Drug interactions
Insulin glargine + Tolbutamide
Severity: Moderate
Insulin glargine and Tolbutamide: 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
Tolbutamide with insulin gives additive glucose lowering and increases hypoglycemia risk. Patients may need dose reductions of one or both agents.
What this interaction means in plain words
Insulin glargine and Tolbutamide 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.
Insulin glargine belongs to Endocrine; Tolbutamide belongs to Endocrine.
Why it happens
Additive pharmacodynamic effect of sulfonylurea-stimulated insulin secretion and exogenous insulin.
What to do
Monitor blood glucose closely when starting the combination and lower the sulfonylurea or insulin dose if hypoglycemia occurs.
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 Insulin glargine and Tolbutamide, 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 Insulin glargine
Other interactions of Tolbutamide
- Glyburide-metformin + Tolbutamide Major
- Insulin degludec-liraglutide + Tolbutamide Major
- Aceclofenac + Tolbutamide Moderate
- Acemetacin + Tolbutamide Moderate
- Acetylsalicylic acid + Tolbutamide Moderate
- Albiglutide + Tolbutamide Moderate
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Insulin glargine with Tolbutamide?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Insulin glargine and Tolbutamide 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. Tolbutamide with insulin gives additive glucose lowering and increases hypoglycemia risk. Patients may need dose reductions of one or both agents.
How serious is the interaction between Insulin glargine and Tolbutamide?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Monitor blood glucose closely when starting the combination and lower the sulfonylurea or insulin dose if hypoglycemia occurs.
What other medicines interact with Insulin glargine?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Insulin glargine with, for example, Alogliptin-pioglitazone, Ethanol, Glimepiride-pioglitazone. The full list is on the Insulin glargine 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.
