Gliclazide

Might be a reactive low
Take your meds and see if it's going to be ongoing

If it is a single reading of 4.8, I would;t worry too much. It's low but not technically hypo. Keep a record of BG readings and if this sort of number becomes a regular occurrence, speak to your DSN or doc as you meds may need adjusting.

Not wanting to be confrontational, but I would call 4.8 lower as opposed to low. Why were you struggling to get over 5? Were you going to drive? I appreciate the guidelines for taking potentially hypo inducing meds and driving.

Forgot med. morning 15. After breakfast 4.8-5
It's a shock because jax normal after meal is 9

Next is to look at getting all his levels down

How much Gliclazide are you taking, they come in 40mg and 80mg tablets ? I used to take the maximum dose of 4x80mg a day. As long as you're not waking up in a hypo eg <3.5 mmol/l don't be too concerned. It might help to eat something small but not full of carbs to get you through the night. Hope this helps.

Jaxx01 said:

Hi!

I have been taking gliclazide for nearly two months, I have had issues where I wake up at around 9-10mmol and then around 9 after meals. I thought they would come down gradually. Yesterday I forgot my dose in the evening and woke up at 15mmol had breakfast (bear in mind ive never had lower than an 8 for breakfast even with zero carbs) well it was 4.8? Struggling to get above a 5 this morning? What the hell is going on does this mean my body has finally woken up and is responding correctly to the gliclazide? Im feeling lost and hate the difference from one day to the next

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Hi,

I've just read your post and noted you are on one 500mg Metformin a day - is that the correct figure or does your sig need updating?

A dose of just one tablet a day of metf seems a bit low. Was this what the doc prescribed? Usually they start you low and build you up? How long have you been on them now?

According to http://www.drugs.com/dosage/metformin.html

Usual Adult Dose for Diabetes Type 2
500 mg orally twice a day (with the morning and evening meal)


I'm currently on 3 500g tabs a day and was prescribed six of the things at one time (which is on the high side).

When I came off the metf as an experiment I noted my figures were far more erratic than when I was on them. Now that I've started re-taking them my figures are far more stable and about 1mmol/l lower on average.

I don't take the gliclazide regularly now, but if I have been unable to go for a one mile fast walk, I might take one to get my numbers down. The walk works better, but the glic does get the numbers down. Test it and see how your body responds.

At times the liver does seem to want to just do it's own thing. At times like that you just have to be patient and keep persuading it that you are ok.

I too agree that being in the 5s is a very good thing and I aim to be in the 4s long term.You really want levels to be less than 7 as 7.5 and above as a lower limit is indicated for causing the long term damage.

Take care and don't get worried, you are doing the right thing monitoring it.

[qv www.bloodsugar101.com and the section/tab on drugs.]

edit: btw I'm sure you probably know this already

Do you take the glic spread over the day? What times.

I was often prescribed to take a glic tablet before bed so that my high bg levels on waking would come down. It never worked. I now know that my liver just wants to dump glucose from about 2am onwards - nothing I can do seems to stop this happening.

Was this a one off high level - I sometimes get a high from my meter which seems off, so I retest immediately and find it lower - duff stick, something on the finger.

I assume you are controlling your diet ok? Low carb?

Glic can cause a sudden drop of 1 - 1.5 mmol/l, well in my case that's what I've noticed.

It works by encouraging the beta cells to produce more insulin. Maybe your body has started to respond better to the insulin - have you lost weight? maybe some of the beta cells are working better now?

Like I said though, it's better to be lower. Or am I still missing the point of your concern?

Gliclazide does cause a sudden drop, sometimetime when I took my 2 x 80 mg my sugars dropped quick a few hours later but it does take a couple of weeks to get the full benefit. Hope this clarifies things

Jaxx01 said:

Havent lost any weight this week, confused!

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You and me both. I lost a few pounds the first week - due to the loss of glycogen (which has lots of water) from the liver, but maybe a pound or two in the six weeks since. It's not fair. :sigh

See you started a new thread with a very similar title?

Hmm I had the same prob hun I was gob smacked to see my bg levels go down to even 9 but gradually it will sort it self out mine are now a nice 7.7 at night sometimes goes up in morning in which I have noooo idea why but it's 6.1 or 6.6 in morn but don't worry to much keep eye on low bg levels though as you don't want to go and have a hypo not nice but eat enough of everything ie sugar carbs protein etc your be fine


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pipwizard said:

mine are now a nice 7.7 at night ... keep eye on low bg levels though ...

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Hi. I might be misunderstanding this and don't wish to cause offence, but according to some e.g. Jenny Ruhl http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/16422495.php and http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14045621.php levels at 7.5 or so and above are where damage begins! Normal people's levels are in the 4s. However, each to his or her own where personal targets are concerned I guess.

Jaxx01 said:

Sorry there seems to be some confusion over my post. Thanks for your replies though. To clarify:

My sig does need updating. Im no longer on metformin but on 4x80mg gliclazide. My issue is that after 6/7 weeks of never hitting 9 post meal I have had a high reading of 15 upon waking then a sudden drop. No matter how hard ive tried in the last 6/7 weeks its never been that low? Is this a medication that all of a sudden kicks in? And it that normally so far down the line :/ im confused

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Very strange. I speak from ignorance of the chemistry involved, but if your figures dropped unusually steeply after you had forgotten to take an evening dose then you may just have stumbled across a way of making your gliclazide dosage and timing work more effectively (though of course no one would have wanted a fasting reading that high). It's basically good news. I would talk to your GP/diabetic nurse about juggling a little with timing and size of dosage to see what works best for you. You may also have one of those pancreases that lurches a little now and then. It doesn't say anything about it in the medical literature as far as I know, but I know a number of people like me who find that they get odd spurts of insulin here and there that send levels a bit off for a while. Were you tested for LADA, MODY etc, by the way?

I can't wait to see what the bg is this morning, let's hope it continues low

like a reactive hypo Maybe??? Even though it wasn't hypo bg
5hr GTT may be needed

You know you need your bg down more. Diet or more drugs or both

It is difficult to tell exactly what is going on, but how old are you and what is your current BMI? I think it's worth eliminating the possibility of you being a developing LADA?