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

Most common
Dizziness (up to 2%)
Drowsiness (up to 2%)
Headache (up to 2%)
Nausea (up to 1.4%)

Amaryl

Most common
Hypoglycemia (up to 19.7%)
Accidental injury (up to 16%)
Dizziness (5% or more)
Asthenia (5% or more)

Glipizide vs. Amaryl Dosage

Glipizide

Dosage
Dosage Table
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

Dosage
Dosage Table
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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