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Gliclazide

R

ROSIETIA

Member
Messages
17
Location
Ayrshire Scotland
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi all. I was diagnosed end of July. Was put on Metformin then Metformin mr. I couldn't tolerate anything over 500mg so I have been changed to Gliclazide 40 mg twice daily, I took first tablet with dinner yesterday. Bg was 6.9 before dinner then 2 hours after dinner it went down to 3.2 nurse told me to watch for hypos and not to let bg go below 4, needless to say I panicked so ate 2 jelly sweets and a tea biscuit ,it went up to 4.6 after 10 mins. Did I do the right thing. There's so much to learn with all this.
 

Hi there, well Gliclazide works in a very different way to metformin so you're right in that you have to watch out for hypos, yes, you did exactly the right thing but you definitely need to monitor it all. You don't want to end up constantly going hypo (on medication) and then being forced to have to eat something you don't want to get out of a hypo. I would contact your Nurse to let her know as they may end up needing to adjust your meds.
 
40 mg is a low dose for that medication. I used to be on 320 mg a day. Yes, it will drop your bg quite successfully, and hypo is possible on this med. You did the right thing with both the jelly babies and the biscuit. Jelly babies give a quick boost to the sugars, and the biscuit provides longer-term protection until the med is used up/ excreted (It takes a few hours for that to clear)

If you are a driver, then you need to read the DVLA guidelines for diabetics on medication. You do not need to notify DVLA at this stage,

I am still using one x 40mg tab a day and it drops my bg by between 2 and 3 nnil/l after a meal. With alcohol, it can drop by up to 5 mmol/l so go carefully if you are a vino imbiber with your meal. I used to carry glucose tablets on me when I was on max dose, but now I don't bother. My hypos were quite mild and for me, easy to deal with , I have a locked drawer with choccie wafer biscuits (locked because my daughter used to raid my stash and leave me with no hypo kit).

You may even consider getting a pill-splitter since this tab is not coated or slow-release, I use the fact that my bgl drops as it does as proof that my beta cells are still producing insulin even after 30 years of T2D abuse.
 
Hi, I've cut out a lot of carbs like potatoes etc also no sugary things. I was usually around 6mmol and 8 ,I thought it was such a sudden drop , and to add the tablet I had this morn has taken my bg to 10.2 it has never been that high I had a tiny bowl of porridge which usually doesn't affect bg that much , so it's went from a low reading after 2 hours to align reading after 2 hours this morning . I'm now at a total loss. Thank you for replying.
 
Hi @ROSIETIA
The pill splitter idea is a good one.
You obviously have a Blood Glucose meter, what I suggest is that you use it to test the effect of meals on your body.
As I'm sure you know, carbs tend to raise the BG of diabetics (even so called healthy ones like porridge oats, fruit etc)., so in order to take the correct amount of Gliclazide you need to know:
A). How much a meal is likely to raise your BG by (at the 2hr post prandial measure).
B). How much a given dose of Gliclazide is going to decrease your BG by.

Every diabetic's body is different, so you will need to experiment (but sensibly) in order to find out what is right for you!
 
It may be a matter of timing. When are you testing after the meal? Many of us take a reading 2 hours after the first bite and try to test at the same time each day so we can compare readings. Was your high reading like that?

There are countless T2D who eat porridge with no problem. These are the T2D who do not test their sugar levels except at annual review time (HbA1c) so they are in blissful ignorance of the damage it might be doing. Many of us here find porridge to be one to avoid because it spikes us horribly. especially the instant microwave in a cup modern ones in the sachets.

The final thing to look at is the time when you take the medication. Gliclazide needs to be in the gut and absorbed into the blood before you start the meal. I allow at least 20 minutes before eating to ensure it is in the right place to provide protection. It only works when the insulin rush is being demanded in our body, In other words, it only responds to incoming carb, and does very little for glucose already in the blood at other times. So it is not a morning-after pill, nor is it like Metformin which needs to build up over time. Glic is a transient med which is why the hypos are not as severe as those caused by insulin treatment.
 
If you are low carbing you need to be very careful with glic. I agree with the others above. It might be worthwhile talking to your team. Ask for 3 months glic free to see if you can improve your glucose by diet only.
 
 
Hi, I was told by the nurse to take one tablet in morning and one with dinner, she didn't mention to take it before food . I tested 2 hours after having porridge and it was 10. 2. I got a shock as it's never been that before. I don't think I will take the one at dinner time until I speak with nurse. I wonder why the tablet I took at dinner last night took me down to 3.2 two hours later yet went as high this morning. The porridge is now off the menu.
 
 
Thank you for your reply, I dont drink alcohol so thats one thing I don't need to worry about. If that's a low dose and it took bg down to 3.2 from 6 .9 maybe I shouldn't be on that med at all. The porridge I ate should not have taken bg to 10.2 two hours later and it was half the amount I used to have at breakfast, obviously it's off the menu now though. Thankyou
 
Going low carb and taking gliclazide can indeed bring you down low in a hurry... It did that to me, and I was on the lowest dose once a day. Since you're changing your diet around you'd be better off seeing whether you can do without drugs entirely, because from the sound of it, you don't actually need them if you go low carb. (And your meter'll tell you whether that's right or no).
 
Hi. As another poster said, Glic works in a very different way from Met. It stimulates the pancreas to produce more insulin and this lasts up to 10 hours so timing isn't that critical. 40mg is the lowest dose you can get. I suspect it's marginal whether you need any at all. If you can keep the carbs down and your BS is OK then I would ask to stop the Glic as it's really intended for those who have a pancreas that's not producing enough insulin (I was on 320mg and my pancreas did nothing). If you are taking Glic and reducing the carbs then do test to avoid a hypo.
 
Agree that Glic may not be necessary and you may find diet control is enough. From what I remember, and backed up by personal observation. Glic only acts while the enzymes are set to trigger insulin release and not just the fact that insulin is around in the blood. This means Glic taken after the meal will not drop the bg. as a T2D I have insulin resistance so my insulin remains high throughout the day, but I tried taking large doses of Glic later on to reduce a spike, and it did nothing for me. Also, before I started monitoring my sugars, I was on a daily max dose taken when I woke and at bedtime, and again it did nothing for me. As soon as I related it to my main meal, it worked too well, and my sugars dropped through the floor until I adjusted things. Now I control with basically 1 meal a day, and one tab to deal with it, and I get reliable results.

Try going without Glic and see where your sugars go. Keep a log so you can show the DN or GP if you want to stop the med (keep it in mind in case it becomes necessary in the future).
 
Hi , Thanks for your reply, yes I've been trying to do low carb cutting out potatoes, pastries and all the sugary things , so no crisps or sweets etc. I don't like rice or pasta so it's mostly the potatoes and starchy veg I've cut out. I am 5ft 3 and was 9 st 10lbs now down to 9 stone so don't really want to lose any more weight, im also not a big meat eater so struggling a bit on what to have at times.
 
Hi.
I'm a T2 and was diagnosed 3 June and put on 2 x 80mg of Glic. I'm 5.3 and was 10.2. Now lost a stone from low carbing. I never took the Glic. I felt it was too dangerous for me. My levels were 86 at diagnosis and 6 weeks later were 60 just from diet changed. I then agreed to take metformin. Been on that for 6 weeks and await a test. Not even convinced I need this tbh. I eat sensibly and readings are stable between 5 and 6.5. Some readings are in 4s. Hope this gives you some help. X good luck.
 
 
Than you for your reply, I have been trying to do low carb and my bgs are usually between 6 and 7 before meals , I dont think there is much more I can cut out as I'm eating mostly salads and bacon /eggs cheese etc also berries and cream. I will try the Gliclazide for a couple of weeks and if I feel there are too many lows I won't take it. Unfortunately Metformin just didn't agree with me anything over 500mg made me ill. Hopefully we will all get there eventually.
 
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