Drug Interactions With Insulin Glargine

If ACE inhibitors, beta blockers, and certain antibiotics are combined with insulin glargine, drug interactions may occur. These interactions can cause dangerously low blood sugar levels. To avoid these possible drug interactions with insulin glargine, your healthcare provider may recommend an alternative medication or advise you to monitor your blood sugar levels more closely to see if you need to adjust your insulin glargine dosage.

 

Drug Interactions With Insulin Glargine: An Overview

Insulin glargine (Lantus®) can potentially interact with numerous other medicines, too many to list. Some insulin glargine drug interactions can result in dangerously low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia). Other interactions (which are not discussed in this article) may increase blood sugar levels, which is not healthy, but is usually not dangerous in the short-term. Some of the medicines that may cause dangerously low blood sugar when combined with insulin glargine include:
 
  • Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors), such as:
 
 
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Beta blockers, such as:
 
 
  • Disopyramide (Norpace®, Norpace® CR)
  • Fibrates, such as:
 
 
  • Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), such as:
 
 
  • Octreotide (Sandostatin®)
  • Oral diabetes medications
  • Propoxyphene (Darvon®, Darvocet®)
  • Reserpine
  • Salicylates, such as:
 
    • Aspirin (Ecotrin®, Bayer®, Anacin®)
    • Choline magnesium trisalicylate (Trilisate®)
    • Diflunisal (Dolobid®)
    • Salsalate (Salflex®, Disalcid®, Amigesic®)
 
  • Sulfonamide antibiotics ("sulfa drugs"), such as:
 
    • Sulfadiazine
    • Sulfadoxine (Fansidar®)
    • Sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim®, Septra®)
    • Sulfisoxazole (Gantrisin®).
 
(Drug Interactions With Insulin Glargine Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;