If needed |
| Dose changes | 5 increases | As tolerated |
Amaryl
| STAGE | DOSE | WHEN |
| Starting dose | 1 mg or 2 mg once daily | At the start |
| Maximum dose | 8 mg once daily | If needed |
| Dose changes | 2 increases | As tolerated |
Glipizide vs. Amaryl Indications
Glipizide
Glipizide is FDA-approved to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes when combined with diet and exercise. It is not approved for type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis.
Adjunct to diet and exercise for type 2 diabetes
Available as immediate-release or extended-release tablets
Not approved for type 1 diabetes or DKA
FDA approved in 1984, long clinical history
Amaryl
Amaryl (glimepiride) is FDA-approved to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes as an adjunct to diet and exercise. It is not approved for type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis.
Adjunct to diet and exercise for type 2 diabetes
Only sulfonylurea approved for use with insulin
Not approved for type 1 diabetes or DKA
FDA approved in 1995, once-daily dosing
Glipizide vs. Amaryl Pros and Cons
Glipizide
Glipizide has been used since the 1980s and offers flexible dosing options, including an extended-release form for once-daily use. As one of the least expensive oral diabetes medications, it remains widely accessible, though immediate-release doses above 15 mg must be split across two daily doses.
Pros
Available in both immediate- and extended-release forms
Long track record dating back to 1984
Roughly $10 to $35 per month without insurance
Cons
Higher immediate-release doses must be split into two daily doses
Extended-release tablets cannot be crushed, chewed, or split
Shorter duration of action than glimepiride
Amaryl
Amaryl's long half-life lets it control blood sugar with a single daily dose even at its highest strength, and it is the only sulfonylurea FDA-approved for combined use with insulin. That same long duration raises the chance of prolonged low blood sugar, and its typical cost can run higher than glipizide's, especially at higher doses.
Pros
Once-daily dosing at every strength, including the max dose
Only sulfonylurea FDA-approved for use with insulin
Long duration of action reduces need for divided doses
Cons
Higher reported rate of hypoglycemia (up to 19.7%)
Risk of hemolytic anemia in patients with G6PD deficiency
Roughly $15 to $110 per month without insurance, before savings programs
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