Advice on Gliclazide

[sharkgirl19]

I am looking for some advice re: Gliclazide.

I have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes for some time now. Initially my blood sugar was controlled with diet and Glucophage 500mg twice daily. I was taken off the Glucophage a number of months ago because my blood sugars were dropping too low, resulting in a hospital visit. I was then put back on Glucophage as my sugar levels rose again. Since going back on Glucophage, my sugars have been getting steadily higher.
As a result, Gliclazide was added to my tablet regime. I had been taking a 40mg test does, increased to 80mg once daily, and now increased to 80mg monring and 40mg night.
Last night before bed, my blood sugar was 23. This morning my fasting is 15.5. I am unsure as to how quickly the tablets should start working. SHould my blood sugar be this high on these meds?

I have a raft of health problems which make it impossible for me to lose weight, and most tablets actually mean weight gain. I am very careful with my diet- this has been a constant since I was initially diagnosed so I do not view this as a reason for my blood sugar to be so bad.

My current meds are (in case anyone spots any that may be result in diabetes meds being affected!):

AM:
Sertraline 100mg
Glucophage 500mg
Omeprazole 40mg
Domperidone 20mg
Buscopan 20mg
Depakote 500mg
Gliclazide 80mg
Pregabalin 50mg

Dinner:
Domperidone 20mg
Buscopan 20mg
Depakote 500mg
Pregabalin 50mg
Gliclazide 40mg
Glucophage 500mg

Before bed:
Propanalol 160mg
Seroquel 150mg
DOmperidone 20mg
Buscopan 20mg
Depakote 500mg
Pregabalin 50mg
Atorvastatin 20mg

 

[BaliRob]

I have been on Metformin (Glucophage) for over eight years and, whilst it has helped to maintain the status quo, I do not believe that it has reduced my blood sugar readings in all that time. Therefore, any replies to this post would be of great interest to me also especially as I do not remember anyone posting that Metformin has reduced their bg's. It has been suggested that it has reduced weight in some people however.

 

[sharkgirl19]

Hi Balirob,
We have since been told by a different Dr that the Glucophage would not have caused the reduced blood sugar, however at that time the Dr I saw stated that was the problem and took me off it.
Unfortunately I will not lose weight on them due to my other meds

 

[))Denise((]

Hi sharkgirl

I take 40mg of gliclazide per day and have been taking it for nearly 2 years. I found it had an immediate effect of dropping my levels from the 7's into the 5's, so a drop of 2 mmol.

What is your diet like? How many carbs do you eat? What have your HbA1c been like over the years?

It could be that your pancreas is now worn out and no amount of gliclazide will help. Gliclazide works by making the pancreas work harder and produce more insulin, if there are not many pancreas beta cells left then it won't work.

 

[BaliRob]

Dear sharkgirl - thankyou so much for clarifying the matter. Also for Denise's contribution because I am a possible candidate for Gliclazide in 10 days time because I am now experiencing an increase in my HbA1C.

 

[Daibell]

Hi. Metformin would not have been the cause of your sugar dropping too low as Metformin merely reduces the amount of glucose the liver releases and enables the muscles to more easily take-up glucose; it never causes hypos. Metformin does not have a great effect on your blood sugar and perhaps reduces the meter reading by only 1-2 mmol. If you are overweight it is the first drug normally to be started and it does reduce your appetite. Gliclazide may be added or started if you are not really overweight and there is a suspician that the pancreas isn't producing enough insulin. The tablets should start working within a day or so and can cause hypos if your pancreas is still in a reasonable state; some weight gain is possible. Obviously your other meds may be causing some interactions and none of us can comment on that; your pharmacy or doctor should advise. Diet has the greatest influence on blood sugar so it is vital that you have a meter and keep your carb intake sensibly low and low-GI. There is a lot of good diet advice on the forum.

 

[rylanmede]

Well Gliclazide will defiantly make you gain weight if you stick to your regular diet as it requires special diet to avoid a huge weight gain at least. But I see you are not taking Metformin along with Gliclazide as some people reported the combination of those 2 could lead to even more weight gain.
There is no escape from weight gain when it comes to taking drugs for serious condition, I can’t remember the last time I saw a drug in one of my college books where the side effects weren’t weight gain. Just try to compensate that with exercising if you can and eat well, even look for how to gain weight from healthy foods and try to balance those foods in your diet.
http://www.mengainweight.com/

 

[wellwell1212]

Well Gliclazide will defiantly make you gain weight if you stick to your regular diet as it requires special diet to avoid a huge weight gain at least. But I see you are not taking Metformin along with Gliclazide as some people reported the combination of those 2 could lead to even more weight gain.
There is no escape from weight gain when it comes to taking drugs for serious condition, I can’t remember the last time I saw a drug in one of my college books where the side effects weren’t weight gain. Just try to compensate that with exercising if you can and eat well, even look for how to gain weight from healthy foods and try to balance those foods in your diet.
http://www.mengainweight.com/

Sound advice imo ...... I was on x2 80mg twice a day dropped to x2 80mg a day, plus x2 1000 SR Metformin. Whilst Glic initially really lowered my count, these days not much is occurring. Metformin and exercise has been the most successful method I have found since becoming diagnostic over 10 years ago. Lower carb diet does matter of course.

 

[Marskid]

Dear Sharkgirl19,

I too experience the puzzling high morning values and I once got advice on this from the US diabetes society site. It appears that getting reasonable morning values can be an art for some type 2s. If you go to bed with a value that's too low, it can sink so low while you sleep that your liver kicks in with sugar to the blood, and you wake up with a highish value. I was advised to check my levels around 2-3am and then at wake up time. Lo and behold, the very early morning values were around 4-5 mmols/L and the wake up values 7-8.5Mmols/L There is actually a medical term for this phenomenon which I cannot now recall. I have now worked out that for me, going to bed with anything under 6.0 guarantees a morning value of 7.5 to 8.5. Hope this takes away some of the anxiety.

 

[stillo]

Hi

I believe seroquel is a big one for causing high blood sugar, i was on that but was taken off due to high levels

Stillo

 

[awjsompting]

I was started on Gliclazide a week ago because my HBA1C had not improved from a year ago when they upped my Metformin from 1 x 500mg a day to 4 x 500 mg a day My pre breakfast levels had dropped from averaging approx 11 before increasing the Metformin to approx. 9 after the upped Metformin level. The first week of taking Gliclazide (80mg) with the Metformin has reduced my pre breakfast levels to an average of 6

 

[Osidge]

Hi

I was put on gliclazide for 2 weeks before being taken off it for having hypos. Gliclazide can also contribute to weight gain. Some of the newer drugs not only get your pancreas and liver working more normally but also can assist in weight loss by suppressing appetite. Exenatide (Byetta or Bydureon) and dapaglifozin ( http://www.astrazeneca.com/Media/Press- ... 2-diabetes ) are two of the newer drugs, working in different ways but achieving lower BS and reduction in weight

Hope this helps

Doug