• Amaryl is an oral diabetes medicine that helps control blood    sugar levels. This medication helps your body respond better to    insulin produced by your pancreas.
• Amaryl is used together with diet and exercise to treat type 2   (non-insulin dependent) diabetes. Other diabetes medicines are   sometimes used in combination with Amaryl if needed.
• Amaryl may also be used for purposes other than those listed   in this medication guide.

Amaryl is an oral medication used to treat type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes when diet and exercise alone fail to control abnormally high levels of blood sugar. Like other diabetes drugs classified as sulfonylureas, Amaryl lowers blood sugar by stimulating the pancreas to produce more insulin. Amaryl is often prescribed along with the insulin-boosting drug Glucophage. It may also be used in conjunction with insulin and other diabetes drugs.

Always remember that Amaryl is an aid to, not a substitute for, good diet and exercise. Failure to follow a sound diet and exercise plan may diminish the results of Amaryl and can lead to serious complications such as dangerously high or low blood sugar levels. Remember, too, that Amaryl is not an oral form of insulin, and cannot be used in place of insulin.

Medicine Guides aim to give patients and carers in the UK clear, reliable and up-to-date information about medicines that people are taking or are thinking about taking. The information is written by healthcare professionals.

This Medicine Guide contains information about Amaryl and includes:

• how to use it safely and effectively
• how it works
• its benefits
• its possible side-effects
• how it may interact with other medicines

This Medicine Guide is an extra source of information. It is not meant to take the place of the leaflet that comes with the medicine. Nor does it replace the need to talk about treatment with your prescriber.

Glimepiride is an anti-diabetic drug (sulfonylurea-type) used along with a proper diet and exercise program to control high blood sugar. It is used in patients with type 2 diabetes (non-insulin-dependent diabetes). It works by stimulating the release of your body's natural insulin. Effectively controlling high blood sugar helps prevent heart disease, strokes, kidney disease, blindness, and circulation problems, as well as sexual function problems (impotence).

Take this medication by mouth usually once daily, with breakfast or the first main meal of the day. The dosage is based on your medical condition and response to therapy.

Use this medication regularly in order to get the most benefit from it. To help you remember, use it at the same time each day. Monitor blood glucose levels on a regular basis, and share the results with your doctor.