Novonorm 0.5 mg Tablet

Novonorm 0.5 mg Tablet contains 0.5 mg of repaglinide in each tablet. Repaglinide is an oral antidiabetic medicine from the meglitinide class used to help lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. Novonorm 0.5 mg Tablet is taken by mouth and is used along with diet and exercise to improve blood sugar control. It is not insulin and it is not used for type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis.

How it works: Repaglinide helps the pancreas release more insulin after a meal, which lowers blood sugar from food. As a tablet, Novonorm 0.5 mg Tablet works quickly and is meant to be taken shortly before eating so it can match meal-related blood sugar rises.

Novonorm 0.5 mg Tablet is the lowest strength in this brand range, with 1 mg and 2 mg tablets available as higher strengths. Because it is the smallest tablet strength, a doctor may choose Novonorm 0.5 mg Tablet when starting treatment cautiously, when blood sugar needs a smaller dose, or when a patient may be more sensitive to glucose-lowering medicines. This lower strength can help reduce the chance of low blood sugar compared with higher-strength tablets, but it still needs careful timing with meals.

• Type 2 diabetes
• Blood sugar control with meals
• Adjunct to diet and exercise
• Meal-time glucose lowering

• Swallow Novonorm 0.5 mg Tablet with water, unless your doctor gives different instructions.
• Take it shortly before a meal; if you skip a meal, do not take the tablet for that meal.
• Do not take extra tablets to make up for a missed meal or missed dose.
• Follow your prescribed meal schedule closely, because this medicine works around eating.
• Check your blood sugar as directed by your doctor, especially when starting or changing the dose.
• Do not crush or chew the tablet unless your pharmacist or doctor specifically tells you to do so.

Each Novonorm 0.5 mg Tablet provides 0.5 mg of repaglinide. The medicine is usually taken before meals, and the number of doses per day depends on how many meals you eat and on your prescriber’s instructions; the total daily amount should not exceed the maximum your doctor sets for you, which is based on individual needs and is generally capped at 16 mg per day for repaglinide. Because this is the lowest-strength Novonorm tablet, your doctor may choose it for a more cautious start or a smaller meal-time dose.

Do not change your dose or stop the medicine without speaking to your doctor.

Common side effects of Repaglinide may include:

• Low blood sugar, especially if a meal is delayed or skipped
• Headache
• Stuffy or runny nose
• Joint or back pain
• Upset stomach
• Diarrhea
• Upper respiratory tract symptoms

• Use only if you have type 2 diabetes; it is not for type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis.
• Take it before meals, because taking Novonorm 0.5 mg Tablet without food can raise the risk of low blood sugar.
• Be careful with alcohol, since it can make blood sugar harder to predict and may worsen hypoglycemia.
• Use caution when driving or operating machinery until you know how Novonorm 0.5 mg Tablet affects you.
• Tell your doctor if you have liver disease, because repaglinide may need extra caution or dose adjustment.
• Let your clinician know about a history of severe low blood sugar or if you eat irregularly.
• If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning pregnancy, ask your doctor how this medicine fits your diabetes plan.

• Gemfibrozil can dangerously increase repaglinide levels and is generally not used with it.
• Clopidogrel can raise repaglinide exposure and increase the risk of low blood sugar.
• Other diabetes medicines, including insulin and sulfonylureas, can increase the chance of hypoglycemia when combined.
• Certain antibiotics, antifungals, and some HIV medicines may change repaglinide levels.
• Beta blockers may mask symptoms of low blood sugar, making hypoglycemia harder to notice.

Store Novonorm 0.5 mg Tablet in its original strip/box at room temperature, away from moisture, heat, and direct light.