Gliclazide

[stuart264]

Has anyone else had problems with Glicazide, the diabetes nurse practitioner put me on it about 4 weeks ago initially because the dose of metformin I was on wasn't controlling my blood sugar and told me to take 80mg twice a day which she increased about 2 weeks ago to 160mg twice a day in addition to 500mg Metformin twice a day, it still isn't working fasting in a morning I usually test about 9-10, I have something to eat, take the pills and a few hours later my blood sugar seems to spike at around 14-15 then hovers around 10-11.

I feel totally awful, tired all the time, raging thirst is back and the only time my blood sugar has ever come down is when I tried totally avoiding carbs for 24 hours. Only other strange incident was last week, I tested about 16 in the afternoon, went out to grab some groceries and started feeling rough at the checkout, instant sweats and world spinning and when I finally managed to get home I tested again and my blood sugar was 5.7, 10 point drop in the space of an hour cant be normal

Does anyone have any advice because I did read on Wikipedia that there can be about 10% of people that don't absorb these drugs properly and I am seriously worried here, trying my best to control my blood sugar but it seems no matter what I do it stays just as high and hardly ever comes down.

 

[bowell]

Re: Glicazide

I have found it better to take mine 10<>20 mins before my meals

You prob need to take some more BG readings to see what's going on

Start with one test before you eat then
plus , 2,and 4 hrs after a meal

Also helpful to go back to your HPC with your BG readings
Have you changed your diet in any way ?????
What are you eating/
Helpful info below for new membes
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes-forum/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=17088


Bob

 

[candy1567]

Re: Glicazide

Hi

i used to take 80mg of gliclazide but found that my sugars were erratic to say the least

my DSN changed me to slow release, so i now take 30mg of diamicron mr (which is the same as 80mg so ive been told!!) and also put me on slow release metformin

the changed is fantastic, morning fasting is usually in the 7's and i very really get any double figures, have only been taking this for 1 month but the change is great, i take the tablet in the morning just before my breckie.

i have tried byetta which i tollerated for 9 months but it was stopped due to constant vomitting, have also tried victoza but although it reduced my sugars, not enough. My sugars were always between 14 to 20, managing to get down to the 14 mark with reduced carbs.

2hrs after havin dinner last night my sugars were 5.7 so a vast improvement, not sure why this slow release tablets seems to do the trick but am not complaining lol

Juliex

 

[aquamum]

Re: Glicazide

Hi
I'm a first time poster.
I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes last autumn. At first I refused to take the medication trying to beat it by diet and exercise. but I had so much work and pressure and felt tired and kept getting thrush I tried the metformin. 2 or 3 times I tried metformin but the side effects scared me: palpitations, tingling in feet.
I gave up the metformin and took 80mg of gliclzide, one a day.
I went on the Desmond day. i walked out it was so bad. Two ignorant uneducated teachers who were more intent on pumping drugs into people, who recommended drinking diet sodas.
I thought the gliclazide was working but recently it hasn't been for sure.
I was given a blood sugar monitoring machine but never shown how to use it.
But this last couple of weeks I've been feeling so drained, so stressed. I finally worked out how to use the machine and my fasting blood sugar was 11.7 in the morning. I realised the glicazide wasn't working.
I started taking metformin but by friday night I felt so ill, I felt frightened. icalled the doctor out in the night. He knew nothing, a duty doctor, didn't even know about the difference between the two medications. he said my blood pressure was high.
I don't know what to do.
I don't know how to handle this.
I have alot of work to do this summer. I'm a single parent. I have no support.
I feel like I'm trying to work it all out by myself. As I'm 51 I'm also wondering if some of my symptoms are menopausal altho I'm still having periods.
I have responsibilities, I do not have the luxury of being ill.
I have a constant headache, I've never suffered from headaches before.
I'm a vegetarian so no carb is hard for me.
Any advice.

 

[Unbeliever]

Re: Glicazide

I am sure many of us will be able to empathise wih your feelings.. I am most cerainly not an exper in any way but 4 years afer diagnosis and on the verger of being put onto insulin I discovered this forum and turned it all around. I hope it does he same for you.
I am sure hat wiser and more experienced people will be along soon but can i just say I am not surprised you are experiencing headaches!

Many people suffer sidee ffects from meformin. I don' hink the way you have been taking the medicaion will help at all. Your body has o get used to hese hings . Are you taking the modified release metformin? The side effects are fewer han wih the standard release.

Have you read he advice for the newly diagnosed usually given here?

I am not surprised the locum knew little about diabetes or youtr medicaion. You are obviously very sressed but there is so much to learn anbout your own body and reactions o food and drugs etc that I am afraid it will take a little time.

I never believed that anything or anyone would be able o help me but this forum has done so.
Don't despair about your high fasting reading ye You will have to learn which foods do hat o you.
Its all a mater of balance food medicaion and exercise.

I am sure someone will be able to post the link to the advice for the newly diagnosed but my eyesight doesn' allow.

I don't think you will be ill but you will start to feel beter when you have better control. It is acually in your own interests n for his not to happen too quickly but at a gradual steady pace.

You really have to take the medication as it is prescribed.. Give it a chance. It may not be right for you but can be changed or adusted,

I do hope you can elax about it all a little. Stress will cause your bg to rise even further.
II don't believe anyone anywhere can solve your problems overnight but the "wise ones "here
will be able to help.

 

[aquamum]

Re: Glicazide

Thanks for your replies, very kind...
I am now on slow release metformin which is better. Why don't they give that out straight away? But I do spend alot of time on the loo.
4 a day plus 1 gliclazide a day.
But my Blood sugar is still too high. I feel exhausted all the time.
My blood pressure has become more and more of a problem, readings between 170 and 200 over 147 type thing.
Every night I sleep badly due to heart palpitations. I wake up tired.
They now want to put me on Byetta.
I feel like giving up all the meds because I'm now confused whether my symptoms are the disease or the side effects.
This disease is particularly hard for me as I'm a chef!

 

[elviscole]

Re: Glicazide

i was put on gliclazide last year as metformin was giving me a bad stomach, was on 4 x 500 metformin a day, when i went onto gliclazide it made me itch something terrible, so was put back on metformin and tolbutamide and loperamide to help with the bad stomach which didnt really work, am now on the slow release metformin and tolbutamide which seems ok but at the mo my sugar levels are on the way up again so maybe need a tweeking again

 

[happypixi]

metformin is giving me a bad stomach and diarrhea, dose just been lowered from 1000mg a day to 500mg a day, still no change as yet.

wondering if this gliclazide would be better for me

 

[hanadr]

Several years ago, I was on Metformin 500 3x daily and Gliclazide 40mg once daily. I decided I didn't like what I read about long term use of gliclazide and went low carb. I still use Metformin up to 2 x per day.
I feel so much better than mixing chemicals in my system.
I believe that the less I use medication, the better.
Hana

 

[Daibell]

Hi happypixi. Are you on ordinary Met rather than Met SR? The latter results in far fewer stomach problems. Note that Glic has a completely different way that it works from Met. Met works on the liver and bowel reducing both glucose release and increasing muscle take-up of insulin etc. It is best for those with insulin resistance and who are overweight. Glic is more relevant if you have a partially knackered pancreas as it stimulates the islet cells to produce more insulin. Hanadar you are lucky to be able to control your db without heavy medication and long may it continue. Some of us just have to have multiple meds as well as a low carb diet. Note that Sitagliptin is a relatively new drug and can be very useful if a bit expensive.

 

[kiaora60]

Has anyone suffered a metallic taste and nausea while taking glumetza.. take 200 me after supper each night

 

[jack412]

Re: Glicazide

Thanks for your replies, very kind...
I am now on slow release metformin which is better. Why don't they give that out straight away? But I do spend alot of time on the loo.
4 a day plus 1 gliclazide a day.
But my Blood sugar is still too high. I feel exhausted all the time.
My blood pressure has become more and more of a problem, readings between 170 and 200 over 147 type thing.
Every night I sleep badly due to heart palpitations. I wake up tired.
They now want to put me on Byetta.
I feel like giving up all the meds because I'm now confused whether my symptoms are the disease or the side effects.
This disease is particularly hard for me as I'm a chef!

the slow release is the only metformin to take IMO and it may take a few weeks to work, if you are still on the loo after a month, you may be one that can't take them...most find that high carbs makes it worse

have you tried LCHF? you may need to reduce your carbs slowly and reduce your gliclazide meds as you go with your nurses help

it’s a long page and a few good video’s
http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf
For me, the more carbs we eat the more carbs we want. they don’t give up easy and the first 3 days suck
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarb101/a/firstweek.htm

 

[jack412]

Has anyone suffered a metallic taste and nausea while taking glumetza.. take 200 me after supper each night

metformin can give a metallic taste in the beginning and very occasionally afterwards, try taking it with you main evening meal.. 200mg is a very small dose, for diabetes 1000-2000mg is pretty normal for dr to perscribe
what are your BG blood glucose readings?

 

[BaliRob]

The metallic taste exists for a long time for most new users but IT DOES wear off eventully.

For the poster who says,"Why do they not put us on Metformin SR straight away?" - IT COSTS TWICE AS MUCH as the standard version

 

[jack412]

The metallic taste exists for a long time for most new users but IT DOES wear off eventully.

For the poster who says,"Why do they not put us on Metformin SR straight away?" - IT COSTS TWICE AS MUCH as the standard version

if you look up the price difference, you may find slow release cost a few pennies a packet less here ..so it wouldn't be much dearer there and definitely not twice as much
http://www.chemistwarehouse.com.au/product.asp?id=3393&pname=Diabex+500mg+Tablets+100 ..... normal 0.0750 c each
http://www.chemistwarehouse.com.au/product.asp?id=57434&pname=Diabex+XR+500mg+Tablets+120+......slow release 0.0749 c each

 

[BaliRob]

if you look up the price difference, you may find slow release cost a few pennies a packet less here ..so it wouldn't be much dearer there and definitely not twice as much
http://www.chemistwarehouse.com.au/product.asp?id=3393&pname=Diabex 500mg Tablets 100 ..... normal 0.0750 c each
http://www.chemistwarehouse.com.au/product.asp?id=57434&pname=Diabex XR 500mg Tablets 120 ......slow release 0.0749 c each

Dear Jack,

I accept your quotations and their origin but Glucophage SR (XR) (Metformin) still costs DOUBLE here.

Regards,

Rob

 

[chelly0209]

Re: Glicazide

Hi

i used to take 80mg of gliclazide but found that my sugars were erratic to say the least

my DSN changed me to slow release, so i now take 30mg of diamicron mr (which is the same as 80mg so ive been told!!) and also put me on slow release metformin

the changed is fantastic, morning fasting is usually in the 7's and i very really get any double figures, have only been taking this for 1 month but the change is great, i take the tablet in the morning just before my breckie.

i have tried byetta which i tollerated for 9 months but it was stopped due to constant vomitting, have also tried victoza but although it reduced my sugars, not enough. My sugars were always between 14 to 20, managing to get down to the 14 mark with reduced carbs.

2hrs after havin dinner last night my sugars were 5.7 so a vast improvement, not sure why this slow release tablets seems to do the trick but am not complaining lol

Juliex

Re: Glicazide

Hi

i used to take 80mg of gliclazide but found that my sugars were erratic to say the least

my DSN changed me to slow release, so i now take 30mg of diamicron mr (which is the same as 80mg so ive been told!!) and also put me on slow release metformin

the changed is fantastic, morning fasting is usually in the 7's and i very really get any double figures, have only been taking this for 1 month but the change is great, i take the tablet in the morning just before my breckie.

i have tried byetta which i tollerated for 9 months but it was stopped due to constant vomitting, have also tried victoza but although it reduced my sugars, not enough. My sugars were always between 14 to 20, managing to get down to the 14 mark with reduced carbs.

2hrs after havin dinner last night my sugars were 5.7 so a vast improvement, not sure why this slow release tablets seems to do the trick but am not complaining lol

Juliex

Hi Juliex

I was diagnosed with pcos which has escalated to type 2diabetes. Doc put me on apo gliclazide 30 mg mr once a day..But my bs i still high. im thinking of adding metformin...but due to I have gastric issue im starting at very low dosage of 250mg per day.

May I know how do u take your dimicron n metformin? Do u take them together or split them? dimicron in morning n metformin at dinner time? twice a day? pls advise. will taking them together (instead of a splitting then time) cause any risk of hypo?

Chelaine

 

[Neil howell]

I am on gliclazide and my last blood test was very good at 42 but they have been rising in a morning from 6.7 they are now averaging 8.2 i am doing nothing different can you get use to medication I am on 80mg at night . When I was on metformin I had terrible upset stomach.

 

[ringi]

You already know the answer "totally avoiding carbs for 24 hours", just do this most of the time and your BG will most likely come down enough to stop the gliclazide.

 

[Cal M]

I am on both metformin 500 X 2 morning and evening, started on half tablets to minimise nausea and used half tablets for each increase in dose till my body accepted it, sometimes took a week. I did the same with Gliclazide and only took a day. Also LCHF ongoing but only helped BG for 6 months. My fasting blood sugars seem to be coming down day by day from 13 now at 8 so still not happy yet. I can't find any where that tells me how quickly the meds are supposed to help. Testing every morning hopefully. At least my GP has said review after 3 months so I will get a HbA1c redone then not have to wait a year.
Good luck to all newbies starting the journey, we are all different but this forum does help.