Tolinase

Tolinase is a prescription medication used to treat type 2 diabetes. Tolinase belongs to a group of drugs called sulfonylureas, which help to lower blood sugar by causing the pancreas to produce insulin (a natural substance that is needed to break down sugar in the body). It also helps the body use insulin efficiently.

This medication comes in tablet form and is usually taken once daily in the morning with breakfast or the first meal of the day. Some people may need to take Tolinase twice daily.

Common side effects of Tolinase include nausea, feeling full, and heartburn. Tolinase can also cause dizziness. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how it affects you.

Tolinase is a prescription medication used along with diet and exercise, and sometimes with other medications, to treat type 2 diabetes. 

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

• Pharmacia and Upjohn Company

Serious side effects have been reported with Tolinase. See the “Tolinase Precautions” section.

Common side effects include:

• nausea
• feeling of having full stomach
• heartburn

This is not a complete list of Tolinase side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• anticoagulants ('blood thinners') such as warfarin (Coumadin)
• aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn)
• beta blockers such as atenolol (Tenormin), labetalol (Normodyne), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL), nadolol (Corgard), and propranolol (Inderal)
• calcium channel blockers such as amlodipine (Norvasc), diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor, Tiazac, others), felodipine (Plendil), isradipine (DynaCirc), nicardipine (Cardene), nifedipine (Adalat, Procardia), nimodipine (Nimotop), nisoldipine (Sular), and verapamil (Calan, Isoptin, Verelan)
• chloramphenicol
• diuretics ('water pills')
• fluconazole (Diflucan)
• hormone replacement therapy and hormonal contraceptives (birth control pills, patches, rings, implants, and injections)
• insulin or other medications to treat high blood sugar or diabetes
• isoniazid (INH)
• MAO inhibitors such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar), and tranylcypromine (Parnate)
• medications for asthma and colds
• medications for mental illness and nausea
• miconazole (Monistat)
• niacin
• oral steroids such as dexamethasone (Decadron, Dexone), methylprednisolone (Medrol), and prednisone (Deltasone)
• phenytoin (Dilantin)
• probenecid (Benemid)
• salicylate pain relievers such as choline magnesium trisalicylate, choline salicylate (Arthropan), diflunisal (Dolobid), magnesium salicylate (Doan's, others), and salsalate (Argesic, Disalcid, Salgesic)
• sulfa antibiotics such as co-trimoxazole (Bactrim, Septra)
• sulfasalazine (Azulfidine)
• thyroid medications

This is not a complete list of Tolinase drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Serious side effects have been reported with Tolinase including the following:

• Gastrointestinal upset. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have some or all of the following symptoms of liver problems.
  • Nausea
  • A feeling of fullness in the upper part of the stomach
  • Heartburn
  • Yellowing of the skin or eyes
  • Light-colored stools
  • Dark urine
  • Pain in the upper right part of the stomach
  • Unusual bleeding or bruising
  • Diarrhea

Tolinase can cause dizziness. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how Tolinase affects you.

Do not take Tolinase if you:

• are allergic to Tolinase or to any of its ingredients
• have diabetic ketoacidosis
• have type 1 diabetes

Medications can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Tolinase, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this medication.

Before taking Tolinase, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions. Especially tell your doctor if you:

• are allergic to Tolinase or to any of its ingredients
• have kidney problems, other than diabetes
• have liver problems
• have heart problems
• have a G6PD deficiency
• have hormone disorders involving the thyroid, pituitary, or adrenal gland
• are pregnant or breastfeeding

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

Tolinase falls into category C. In animal studies, pregnant animals were given this medication and had some babies born with problems. No well-controlled studies have been done in humans. Therefore, this medication may be used if the potential benefits to the mother outweigh the potential risks to the unborn child.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

It is not known if Tolinase crosses into human milk. Because many medications can cross into human milk and because of the possibility for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants with use of this medication, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or stop the use of this medication. Your doctor and you will decide if the benefits outweigh the risk of using Tolinase.

Take Tolinase exactly as prescribed.

Tolinase comes in tablet form and is usually taken once daily.

Take with breakfast or the first main meal of the day.

If you miss a dose, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the regular time. Do not take two doses of Tolinase at the same time.

Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.

The dose your doctor recommends may be based on the following:

• the condition being treated
• other medical conditions you have
• other medications you are taking
• how you respond to this medication

The recommended starting dose of Tolinase for the treatment of type 2 diabetes is 100-250 mg once daily. The dose should be gradually adjusted based on patient response, blood glucose levels, and other medications the patient is taking. The maximum daily dose is 1000 mg.

If you take too much Tolinase, call your healthcare provider or local Poison Control Center, or seek emergency medical attention right away.

• Store Tolinase at room temperature.
• Keep this and all medicines out of the reach of children.
• Avoid unnecessary or prolonged exposure to sunlight and wear protective clothing, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Tolinase may make your skin sensitive to sunlight.