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Pharmacology · Drugs that raise blood glucose

Diazoxide !

An oral drug that opens the beta-cell potassium channel and stops insulin release. Used for hypoglycemia caused by too much insulin.

Updated 2026-11-01

  • Class: Drugs that raise blood glucose
  • Ion channel: Sulfonylurea receptor 1 (SUR1) of the KATP channel
  • ATC code: V03AH01
  • WHO Model List of Essential Medicines

Mechanism of action

Diazoxide is a benzothiadiazine related to thiazides but without diuretic action. It binds SUR1 and keeps the KATP channel open, the opposite of sulfonylureas: the beta cell stays hyperpolarized, calcium does not enter and insulin release falls, so glucose rises. It also relaxes arteriolar smooth muscle and makes the kidney retain sodium and water.

  1. Binds SUR1 and holds the KATP channel open
  2. The beta cell stays hyperpolarized; calcium does not enter
  3. Insulin release falls
  4. Blood glucose rises

Pharmacokinetics

Absorption
Oral suspension.
Distribution
Highly bound to plasma proteins.
Half-life
Long, and longer in kidney impairment.

Indications

  • Hypoglycemia due to hyperinsulinism: inoperable islet-cell tumors in adults; islet-cell hyperplasia, nesidioblastosis, leucine sensitivity and other causes in infants and children

Adverse effects

Common

  • Sodium and water retention, edema
  • Excess body hair (hypertrichosis), mostly in children and women
  • Nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite
  • Raised uric acid

Contraindications

  • Functional hypoglycemia
  • Hypersensitivity to diazoxide or to thiazides

Key interactions

Thiazide diuretics
Increase its effect on glucose and uric acid.
Antihypertensive drugs
Additive fall in blood pressure.
Coumarin anticoagulants
Can be displaced from proteins; the anticoagulant effect may increase.

What is monitored

  • Blood glucose and urine ketones
  • Weight, edema, signs of heart failure
  • Breathing and oxygenation in infants
  • Blood count, uric acid and electrolytes

Administration and safety

  • Oral suspension; shaken well before measuring.
  • Often given in divided doses with meals to reduce nausea.

Nursing care

  • Before: baseline weight, cardiac status and blood count.
  • During: daily weight and edema; in infants, breathing difficulty may signal pulmonary hypertension.
  • Check glucose and ketones; report vomiting, thirst or fruity breath.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Not routinely used in pregnancy; exposure late in pregnancy has caused hair changes and altered glucose handling in newborns.

Test yourself

Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.

How does diazoxide raise blood glucose?

It opens the beta-cell KATP channel through SUR1, keeping the cell hyperpolarized so less insulin is released.

Which serious lung problem is a warning in infants on diazoxide?

Pulmonary hypertension.

Why is daily weight useful during diazoxide treatment?

The drug retains sodium and water; rapid weight gain can be the first sign of fluid overload or heart failure.

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Educational content on how drugs work; not a prescribing guide and no substitute for a health professional's advice. No doses are given.

Sources: DailyMed - DIAZOXIDE suspension (DailyMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine), 2026); Goodman & Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 14th ed., ch. 51 (McGraw Hill, 2023); ATCDDD - ATC/DDD Index (WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology, 2026).

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