Version July 2025
Diabetes mellitus, type 2: Oral: Initial: 25 mg 3 times daily at the start of each meal or may consider 25 mg once daily with gradual titration to 25 mg 3 times daily to minimize GI intolerance. After 4 to 8 weeks dose should be titrated to maintenance dose of 50 mg 3 times daily and continue for ~3 months; if glycosylated hemoglobin is not satisfactory, may further increase to maximum recommended dose: 100 mg 3 times daily. As tolerated, the lowest effective dose should be maintained.
Dosage adjustment for concomitant therapy: Significant drug interactions exist, requiring dose/frequency adjustment or avoidance. Consult drug interactions database for more information.
CrCl ≥25 mL/minute: No dosage adjustment necessary. Although miglitol is primarily excreted unchanged, the increased plasma levels in renal impairment are not expected to affect efficacy (clinical response is localized to the GI tract); however, the effects on adverse effects are unknown.
CrCl <25 mL/minute or SCr >2 mg/dL: Use not recommended (not adequately studied).
No dosage adjustment necessary.
Refer to adult dosing.
The following adverse drug reactions and incidences are derived from product labeling unless otherwise specified.
>10%: Gastrointestinal: Flatulence (42%), diarrhea (29%), abdominal pain (12%)
1% to 10%: Dermatologic: Skin rash (4%)
<1%, postmarketing, and/or case reports: Abdominal distention, gastrointestinal pain, intestinal obstruction, nausea, paralytic ileus, pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis
Hypersensitivity to miglitol or any of component of the formulation; diabetic ketoacidosis; inflammatory bowel disease; colonic ulceration; partial intestinal obstruction or predisposition to intestinal obstruction; chronic intestinal diseases associated with marked disorders of digestion or absorption or with conditions that may deteriorate as a result of increased gas formation in the intestine
Concerns related to adverse effects:
• GI symptoms: Most common reactions are gastrointestinal related; incidence of abdominal pain and diarrhea tend to diminish considerably with continued treatment.
• Hypoglycemia: Hypoglycemia is unlikely to occur with miglitol monotherapy but may occur with combination therapy (eg, sulfonylurea, insulin). In patients taking miglitol, oral glucose (dextrose) should be used instead of sucrose (cane sugar) in the treatment of mild-to-moderate hypoglycemia since the hydrolysis of sucrose to glucose and fructose is inhibited by miglitol. Correction of severe hypoglycemia may require the use of either glucagon or IV glucose.
Disease-related concerns:
• Renal impairment: Not recommended in severe impairment (serum creatinine >2 mg/dL or CrCl <25 mL/minute).
• Stress-related states: It may be necessary to discontinue miglitol and administer insulin if the patient is exposed to stress (ie, fever, trauma, infection, surgery).
Excipient information presented when available (limited, particularly for generics); consult specific product labeling.
Tablet, Oral:
Generic: 25 mg, 50 mg, 100 mg
Yes
Tablets (Miglitol Oral)
25 mg (per each): $2.97
50 mg (per each): $3.26
100 mg (per each): $3.85
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Administer orally at the start of each main meal.
Diabetes mellitus, type 2 (noninsulin-dependent, NIDDM): Adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Glyset may be confused with Cycloset
Miglitol may be confused with migALAstat, migLUstat
None known.
Note: Interacting drugs may not be individually listed below if they are part of a group interaction (eg, individual drugs within “CYP3A4 Inducers [Strong]” are NOT listed). For a complete list of drug interactions by individual drug name and detailed management recommendations, use the drug interactions program by clicking on the “Launch drug interactions program” link above.
Alpha-Lipoic Acid: May increase hypoglycemic effects of Antidiabetic Agents. Risk C: Monitor
Androgens: May increase hypoglycemic effects of Agents with Blood Glucose Lowering Effects. Risk C: Monitor
Beta-Blockers (Beta1 Selective): May increase adverse/toxic effects of Antidiabetic Agents. Specifically, beta-blockers may mask the hypoglycemic symptoms of antidiabetic agents. Risk C: Monitor
Beta-Blockers (Nonselective): May increase hypoglycemic effects of Antidiabetic Agents. Beta-Blockers (Nonselective) may increase adverse/toxic effects of Antidiabetic Agents. Specifically, beta-blockers may mask the hypoglycemic symptoms of antidiabetic agents. Risk C: Monitor
Bortezomib: May increase therapeutic effects of Antidiabetic Agents. Bortezomib may decrease therapeutic effects of Antidiabetic Agents. Risk C: Monitor
Direct Acting Antiviral Agents (HCV): May increase hypoglycemic effects of Antidiabetic Agents. Risk C: Monitor
Etilefrine: May decrease therapeutic effects of Antidiabetic Agents. Risk C: Monitor
Guanethidine: May increase hypoglycemic effects of Antidiabetic Agents. Risk C: Monitor
Hyperglycemia-Associated Agents: May decrease therapeutic effects of Antidiabetic Agents. Risk C: Monitor
Hypoglycemia-Associated Agents: Antidiabetic Agents may increase hypoglycemic effects of Hypoglycemia-Associated Agents. Risk C: Monitor
Insulin: Alpha-Glucosidase Inhibitors may increase hypoglycemic effects of Insulin. Management: Consider a decrease in insulin dose when initiating therapy with an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor and monitor patients for hypoglycemia. Risk D: Consider Therapy Modification
Maitake: May increase hypoglycemic effects of Agents with Blood Glucose Lowering Effects. Risk C: Monitor
Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors: May increase hypoglycemic effects of Agents with Blood Glucose Lowering Effects. Risk C: Monitor
Pegvisomant: May increase hypoglycemic effects of Agents with Blood Glucose Lowering Effects. Risk C: Monitor
Prothionamide: May increase hypoglycemic effects of Agents with Blood Glucose Lowering Effects. Risk C: Monitor
Quinolones: May increase hypoglycemic effects of Agents with Blood Glucose Lowering Effects. Quinolones may decrease therapeutic effects of Agents with Blood Glucose Lowering Effects. Specifically, if an agent is being used to treat diabetes, loss of blood sugar control may occur with quinolone use. Risk C: Monitor
Reproterol: May decrease therapeutic effects of Antidiabetic Agents. Risk C: Monitor
Ritodrine: May decrease therapeutic effects of Antidiabetic Agents. Risk C: Monitor
Salicylates: May increase hypoglycemic effects of Agents with Blood Glucose Lowering Effects. Risk C: Monitor
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor: May increase hypoglycemic effects of Agents with Blood Glucose Lowering Effects. Risk C: Monitor
Sulfonylureas: Alpha-Glucosidase Inhibitors may increase hypoglycemic effects of Sulfonylureas. Management: Consider a decrease in sulfonylurea dose when initiating therapy with an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor and monitor patients for hypoglycemia. Risk D: Consider Therapy Modification
Thiazide and Thiazide-Like Diuretics: May decrease therapeutic effects of Antidiabetic Agents. Risk C: Monitor
Poorly controlled diabetes during pregnancy can be associated with an increased risk of adverse maternal and fetal outcomes, including diabetic ketoacidosis, preeclampsia, spontaneous abortion, preterm delivery, delivery complications, major malformations, stillbirth, and macrosomia (ACOG 2018). To prevent adverse outcomes, prior to conception and throughout pregnancy, maternal blood glucose and HbA1c should be kept as close to target goals as possible but without causing significant hypoglycemia (ADA 2023; Blumer 2013).
Agents other than miglitol are currently recommended to treat diabetes mellitus in pregnancy (ADA 2023).
Miglitol is present in breast milk.
The exposure to a breastfeeding infant is ~0.4% of a 100 mg maternal dose. Breastfeeding is not recommended by the manufacturer.
Monitor therapeutic response by periodic blood glucose tests.
HbA1c: Monitor at least twice yearly in patients who have stable glycemic control and are meeting treatment goals; monitor quarterly in patients in whom treatment goals have not been met, or with therapy change. Note: In patients prone to glycemic variability (eg, patients with insulin deficiency), or in patients whose HbA1c is discordant with serum glucose levels or symptoms, consider evaluating HbA1c in combination with blood glucose levels and/or a glucose management indicator (ADA 2023; KDIGO 2020).
Recommendations for glycemic control in patients with diabetes:
Nonpregnant adults with diabetes (AACE [Samson 2023]; ADA 2023):
HbA1c: <7% (a more aggressive [<6.5%] or less aggressive [<8%] HbA1c goal may be targeted based on patient-specific characteristics). Note: In patients using a continuous glucose monitoring system, a goal of time in range >70% with time below range <4% is recommended and is similar to a goal HbA1c <7%.
Preprandial capillary blood glucose: 80 to 130 mg/dL (SI: 4.4 to 7.2 mmol/L) (more or less stringent goals may be appropriate based on patient-specific characteristics).
Peak postprandial capillary blood glucose (~1 to 2 hours after a meal): <180 mg/dL (SI: <10 mmol/L) (more or less stringent goals may be appropriate based on patient-specific characteristics).
Older adults (≥65 years of age) (ADA 2023):
Note: Consider less strict targets in patients who are using insulin and/or insulin secretagogues (sulfonylureas, meglitinides) (LeRoith 2019).
HbA1c: <7% to 7.5% (healthy); <8% (complex/intermediate health). Note: Individualization may be appropriate based on patient and caregiver preferences and/or presence of cognitive impairment. In patients with very complex or poor health (ie, limited remaining life expectancy), consider making therapy decisions based on avoidance of hypoglycemia and symptomatic hyperglycemia rather than HbA1c level.
Preprandial capillary blood glucose: 80 to 130 mg/dL (SI: 4.4 to 7.2 mmol/L) (healthy); 90 to 150 mg/dL (SI: 5 to 8.3 mmol/L) (complex/intermediate health); 100 to 180 mg/dL (SI: 5.6 to 10 mmol/L) (very complex/poor health).
Bedtime capillary blood glucose: 80 to 180 mg/dL (SI: 4.4 to 10 mmol/L) (healthy); 100 to 180 mg/dL (SI: 5.6 to 10 mmol/L) (complex/intermediate health); 110 to 200 mg/dL (SI: 6.1 to 11.1 mmol/L) (very complex/poor health).
Classification of hypoglycemia (ADA 2023):
Level 1: 54 to 70 mg/dL (SI: 3 to 3.9 mmol/L); hypoglycemia alert value; initiate fast-acting carbohydrate (eg, glucose) treatment.
Level 2: <54 mg/dL (SI: <3 mmol/L); threshold for neuroglycopenic symptoms; requires immediate action.
Level 3: Hypoglycemia associated with a severe event characterized by altered mental and/or physical status requiring assistance.
In contrast to sulfonylureas, miglitol does not enhance insulin secretion; the antihyperglycemic action of miglitol results from a reversible inhibition of membrane-bound intestinal alpha-glucosidases which hydrolyze oligosaccharides and disaccharides to glucose and other monosaccharides in the brush border of the small intestine. In patients with diabetes, this enzyme inhibition results in delayed glucose absorption and lowering of postprandial hyperglycemia.
Absorption: Saturable at high doses: 25 mg dose: Completely absorbed; 100 mg dose: 50% to 70% absorbed
Distribution: Vd: 0.18 L/kg
Protein binding: <4%
Metabolism: None
Half-life elimination: ~2 hours
Time to peak: 2-3 hours
Excretion: Urine (as unchanged drug)
Altered kidney function: Because miglitol is excreted primarily by the kidneys, accumulation is expected. However, dosage adjustment to correct the increased plasma concentrations is not feasible because miglitol acts locally.
