What should I know about glyburide and metformin before taking it?

Before you take glyburide and metformin (brand name: Glucovance), a combination drug for type 2 diabetes, you should know that it can cause a rare but potentially life-threatening reaction called lactic acidosis, a toxic buildup of lactic acid in the blood. Your risks for lactic acidosis may be higher if you have a history of kidney, liver or heart problems, so your doctor should make sure these organs are working well enough to handle this drug. Your risk also goes up if you drink large amounts of alcohol or are 80 years of age or older.

Before you take glyburide and metformin, you should also know how to respond to low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) because that sometimes occurs in people who are on this drug.