Acarbose and Furosemide: Interaction Details
AI-assisted, pharmacist-reviewed · AI content regenerated Jul 11, 2026 · Source data updated Jul 10, 2026 · Sources: FDA labeling, DDInter 2.0, cited literature
Furosemide
Acarbose
How we grade severity & evidence
Severity levels
- Contraindicated: These should generally not be used together.
- Major: Potentially serious — often needs a change or close monitoring.
- Moderate: Can be significant — usually manageable with monitoring.
- Minor: Usually limited clinical impact.
Evidence grades
- Established: Well documented — supported by controlled studies or strong clinical data.
- Probable: Good supporting evidence, though not definitively proven.
- Suspected: Some evidence suggests this interaction, but it is not well established.
- Possible: Limited or conflicting evidence; the interaction may occur.
- Theoretical: Predicted from the drugs' pharmacology; not yet confirmed in people.
Ratings come from the documented interaction literature and are reviewed by a pharmacist. They describe the documented risk of the combination, not what will necessarily happen to you — your dose, timing, and health picture all matter.
Here's what's going on: Furosemide (Lasix) is a water pill, and acarbose (Precose) helps control your blood sugar. Water pills like furosemide can nudge your blood sugar upward and make it a little harder to keep your sugar in a good range. That means the acarbose you take may not work quite as well while you're on the diuretic.
The good news is this is easy to stay on top of. Your care team can check your blood sugar more often and fine-tune your diabetes medicine if needed. Please don't stop or change either drug on your own. Just let your pharmacist or doctor know you take both so they can keep an eye on your numbers.
Effect: Loop diuretics such as furosemide may impair glucose tolerance, raising the risk of hyperglycemia and altered antidiabetic drug requirements when combined with acarbose.
- Mechanism: Altered glucose metabolism (PD interaction); no CYP or prodrug involvement. Neither agent is enzyme-dependent for activation.
- Direction: Tends toward reduced glycemic control / hyperglycemia; insulin or oral agent requirements may increase, decrease, or remain unchanged.
- Evidence: Theoretical; onset unspecified; severity major.
- Management: Monitor blood glucose more frequently during concomitant use and upon diuretic withdrawal. Individualize antidiabetic dosing as needed.
What happens
An increased risk of hyperglycemia and an increased insulin requirement
Interaction Deep Dive
Some diuretics can affect glucose tolerance or blood glucose values, which may make a patient more susceptible to hyperglycemia or a decline in glycemic control. The demand for insulin may rise123, fall, or remain the same 4. When a particular diuretic must be used together with an antidiabetic drug, check glucose levels more often, including at the time the diuretic is discontinued 56. Adjusting the dose of insulin or oral antidiabetic medications may become necessary 78.
Why it happens (mechanism)
Altered glucose metabolism
How to manage this interaction
This is manageable with monitoring. Keep taking both medications exactly as prescribed unless your care team tells you otherwise.
- Your team may check your blood sugar more often while you're on both drugs, and again if the furosemide is ever stopped or changed.
- Your acarbose or any other diabetes medicine may need to be adjusted and individualized by your care team based on your readings.
- Tell your pharmacist or doctor if you notice higher-than-usual blood sugars, increased thirst, or frequent urination.
Bring your glucose logs to appointments so your team can tailor your treatment.
Management is individual — confirm any change with your pharmacist or prescriber.
Common questions
Can I take Acarbose and Furosemide together?
Furosemide can push your blood sugar up and reduce how well acarbose controls it, so your team may monitor your glucose more closely and adjust your diabetes medicine. Keep taking both as prescribed and report high readings. Always confirm with your pharmacist or prescriber before making any change.
How serious is the Acarbose and Furosemide interaction?
It is rated major. Potentially serious — often needs a change or close monitoring.
How quickly could this interaction happen?
The documented onset is "unspecified". The timing of this interaction is not well characterized.
How is the Acarbose and Furosemide interaction managed?
This is manageable with monitoring. Keep taking both medications exactly as prescribed unless your care team tells you otherwise. Your team may check your blood sugar more often while you're on both drugs, and again if the furosemide is ever stopped or changed. Your acarbose or any other diabetes medicine may need to be adjusted and individualized by your care team based on your readings. Tell you… Management is individual — always follow your own care team's guidance.
How strong is the evidence for this interaction?
The evidence is graded "theoretical". Predicted from the drugs' pharmacology; not yet confirmed in people.
From our Q&A
Real reader questions about these medications, each personally answered by our pharmacist:
Questions for your pharmacist
- Does my dose of Acarbose or Furosemide need adjusting while I take them together?
- What symptoms should prompt me to call you or my prescriber right away?
- Does the timing of my doses matter for this combination?
- Is there a safer alternative to one of these medications for me?
References (8)
- Product Information: TOUJEO(R) subcutaneous injection, insulin glargine subcutaneous injection. sanofi-aventis (per manufacturer), Bridgewater, NJ, 2015. DailyMed
- Product Information: Tresiba subcutaneous injection solution, insulin degludec subcutaneous injection solution. Novo Nordisk A/S (per EMA), Bagsvaerd, Denmark, 2013. DailyMed
- Product Information: SEMGLEE(R) subcutaneous injection, insulin glargine-yfgn subcutaneous injection. Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc (per FDA), Morgantown, WV, 2023. DailyMed
- Product Information: chlorthalidone oral tablets, chlorthalidone oral tablets. Pliva,Inc, East Hanover, NJ, 2004. DailyMed
- Product Information: XIGDUO(TM) XR oral extended release tablets, dapagliflozin metformin HCl oral extended release tablets. AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP (per manufacturer), Wilmington, DE, 2014. DailyMed
- Product Information: GLUMETZA(R) oral extended-release tablets, metformin HCl oral extended-release tablets. Santarus, Inc. (per Manufacturer), San Diego, CA, 2013. DailyMed
- Product Information: ACCURETIC(TM) oral tablets, quinapril HCl hydrochlorothiazide oral tablets. Parke-Davis (per FDA), New York, NY, 2015.
- Product Information: DYRENIUM(R) oral capsules, triamterene oral capsules. Wellspring Pharmaceutical Corporation, Ontario, Canada, 2005. DailyMed
Keep reading about Furosemide
Keep reading about Acarbose
These medications also interact with supplements
Prescription drugs aren't the whole picture — herbal and dietary supplements can interact with them too. From the evidence-graded Natural Medicines database:
major · moderate · minor — check everything you take with our drug–supplement interaction checker.
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