Orinase Medication - Uses & Side Effects

TOLBUTAMIDE (Orinase®) helps to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus. Treatment is combined with a suitable diet and balanced exercise. Tolbutamide increases the amount of insulin released from the pancreas and helps your body to use insulin more efficiently. Generic tolbutamide tablets are available. Orinase is an oral antidiabetic medication used to treat type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes. Diabetes occurs when the body does not make enough insulin, or when the insulin that is produced no longer works properly. Insulin works by helping sugar get inside the body's cells, where it is then used for energy.

There are two forms of diabetes: type 1 (insulin-dependent) and type 2 (non-insulin-dependent). Type 1 diabetes usually requires taking insulin injections for life, while type 2 diabetes can usually be treated by dietary changes, exercise, and/or oral antidiabetic medications such as Orinase. Orinase controls diabetes by stimulating the pancreas to secrete more insulin and by helping insulin work better.

Occasionally, type 2 diabetics must take insulin injections temporarily during stressful periods or times of illness. When diet, exercise, and an oral antidiabetic medication fail to reduce symptoms and/or blood sugar levels, a person with type 2 diabetes may require long-term insulin injections.

Orinase Dosage

• Usually an initial daily dose of 1 to 2 grams is recommended. Maintenance therapy usually ranges from 0.25 to 3 grams daily. Daily doses greater than 3 grams are not recommended.
• Older, malnourished, or debilitated people, or those with impaired kidney or liver function, are usually prescribed lower initial and maintenance doses to minimize the risk of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).

Uses of Orinase

• Tolbutamide is used with diet and exercise to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus. Insulin or metformin (Glucophage) may also be used in combination with tolbutamide, if necessary.
• Tolbutamide may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.
  

Side Effects of Orinase

Side effects cannot be anticipated. If any develop or change in intensity, inform your doctor as soon as possible. Only your doctor can determine if it is safe for you to continue taking Orinase. Side effects may include:Side effects from Orinase are rare and seldom require discontinuation of Orinase.

• Bloating
• heartburn
• nausea
• Cold sweat
• drowsiness
• headache
• nervousness
• Coma
• pale skin
• seizures
• shallow breathing.

Warnings and precautions before taking Orinase :

• It's possible that drugs such as Orinase may lead to more heart problems than diet treatment alone, or diet plus insulin. If you have a heart condition, you may want to discuss this with your doctor.
• If you are taking Orinase, you should check your blood or urine periodically for abnormal sugar (glucose) levels.
• It is important that you closely follow the diet and exercise plan recommended by your doctor.
• Even people with well-controlled diabetes may find that stress, illness, surgery, or fever results in a loss of control over their diabetes. In these cases, your physician may recommend that you temporarily stop taking Orinase and use injected insulin instead.
• In addition, the effectiveness of any oral antidiabetic, including Orinase, may decrease with time. This may occur because of either a diminished responsiveness to Orinase or a worsening of the diabetes.
• Like other antidiabetic drugs, Orinase may produce severe low blood sugar if the dosage is wrong. While taking Orinase, you are particularly susceptible to episodes of low blood sugar if:

Drug Interaction :- If Orinase is taken with certain other drugs, the effects of either could be increased, decreased, or altered. It is especially important to check with your doctor before combining Orinase with the following:

• Adrenal corticosteroids such as prednisone (Deltasone) and cortisone (Cortone)
  
• Airway-opening drugs such as Proventil and Ventolin
  
• Anabolic steroids such as testosterone
  
• Barbiturates such as Amytal, Seconal, and phenobarbital
  
• Beta blockers such as Inderal and Tenormin
  
• Blood-thinning drugs such as Coumadin
  
• Calcium channel blockers such as Cardizem and Procardia
  
• Chloramphenicol (Chloromycetin)
  
• Cimetidine (Tagamet)
  
• Clofibrate (Atromid-S)
  
• Colestipol (Colestid)
  
• Epinephrine (EpiPen)
  
• Estrogens (Premarin)
  
• Fluconazole (Diflucan)
  
• Furosemide (Lasix)
  
• Isoniazid (Nydrazid)
  
• Itraconazole (Sporanox)
  
• Major tranquilizers such as Stelazine and Mellaril
  
• MAO inhibitors such as Nardil and Parnate
  
• Methyldopa (Aldomet)
  
• Miconazole (Monistat)
  
• Niacin (Nicobid, Nicolar)

Overdose

Any medication taken in excess can have serious consequences. An overdose of Orinase can cause low blood sugar (see "Special warnings about Orinase"). Eating sugar or a sugar-based product will often correct mild hypoglycemia. If you suspect an overdose, seek medical attention immediately. Symptoms of a tolbutamide overdose include hunger, nausea, anxiety, cold sweats, weakness, drowsiness, unconsciousness, and coma.