Nateglinide Tablet: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Nateglinide Tablet (generic name: Nateglinide) is an oral antidiabetic agent from the meglitinide (glinide) class. It is used in adults with type 2 diabetes to help lower blood sugar, usually when diet and exercise alone are not enough. It may be used alone or together with metformin, and is taken before meals to control blood sugar spikes that occur after eating.

What is Nateglinide Tablet

Nateglinide is a medicine used to lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. It is taken by mouth and is usually used when diet and exercise alone do not control blood sugar well enough. It may be used alone or together with metformin.

Nateglinide Tablet uses

• Type 2 diabetes mellitus, used along with diet and exercise to lower blood sugar
• Used in combination with metformin when diet, exercise, and one medicine alone are not enough to control blood sugar

Benefits of Nateglinide Tablet

• Helps restore the body's early insulin release after meals
• Lowers blood sugar spikes that happen after eating
• Can improve long-term blood sugar control as measured by HbA1c
• May work well together with metformin for added blood sugar control

How Nateglinide Tablet works

After you eat, your pancreas normally releases insulin quickly to keep blood sugar from rising too high. In type 2 diabetes, this quick insulin release is lost. Nateglinide works by making the pancreas release insulin faster after a meal, which helps control the rise in blood sugar that happens after eating.

Nateglinide Tablet dosage

Take the tablet by mouth, swallowed whole with a glass of water. Take it before a meal, usually right before eating, but it can be taken anytime in the 30 minutes before the meal starts. If you skip a meal, skip the dose for that meal — do not take it without eating.

Take it at the same time with each main meal (usually breakfast, lunch, and dinner) for best results and to help you remember. If you miss a dose, skip it and take your next dose before your next meal — do not double up to make up for a missed dose. Keep taking it every day as your doctor tells you; do not stop without talking to your doctor first.

Available forms and strengths

• 60 mg tablets
• 120 mg tablets

Side effects of Nateglinide Tablet

Common

• Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
• Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar)
• Visual disturbance
• Abdominal pain
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Headache
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Joint pain
• Back pain
• Dizziness
• Upper respiratory tract infection

Serious

• Liver dysfunction
• Allergic reaction such as rash, itching, or hives
• Sudden severe headache or worsening headache, dizziness, fatigue, or increased sweating
• Severe hypoglycemia with loss of consciousness or seizures

Warnings and precautions

• This medicine is not for people with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis — it will not work for these conditions and may make them worse.
• Do not take this medicine if you are allergic to nateglinide or any of its ingredients.
• Elderly people, malnourished people, and those with certain gland or kidney problems are more likely to get low blood sugar from this medicine.
• Low blood sugar can be harder to notice in elderly patients and in people taking certain blood pressure medicines called beta-blockers.
• If you get a fever, infection, injury, or have surgery, your blood sugar may rise and your treatment may need to be changed temporarily.
• This medicine contains lactose (milk sugar); tell your doctor if you have severe lactose intolerance.
• Nateglinide should not be used during pregnancy. If you become pregnant while taking it, contact your doctor right away.
• Nateglinide should not be used while breastfeeding, since it's not known whether it passes into human breast milk.
• No dose change is usually needed for people with mild to severe kidney problems, but tell your doctor if you have kidney disease.
• This medicine should be used carefully in people with moderate to severe liver disease, since it hasn't been well studied in these patients.
• Avoid alcohol while taking this medicine, since it can increase the risk of very low blood sugar and other side effects.
• If you have symptoms of low blood sugar, do not drive or use machinery, since this can affect your concentration and alertness.

Storage

• Keep out of the reach and sight of children
• Store in the original package
• Store between 15-30°C
• Do not use after the expiry date shown on the box
• Do not use any pack that is damaged or shows signs of tampering

When to see a doctor

• Get emergency help right away if you have a severe low blood sugar reaction with loss of consciousness or seizures.
• If you think you've taken too much of this medicine, contact poison control or go to an emergency room right away, even if you have no symptoms.
• Seek medical help right away for signs of an allergic reaction such as rash, itching, hives, or swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat.
• Tell your doctor right away if you have signs of low blood sugar such as shaking, sweating, confusion, dizziness, or a fast heartbeat.

Alternatives

• Repaglinide
• Glimepiride
• Gliclazide