Drug interactions
Glipizide-metformin + Levothyroxine
Severity: Moderate
Glipizide-metformin and Levothyroxine: moderate interaction.
Last updated
For healthcare professionals — reference only. This page is a brief summary, not medical advice and not a substitute for official labeling or clinical judgement. Always verify before prescribing or dispensing.
Summary
Thyroid hormone increases hepatic glucose output and metabolic rate, and excessive doses can raise blood glucose in people with diabetes. Initiating or increasing levothyroxine may therefore reduce the glycemic control achieved by glipizide and metformin, and stopping it may bring on hypoglycemia.
What this interaction means in plain words
Glipizide-metformin and Levothyroxine can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken.
Glipizide-metformin belongs to Endocrine; Levothyroxine belongs to Endocrine.
Why it happens
Thyroid hormone enhances gluconeogenesis, glycogenolysis and intestinal glucose absorption, opposing the effect of antidiabetic agents.
What to do
Check blood glucose more often when levothyroxine is started or its dose is changed, and adjust antidiabetic doses accordingly. Keep thyroid function in the target range to avoid iatrogenic hyperthyroidism.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Should I take them at different times of day?
- Does the dose of either medicine need to change?
- Is there anything I should avoid, such as alcohol or certain foods, while on both?
Pro+ members
Unlock the full page
Create an account and start a Pro+ trial to unlock the full management advice for Glipizide-metformin and Levothyroxine, the additional notes, the evidence detail and the whole-prescription interaction checker.
- Full clinical management advice
- Additional notes
- Evidence detail
- Interaction checker for a whole prescription
Try Pro+ free for 7 days on the web. No card needed.
Other interactions of Glipizide-metformin
Other interactions of Levothyroxine
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Glipizide-metformin with Levothyroxine?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Glipizide-metformin and Levothyroxine can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken. Thyroid hormone increases hepatic glucose output and metabolic rate, and excessive doses can raise blood glucose in people with diabetes. Initiating or increasing levothyroxine may therefore reduce the glycemic control achieved by glipizide and metformin, and stopping it may bring on hypoglycemia.
How serious is the interaction between Glipizide-metformin and Levothyroxine?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Check blood glucose more often when levothyroxine is started or its dose is changed, and adjust antidiabetic doses accordingly. Keep thyroid function in the target range to avoid iatrogenic hyperthyroidism.
What other medicines interact with Glipizide-metformin?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Glipizide-metformin with, for example, Contrast media, Diatrizoate meglumine / diatrizoate, Diatrizoate. The full list is on the Glipizide-metformin page.
Full monographs, dosing and an interaction checker in the MediHelp app
Open the complete reference, check multi-drug interactions and use dosing tools in the MediHelp app.
