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My daily Hypo...

S

StuartR1953

Member
Messages
6
Hi

After a period of very poor control (largely my own fault) I was put on 40mg Gliclazide along with the 2,000mg of Metformin I was already on. At the same time I tried to go back on WeightWatchers as this had proved to be a really good diet for me (and my BG readings) in the past.

The problem is I'm finding that I have to eat way too much at breakfast time and between breakfast and lunch to avoid going Hypo (for me the sweating and shaking starts at about 4.4 and gets worse when I find myself down in the 3s). The shaking is so bad some days that I struggle to put food in my mouth or drink lucozade without spilling it!

As an example, I had 60mg of shreddies with milk for breakfast at 8am (along with my Gliclazide tablet), followed by 2 slices of toast with marmalade, followed by a slice of blackcurrant cheesecake (by way of a test!) but by 11:15am I was shaking like a leaf and tested at 4.2.

Obviously eating like this doesn't fit in well with WeightWatchers! But although my weight is staying fairly constant my BG readings, averaged over a period are, according to my GP, excellent. All the low readings I get that are above 4 he says are not hypos so I've arranged to see the Diabetic Nurse at my surgery at 11:30AM next Tuesday and will see if I can have a "non-hypo" in front of her :-). Bit extreme perhaps, but I'd like to get her attention...

How can getting all the hypo symptoms above 4 not be classed as a Hypo? Unless my meter is reading high of course - I've ordered some test solution to check but it was OK a few months back when I tested it.

I wondering if I really need the Gliclazide or if I can take it twice a day (20mg each time).

I'm hoping the Diabetic Nurse (it will be the first time I've seen her) will be a bit more clued-up on all things Diabetic - not that I don't trust my GP, he's been absolutely brilliant in other areas but experience tells me, based on my previous GP surgery, that specialist Diabetic Nurses are normally more up-to-date with current thinking.

Thanks for reading


Stuart

PS I'm retired and at home all day so not driving!
 
What was your BS before being put on gliclazide?

If the BS were high like mine was a few months ago, when I got back into normal ranges I was getting hypos symptoms in the 5.0's. These tend to be false hypos as your body as become so accustomed to high BS, its seeing a normal BS as a hypo and you feel the hypo symptoms. Always test when you have these symptoms as one day it could be a real hypo.

Hypos are classed as any BS under 4.0. I usually start the day off with most days around 4.4 to 4.9, if I eat what you have for breakfast my levels would rocket sky high. I am still learning with the gliclazide and trying to get my BS down I tried splitting my dose and for me it did not work as caused lows when my BS should of been in the normal range, and left me higher in the mornings.

To split your dose you really should talk to either your doctor or DN, unfortunately not all doctors and DN's are good, some at my GP's practice don't appear to have a clue where diabetes is concerned.

You don't say which meter you are using, as some read a bit high but at the lower numbers they in theory should give similar readings. A control solution will tell you if the meter is within a given range of numbers, though the range is fairly wide.
 
Hi. Eating loads of carbs to avoid having hypos through gliclazide is a classic case of being in a worse case with meds than without. If you are having hypos with 40mg gliclazide then you should try getting a pill cutter and reducing your morning glic to 20mg right away. If you are having hypos it suggests that your system can still produce insulin pretty well, so all the more reason to be as kind as possible to your pancreas. Diet and exercise are crucial -- keep these under control and you may find after a while that you don't need gliclazide at all. But gliclazide and loads of carby food means that you will end up needing more and more gliclazide, and finally end up on insulin as your pancreas gives out.
TAKE CONTROL and good luck!
 
Hi. I agree with desid that eating to match the Gliclazide is not the best approach. You should only eat what you want to and reduce the meds to get your blood sugar in range. 40gm of Glic is so low I would have thought the right balance of carbs in the diet should avoid any Glic at all? I was on 360gm of Glic until recently with virtually no effect so can't imagine a dose as low as 40gm! Do suggest to the DN that you stop the Glic and try adjusting and smoothing your carbs to gradually get your sugars in range.
 
I agree with daibell and Desidiabulum. You really shouldn't have to eat to your meds! it is , of course always advisable to check with your Dr or nurse but unfortunately , you can't expect hem to understand your daily routine .

You have to work out for yourself what will fit bes into your lifesyle . Its all a balance beeen food , eercise and medication.

Its ofen necessary to try taking meds at differen times to get this right.
Of course the ideal is not to take it at all. Just adjust your lifestyle . If you can;t here isn' much anyone can do ecept offer you edication.

eating more carbohydrates is a really bad idea. as has been said above you are suffering false hpos, Not pleasant but when your body gets used to lower numbers they will stop.

It all takes time to settle but although you just listen to medical advice in the end it is up to you to control your own diabetes,.

You are very lucky in that it seems you don't really need the glic - just need your rouine sorting . Good Luck
 
Thanks for the replies people.

I'm seeing the diabetic nurse tomorrow at 11:30 - normal hypo time :D

I'm going to ask if I can come off the gliclazide and monitor myself for a month then go back to her. Failing that, get a pill cutter and split (or halve) the dose. I suppose they will stop my strips on prescription if I come off gliclazide though :(

I agree that eating to my meds is a bit pointless, especially as I'm putting on weight rather than losing it. It will become a vicious circle if I'm not careful.

I'd love to get back on my mountain bike but any exercise - like mowing the lawn yesterday, especially in the heat we're currently experiencing :) , brings on the hypo symptoms a lot faster. So the wife doesn't like the idea of me be being alone in the woods :shock: at the moment!

The reason I was put on gliclazide was I was getting readings of 19 -21 (minimum of 12) most days so something had to be done. I think I have done enough with my diet to put this right and could probably keep it under control without the gliclazide - I'd be able to stop the mega breakfasts for a start!

I'll report back after my appointment!

Cheers


Stuart

40mg Gliclazide, 2,000mg Metformin MR

BTW: Meter is a Aviva Nano and it tested OK, with some new control solution, last Saturday.
 
I have lot`s of problem`s controling my blood sugar`s this has been going on for about 7-8 year`s now,it has recently been discussed at UCLH about havin a pump fitted which I originally told was a postcode lottery,I have found this not to be the case which I am told may be the next step,I have been on the DAFNE course where all participant were told that for every ten carb`s you eat you need to take 1 mmol but we are not all the same,when I was first diagnosed with the condition some 10 year`s ago which had been covered by some very rare neurological disease,this is where all the problems appear to have become worse myregistrar has had to alter the dose,each dose has been increased for every 10 carbs i eat has to be divided by 7 & not 10 as originally advised by the Dafne team,I like you get the sweat`s but the problem I now have is that I can go as low as 1.9,I have regular plasma exchanges which sometimes make matter`s worse but I have found that you have to persevere and your health proffesional not treat you as an ordinary patient but it depend`s on your team who look after you or not,I must give praise to my consultant`s who I can either e-mail them or ring there secutaries and an appointment is made for me to see them within a few day,s the consultant has suggested that he will now always come and see me in hospital whilst being treated as an impatient provided I call him to let him Know when I am in,Staret pushing both your GP and tell your local team at the hospital that you require to be seen more regularly to help you and not them.
 
Saw the Diabetic Nurse this morning and after recounting my story and going through my readings for the last 2 months she agreed that I should stop the Gliclazide immediately :clap: . I now have to give it 6 weeks before I get my HbA1C test done again to see if diet & Metformin alone will do the trick.

She did stress that I should get fully back on my diet (WeightWatchers) ASAP and obviously stop eating excessively in the morning to counteract my meds!

So, much the result I was looking for. I should also be able to get back on my bike now without fear of hypos but will carry my meter and some lucozade / lucozade tabs or chocolate with me as I used to in the past.
 
Well 4 days off the gliclazide and remarkably steady readings, mainly in the 5s & 6s with just one 8.2. So, happy with that, assuming it continues that is! However, I've developed stonking headaches like I've never experienced before - just a coincidence? I've not been able to find any reference to gliclazide withdrawal problems? I'll ask the question in a separate post as well.
 
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