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Gliclazide - 40mg

M

Malc.

Well-Known Member
Messages
114
Location
Pembrokeshire
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi everyone,
It's quite a while since I posted on here...My recent A1c check was the highest one yet, equivalent to 8.8...
Although diagnosed as type 2 over 6 years ago, I have avoided medication, (so far). I'm not overweight ( barely 9 stone).
However, at this recent review, I was advised to start taking 1 x 40mg Gliclazide every morning with breakfast...
After taking them for only 9 days, my readings have been very impressive. An example, at 4.20pm this afternoon, my reading was 4.6. At about the same time on Friday it was 5.1 Well below what I would have expected.
Are these tablets really that good?
Please excuse my question but it is my first experience of meds for this condition.
Regards, Malc. (aged 74)

I have just noticed that on my profile, it states that I am 'insulin - dependent'. I have NEVER been insulin dependent, I would like that statement to be removed! Please!
 
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I'm just wondering why you weren't started on Metformin
 
Hi, They tried to put me on Metformin,
I never took any, because I find it very difficult to swallow tablets, especially very big ones!
I found that I could control my type 2 with diet & exercise. (initially, anyway.)
 
Malc. said:
Hi, They tried to put me on Metformin,
I never took any, because I find it very difficult to swallow tablets, especially very big ones!
I found that I could control my type 2 with diet & exercise. (initially, anyway.)
Click to expand...
Ah. I see.
 

Hi. There have been a couple of glitches on the site recently which have seen some anomalous info popping up. If you private message a moderator he/she will help you sort this one out.
 
Guzzler said:
Hi. There have been a couple of glitches on the site recently which have seen some anomalous info popping up. If you private message a moderator he/she will help you sort this one out.
Click to expand...
O.K. thanks.
 
Malc. said:
Are these tablets really that good?
Click to expand...

Yes, I believe so, they work by making the pancreas produce more insulin, I used to take them and can remember how quickly they work as well. I also remember how easy it was to hypo, especially if I took them in the morning and skipped breakfast. I was able to stop taking them because of my low carb diet.
 
I was started on gliclazide 3 months ago and it is much better than Metformin for me. I still find high readings with Metformin but the gliclazide helps to lower mine. I am seeing my diabetic nurse next week after another blood test and hope she will just keep me on gliclazide.
 
Metformin doesn't do very much. It's supposed to help with liver dumps and be an insulin sensitising agent. Not entirely sure that's true. Gliclazide forces the pancreas to produce more insulin, but there's a suggestion that it might damage pancreatic beta cells. I think I'd be doing some research on it
 
Malc. said:
O.K. thanks.
Click to expand...

Malc - All you need to do is go to your Account and then Personal Details, and choose from the drop down menu, then Save it. That'll sort it out for you..
 
Agree. Gliclazide is a med I use, and I used to be on 4x80 mg a day. It is a med we here try to minimize if we can by changing lifestyle instead. I used a Low Carb diet to restore some of my own beta cell insulin response, and I have reduced my dose from 320 mg to 40 mg a day, which I am happier with. I now get the occasional hypo even on that low dose, so it is quite powerful ju-ju. The fact that it works so well demonstrates that your own beta cells are still operating, and so I would suggest a lifestyle change would allow them to recover and do things the natural way instead of squeezing the pancreas to extract excess insulin that you probably do not need. The two methods that seem to be successful here are Low Carb, and also the 8 week sugar or Newcastle diets that many here use.
 
Thanks I will try. My diet is very restricted. I can't eat red meat, eggs or cheese. I am deathly allergic to cheese (anaphylaxis) and eggs. So I mainly eat chicken and pulses. Most diet plans don't work for me as I can't eat most of what they tell me to. A vegan diet may be ok with a bit of chicken or fish for protein.

I take a LOT of meds for other health conditions (12 different types) and sometimes if I don't eat my stomach literally burns. It is so hard to juggle. I am disabled and can't walk more than a few feet without falling over. My muscles are in spasm so most exercise is out as well. Even physios had trouble giving me exeecises. So it is literally diet and meds for me.
 
Sounds like Glic is maybe not so important in the run of things. To put your mind at rest I hope the following is of interest
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1425152

I think the threat of burnout is a read across from the older sulfuronyl drugs that failed after a while because the problems with a High Carb diet like the Eatwell Plate or Food Pyramid kept up the pressure on the pancreas and kidneys hence the apparent 'progression' of the condition'. I would suggest a vegetarian diet rather than vegan since you are doing it for health rather than moral issues, and fish and chicken will help to maintain the B vitamins and provide Omega 3 oils.

The burnout is also thought to be due to people using drugs to allow them to continue their old (bad ) eating habits without changing lifestyle to help their body deal with diabetes. We on this forum are hopefully better informed now,
 
Sounds awful
 
Brilliant
 
Malc. said:
Hi, They tried to put me on Metformin,
I never took any, because I find it very difficult to swallow tablets, especially very big ones!
I found that I could control my type 2 with diet & exercise. (initially, anyway.)
Click to expand...
Should you want to try Metformin, there is a liquid form.
 
Hi, Many thanks for all your replies. I'm also wondering why, when people mention Gliclazide , they always say 80mg, tablets. I've been given 40mg and I only have to take ONE each morning.... I'm not complaining, if just one of these each day + my low carb diet keeps me on track I'll be happy.
I have to arrange another A1c in about 3 months, when , hopefully my blood sugar may be more manageable.

Ironically, when I was first diagnosed, I was told that as I was a 'type 2' I wouldn't need to test regularly. However, I purchased a meter in order to check for myself...Would you believe that about a year ago I was given a 'WaveSense Jazz' and a prescription for test strips/lancets.
How times have changed?

Regards, Malc.
 
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