GLICLAZIDE

Hi Shan,

What was the reason for your nurse adding gliclazide? Have your blood sigar levels been reducing since you reduded the carbs?

Shan,
Is it possible for you to buy some test strips from your chemists. You can buy them over the counter without a prescription. I appreciate that they are a bit expensive at around £25 for a pack of 50, but this is your life we are talking about. Isn't that worth £25?

I got some strips on ebay under half price, 100 strips and lancets for 31 quid. If you can't persuade your doc to do it, that might be one way to try!

I have never had a problem getting any testing equipment free through my Doctor or hospital including free meter are different health areas governed by different rules?

Hi Dave,

Test meters are not and never have been available on the NHS. What happens is that the meter manufacturers have reps who visit GP surgeries all over the country and give away samples. Some doctors/nurses are happy to give those samples to patients who they think will be able to understand and use them to good advantage.

Testing strips and lancets are a different matter. Once you have a meter, whether you were given it or you bought one yourself, the strips and lancets are available on NHS prescription. However, with increasing numbers of people being diagnosed as diabetic, the PCTs (who control how NHS money is spent in each region of the country) are trying to reduce costs by telling GPs not to prescribe test strips. Some doctors believe that patients benefit from self-testing and are prepared to prescribe, despite protestations from the PCTs. It sounds like your doctor may be one of these. Other doctors also know that a patient who can't test can never have control of their diabetes, but they are afraid of upsetting their PCTs so they refuse to either give away testers or to prescribe test strips. I just don't know how these doctors can sleep at night, knowing that their cowardice will result in the premature death of many of their patients.

Thanks for that post Dennis, I hope that it will lay to rest the assumption that some people have about test strips. It is all down to your Doctor and large numbers of Type 2's are being refused. Because you may be one of the lucky ones, (yes it is luck and your Doctor's good knowledge about their use,if you are prescribed them), other people do not have the luxury of testing. Buying the test strips is an expensive option and due to people's personal finances it is not always possibly. Complaining on other people's behalf is a good option and you can write to your M.P. expressing your concerns. Maybe enough people complaining might reverse this ridiculous situation.

Very interesting I was not aware of this,I have been getting the strips etc. for over 10 years now my Doctor is very good and I believe I get excellant support from him and from all the diabetes staff I have contact with in my area

When you see the Dr. explain that you are not happy with the weight gain and that you would like to try something else. As you gradually get your diabetes under control you may be able to reduce your meds.
Catherine.

Hi Shandra,
as far as I know, Metformin is the only oral antidiabetic medicine which does NOT cause weight gain.
There is Byetta, which is injected, but they don't like to prescribe it because it's very expensive. Otherwise you might try asking for Starlix, which is taken with each meal. You don't need to take it if your meal is very low in carbs.
I used to have gliclazide and got off it by strict low carbs. I still take Metformin, which I see as safe.

Maybe there's something weird about my body chemistry, but I lost stacks of weight very quickly after beginning treatment with gliclazide.

Horses for courses, I suppose.

Hi Shan,

There is another alternative to gliclazide. This is Amaryl (also known as glimepiride). This is a sulphonylurea treatment, like gliclazide, but is newer, is less harsh on the pancreas and doesn't encourage weight gain as much as gliclazide.

Hi Shan, I was put on metformin and lost loads of weight, then balanced out, then my nurse put me on Gliclazide about a month ago, and I have just lost another half a stone without trying, so I put it down to the increase in Gliclazide.

Test strips, I normaly get on perscription but I ran out and the docs was closed the other week so I went to the chemist in my local asda store, I asked could I buy some and they sold me some for £5.00 this was for my Accu-check Aviva test meter.

So don't assume the Gliclazide is gonna make you gain weight as it might work the other way as it's done with me.

Mark

Mark, how many strips did you get for a fiver? 10?

Sorry I can't remember how many was in it.

Mark

Bypass the clueless nurse and go see the doctor. Take him the test results you have obtained so far.

Dennis said:

Some doctors believe that patients benefit from self-testing and are prepared to prescribe, despite protestations from the PCTs. It sounds like your doctor may be one of these. Other doctors also know that a patient who can't test can never have control of their diabetes, but they are afraid of upsetting their PCTs so they refuse to either give away testers or to prescribe test strips. I just don't know how these doctors can sleep at night, knowing that their cowardice will result in the premature death of many of their patients.

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Ummm, doctors can be and have been sacked for prescribing too much, and for making too many referrals to specialists. Then they'd be even less use <sigh>