Glipizide Dosages: Your GoodRx Guide

Glipizide is an older medication available to treat Type 2 diabetes. It’s a sulfonylurea that works by telling your pancreas to release more insulin. Glipizide can be used alone or in combination with other diabetes medications, like metformin. A healthy diet and exercise will also help keep your blood glucose (sugar) in check.

In this guide, we’ll take a look at typical glipizide dosages. It’s possible that your healthcare provider may want you to take glipizide differently. If you have any questions about your dose, speak to your pharmacist or healthcare provider.

What’s the typical glipizide dosage for adults?

Glipizide is an oral medication that’s available as immediate-release (IR) and extended-release (ER) tablets (Glucotrol XL). The ER form delivers the medication more slowly throughout the day.

Promotional Disclosureinfo_outlined

SPECIAL OFFER

Save over 40% on Qsymia with GoodRx

Discover the once daily Qsymia for weight management. Qsymia is for adults and children 12-17 in combination with a healthy diet and regular exercise.

Save now

IR tablet dosage

A common glipizide IR starting dosage is 5 mg taken 30 minutes before breakfast (or your first main meal of the day). Certain people at higher risk of low blood glucose (hypoglycemia) may need to start with a 2.5 mg dose. This includes older adults, people with liver problems, and those taking other diabetes medications.

Depending on how you respond, your dosage may be raised to a maximum of 40 mg daily. If your dosage gets higher than 15 mg per day, it’s usually divided into 2 doses per day. The first dose is typically taken before your first meal (e.g., breakfast), and the second dose is before your last meal (e.g., dinner).

ER tablet dosage

The starting glipizide ER dosage is 5 mg given once daily 30 minutes before breakfast. Like the IR version, certain people should start with the 2.5 mg dose. The highest glipizide ER dosage is 20 mg once daily.

Promotion disclosure

Glipizide

Avg retail price

$10.28(Save Free%)

GoodRx discount

$10.28

See all discounts

How it works

Use GoodRx to find medications, pharmacies, and discounts.

GoodRx discounts can help you pay less for your prescription.

Bring your free coupon or savings card to the pharmacy.

If you’re currently taking glipizide IR, you may be wondering if you can switch to glipizide ER. The short answer: Yes. But this is only an option if you’re taking 20 mg or less daily.

Your healthcare provider can help you figure out if making the switch is right for you.

Are there any dosage adjustments for medical conditions?

As with any medication, it’s important to know about dosage adjustments. Sometimes, these are recommended because of age or other medical conditions.

Age

Older adults have a greater chance of experiencing problems associated with hypoglycemia. In this case, your healthcare provider may start you at 2.5 mg daily. If needed, your dosage can be raised slowly to give your body time to adjust.

Kidney problems

Glipizide doesn’t need any specific dosage adjustments if you have mild to moderate kidney problems. In fact, it’s considered one of the safer sulfonylureas when kidney problems are present.

But if you have severe kidney problems, the risk of hypoglycemia goes up. In this case, you may need to start with a lower dosage and watch your blood glucose more often during treatment.

Liver problems

Glipizide is broken down by your liver. If you have liver disease, your body may not break it down efficiently. Because of this, your dosage may start at 2.5 mg once daily. From there, it may be raised cautiously to match your blood glucose response.

What happens if you miss a dose of glipizide?

If you miss your scheduled glipizide dose, you can take it 30 minutes before your next meal. But if it’s almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the usual time. Make sure that you always take glipizide before a meal to avoid hypoglycemia.

For your safety, never double up on your glipizide dose to make up for any missed doses. If you have questions about the timing of your dose, call your pharmacist or healthcare provider.

What should you do if you take too much glipizide

Taking too much glipizide could result in hypoglycemia. This happens when your blood glucose drops below 70 mg/dL. You may feel symptoms such as shaking, sweating, or a fast heartbeat. Confusion, nausea, or headache may also occur. This is even more likely to happen if you’ve skipped meals or eaten less food than what’s normal for you.

If you notice any of these symptoms, check your blood glucose level right away. If it’s low, follow the directions you’ve been given to bring your blood glucose back into a safe range. This typically includes consuming 15 gm of fast-acting sugar (e.g., ½ cup fruit juice or regular soda). If your blood glucose is below 55 mg/dL, you may need medical care.

If you think you’ve taken too much glipizide, contact your healthcare provider or call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. If any side effects feel severe or life-threatening, go to your nearest emergency room.

How to save on glipizide

Glipizide IR and glipizide ER are both available as lower-cost generics. Glipizide ER is also available as a brand-name product called Glucotrol XL.

GoodRx can help you save over 50% off the average retail price of the generic versions. Generic glipizide IR’s price at certain pharmacies is as low as $10.28 with a free GoodRx discount.

Generic glipizide ER’s price at certain pharmacies is as low as $15.56 with a free GoodRx discount. And Glucotrol XL’s price is as low as $9.00.

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Julie Adkison, PharmD, BCACP, CDCES

Julie Adkison, PharmD, BCACP, CDCES, is a clinical pharmacist specializing in ambulatory care practice and diabetes care and education. She has worked in a faculty position in family medicine for many years.

Edited by:

Alyssa Billingsley, PharmD

Alyssa Billingsley, PharmD, is the director of pharmacy content for GoodRx. She has over a decade of experience as a pharmacist and has worked in clinical, academic, and administrative roles.

Reviewed by:

Christina Aungst, PharmD

Christina Aungst, PharmD, is a pharmacy editor for GoodRx. She began writing for GoodRx Health in 2019, transitioning from freelance writer to editor in 2021.

Our editorial standards

Meet our experts