Glicicide

Eileen58 said:

Hi everybody this is my first question on here, I have been put on glicicide to get my hba1c down from 97 to 69 so that I can have an operation on my back what I would like to know from anyone who is on glicicide what is your dosage and how do you take it?. I am going to the doctor tomorrow to discuss my operation and if my sugars are not down I will not get the operation and that does not bear thinking about. I was wondering if my dose was high enough to bring down my sugars. I am also trying the lchf and I would say that I am about 75% successful with that. I desperately need this operation as I can't stand the pain anymore. I am also on 2000mg of slow release Metformin and stitaglipton,100g of amitriptyline, 8 30/500 solpadol, leflunumide and a statin..I rattle when I walk. Thanks



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Hi. I was placed on Gliclazide on diagnosis over two years ago. I was on 80mg orally once a day (at breakfast), increased to twice a day. It did help bring my levels down from over 20mmols to the low teens. I chose to come off the drug because I wanted to see if a low carb diet was being effective...and could not tell what was doing what on both drug and diet. I kept records of what I ate and what my levels were before and couple of hours after by reference to readings on a self-testing meter. I also recorded when I took any other my meds I was on (quite number of things following a transplant..which was not caused by diabetes). I found that cutting carbohydrates was far more effective than the Gliclazide on its own...and in a relatively short space of time. I didn't go back on the Gliclazide and therefore I had less of a "rattle when I walk". I would add that while doing both (diet and pills) together may well be a good way for now to get the levels down...be careful not to cut carbs too much while on Gliclazide (particularly before driving or sleeping) as the blood sugar could drop you into a hypo.
Two other things -
1] I soon identified that some other pills I was on were also contributing to my high blood sugars (one in particular had actually cause it - a steroid), so I had these reduced where possible to great effect. We all differ, but amitriptyline can/does increase blood sugar as can statins. I refused statins and never regretted it. I take leflunomide too - no problems.
2] If you don't have a meter, I would strongly urge you to buy one; it is the best way to see what is having most impact on you and that allows you to adapt your diet/meds to better effect.
Good luck.

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Eileen58 said:

Hi thanks for your quick reply, I do know about the amitriptyline and possibly raising my blood sugars but I am between a rock and a hard place concerning this medication because of the pain that I am in but I am now wondering if the steroid injection that I had before Christmas helped to put up my blood sugars and when I went to the hospital in January my hba1c was 97. Can I ask what was your dosage of glicicide, mine is 40mg twice a day and I was wondering if taking another 20mg per day for a week would be ok?. Also could I ask can I take a small slice of brown wholemeal bread twice a day or is that too much carbs? I also know about the driving because as a taxi driver I would have to be very careful of hypos but that doesn't matter just now as I am on long term sick until I get my operation. My doctor gave me a meter to test my sugars and they are coming down. My weekly average is 8.4 which is good for me. I previously bought a meter and was checking my bloods and my bloods where round about the 15 mark so they are coming down. I sometimes wonder if I got diabetes through all the steroid injections that I have been getting through the years because of my arthritis. It makes you wonder.


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No question about it...pain has to be dealt with. If you record your blood sugars before taking the pain killer and at a couple of points over the day, you might see the impact. hopefully, it's not crazy and can be tolerated..but at least factor it in when you are thinking about whether your levels are dropping well. The Gliclazide, I was on 80mg initially and that was doubled up within 4 weeks as it wasn't making much difference BUT...until I came off the steroid I was on (prednisolone) nothing was really helping my blood sugars too much as it was pushing my level up from about 8mmols to 16 or 17mmols and it stayed there for a few hours. The steroids were/are part of my post transplant treatment and I was warned of the risk of Type 2 from them...but...they helped stop rejection of the new organ so I had little option. I don't regret that at all...sometimes you need to take the risk. I had never had an issue with weight and my lifestyle was not really a factor - my diagnosis was Steroid Induced Diabetes...maybe your injections did cause/trigger things...maybe if they were reduced/stopped it would help...but hey..maybe maybe maybe... I would say just get on with tackling the levels. Keep taking the Gliclazide...ask about increasing it if there's no much difference..and cut the carbs (but do keep an eye on levels to avoid hypos). Great..you have meter...really use it. Personally, I would avoid bread altogether. Lidl make these excellent low carb protein rolls - try some. I hope things get under more control soon. Good luck. If I can help in any way, don't hesitate to ask. You will get plenty of other replies too.
Paul

Eileen58 said:

Hi everybody this is my first question on here, I have been put on glicicide to get my hba1c down from 97 to 69 so that I can have an operation on my back what I would like to know from anyone who is on glicicide what is your dosage and how do you take it?.



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I take 60mg modified release Gliclizide - 2 30mg tablets in the morning.
I have been on Gliclizide for over 20 years and on the modified release version for about 15 of those years. My hba1c results are almost always within the non diabetic or prediabetic range - when they havnt been, Ive made further dietary changes to get them back where I want them
The length of time Gliclizide has worked for me is apparently unusual which has led to some medica questioning whether I have type 2 or monogenic diabetes