home > drugs a-z list > glyset (miglitol) drug center > glyset (miglitol) drug - side effects and drug interactions

Gastrointestinal

Gastrointestinal symptoms are the most common reactions to GLYSET (miglitol) Tablets. In U.S. placebo-controlled trials, the incidences of abdominal pain, diarrhea, and flatulence were 11.7%, 28.7%, and 41.5% respectively in 962 patients treated with GLYSET (miglitol) 25-100 mg 3 times daily, whereas the corresponding incidences were 4.7%, 10.0%, and 12.0% in 603 placebo-treated patients. The incidence of diarrhea and abdominal pain tended to diminish considerably with continued treatment.

Dermatologic

Skin rash was reported in 4.3% of patients treated with GLYSET (miglitol) compared to 2.4% of placebo-treated patients. Rashes were generally transient and most were assessed as unrelated to GLYSET (miglitol) by physician-investigators.

Abnormal Laboratory Findings

Low serum iron occurred more often in patients treated with GLYSET (miglitol) (9.2%) than in placebo-treated patients (4.2%) but did not persist in the majority of cases and was not associated with reductions in hemoglobin or changes in other hematologic indices.

Several studies investigated the possible interaction between miglitol and glyburide. In six healthy volunteers given a single dose of 5-mg glyburide on a background of 6 days treatment with miglitol (50 mg 3 times daily for 4 days followed by 100 mg 3 times daily for 2 days) or placebo, the mean Cmax and AUC values for glyburide were 17% and 25% lower, respectively, when glyburide was given with miglitol. In a study in diabetic patients in which the effects of adding miglitol 100 mg 3 times daily x 7 days or placebo to a background regimen of 3.5 mg glyburide daily were investigated, the mean AUC value for glyburide was 18% lower in the group treated with miglitol, although this difference was not statistically significant. Further information on a potential interaction with glyburide was obtained from one of the large U.S. clinical trials (Study 7) in which patients were dosed with either miglitol or placebo on a background of glyburide 10 mg twice daily. At the 6-month and 1-year clinic visits, patients taking concomitant miglitol 100 mg 3 times daily exhibited mean Cmax values for glyburide that were 16% and 8% lower, respectively, compared to patients taking glyburide alone. However, these differences were not statistically significant. Thus, although there was a trend toward lower AUC and Cmax values for glyburide when co-administered with GLYSET (miglitol) , no definitive statement regarding a potential interaction can be made based on the foregoing three studies.

The effect of miglitol (100 mg 3 times daily x 7 days) on the pharmacokinetics of a single 1000-mg dose of metformin was investigated in healthy volunteers. Mean AUC and Cmax values for metformin were 12% to 13% lower when the volunteers were given miglitol as compared with placebo, but this difference was not statistically significant.

In a healthy volunteer study, co-administration of either 50 mg or 100 mg miglitol 3 times daily together with digoxin reduced the average plasma concentrations of digoxin by 19% and 28%, respectively. However, in diabetic patients under treatment with digoxin, plasma digoxin concentrations were not altered by co-administration of miglitol 100 mg 3 times daily x 14 days.

Other healthy volunteer studies have demonstrated that miglitol may significantly reduce the bioavailability of ranitidine and propranolol by 60% and 40%, respectively. No effect of miglitol was observed on the pharmacokinetics or pharmacodynamics of either warfarin or nifedipine.

Intestinal adsorbents (e.g., charcoal) and digestive enzyme preparations containing carbohydrate-splitting enzymes (e.g., amylase, pancreatin) may reduce the effect of GLYSET (miglitol) and should not be taken concomitantly.

Last reviewed on RxList: 6/8/2009
This monograph has been modified to include the generic and brand name in many instances.