Best time to take gliclazide?

[MeerkatJnr]

Hello, just joined the site.

I don't doubt the question has been asked many times before on here but I couldn't find an answer using the search function.

From advice/research, I tend to favour the 20 to 30 minutes before eating, approach.

I am currently in hospital & yesterday they tried to make me take 40mg of gliclazide, 55 minutes after I had eaten my evening meal. I didn't agree with this as it wasn't with or immediately after eating, let alone 20 to 30 minutes before.

Many thanks for any advice.

 

[lovinglife]

Hi @MeerkatJnr & welcome to the forum,

I would go by the advice from whoever prescribed the medication in the first place, this is the link to the patient leaflet that will be included in every box of your meds

https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/files/pil.13135.pdf

It doesn’t say exactly but advises you take with or just before food.

When I was on Gliclizide I was prescribed it in hospital and I was told to take it 20 minutes before food for it to have best effect but like I say I would go with what you were told originally

 

[LivingLightly]

Good evening @MeerkatJnr and welcome to the forum.

I was prescribed gliclazide for some 15 years (2003-2018). If you are taking one dose per day, you are advised to swallow the tablet(s) with food, preferably with breakfast.

If divided doses, take the first tablet with your breakfast and the second dose with your evening meal.

If prescribed slow-release gliclazide, take your dose once a day with breakfast.

 

[MeerkatJnr]

Thanks, ll.

Yes, I thought that was probably the official advice. Even then, somewhat different from the '55 minutes after eating', that this particular NHS hospital believe is ok. Mind you, perhaps it wouldn't matter that much, considering the high-carb stodge they serve up here every meal.
Breakfast? You've got a choice between cereal or toast...

Really interesting to hear the advice that you received that time. That is the kind of advice that I'm more inclined to want to follow.

 

[Rachox]

Hi @MeerkatJnr , ask if you can self medicate, I’ve done that while I’ve been in hospital. I had my tablets in a locked drawer by my bed, to which I had the key. The nurses would check I was up to date with my meds when they did the drug round.

 

[MeerkatJnr]

Thanks, LL.

I'm on 80mg with breakfast & 80mg with evening meal.

 

[MeerkatJnr]

Thanks, R.

No, this is the problem. I WAS getting it just before eating breakfast & 20 minutes before evening meal until yesterday when suddenly, 'computer says no'. Perhaps I should mention that I'm not in a, er, 'normal' hospital. They're pretty useless at understanding m/h, let alone something like diabetes...