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[Pharmacology](https://durgical.com/en/pharmacology/) · [Drugs that raise blood glucose](https://durgical.com/en/pharmacology/classes/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](https://durgical.com/en/pharmacology/classes/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.

- Binds SUR1 and holds the KATP channel open
- The beta cell stays hyperpolarized; calcium does not enter
- Insulin release falls
- 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

### Serious (rare, important)

- Heart failure from fluid retention in patients with low cardiac reserve
- Pulmonary hypertension in neonates and infants
- Diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperosmolar coma
- Low white cells or platelets

## 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.

## Memory aid

Diazoxide is the sulfonylurea's mirror: same SUR1 lock, opposite turn. Sulfonylurea closes (more insulin); diazoxide opens (less insulin).

## 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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## Related drugs

- [Glucagon](https://durgical.com/en/pharmacology/glucagon/)
- [Glibenclamide](https://durgical.com/en/pharmacology/glibenclamide/)

[← Back to the class: Drugs that raise blood glucose](https://durgical.com/en/pharmacology/classes/drugs-that-raise-blood-glucose/)

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](https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=abe317a5-6c63-469c-89c8-9fedfe859c3d) (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](https://atcddd.fhi.no/atc_ddd_index/?code=V03AH01) (WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology, 2026).

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