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Newly diagnosed and worried about medication...

Dizz

Dizz

Well-Known Member
Messages
114
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hello all, I was diagnosed last Friday with T2 with BG levels in 17-22 region. Prescribed Metformin but when the GP analysed my urine she rang and told me to go to hospital as I had high ketones in it. After spending most of the day there and loads of prodding and poking I was discharged with a monitoring machine and Gliclazide tablets. Having got home and looked up this medicine I find it is a sulphonylurea, part of a group of medicines called Sulphonamides - to which I am allergic. I didn't take them and carried on with the Metformin until my appointment with the specialist nurse today. She had a quick look on her computer and asked a doctor and said it was fine, it was just a similar name. So I collected the prescription came home and googled it again, to find that the NHS Choices own website says about this medicine -
'
Your prescriber may only prescribe this medicine with special care or may not prescribe it at all if you:

  • are allergic or sensitive to or have had a bad reaction to sulphonylureas or sulphonamides in the past
    '

  • So now what do I do? I'm really not happy about taking this but I don't want to appear awkward at my new surgery. :banghead:
 
Ring the surgery and confirm and tell them what the nhs site says
 
I understand your hesitancy, but you can't possibly take something with which you have a history of allergy.

I agree with Andrew - ring the surgery and get a clear answer.
Alternatively, ring the hospital, but I suspect it may be more difficult to get through to the right person.

A third option would be to ring the drug company.
 
But the surgery, in the shape of the specialist nurse and the agreement of one doctor are saying it's a different drug. But no, I'm not going to take it until I speak to a doctor myself. It's not like it causes a minor rash or anything, my tongue swelled up and my throat started closing up.......not gonna risk it!
 
Dizz said:
But the surgery, in the shape of the specialist nurse and the agreement of one doctor are saying it's a different drug. But no, I'm not going to take it until I speak to a doctor myself. It's not like it causes a minor rash or anything, my tongue swelled up and my throat started closing up.......not gonna risk it!
Click to expand...
Good luck when you speak to a Doctor, let us know
 
Pharmacists are very knowledgeable too, so another option.

But I would really urge you not to take it until you're very sure indeed. My husband was prescribed something unsuitable by a newly qualified GP and is paying a very high price for it.

There are different classes of diabetes medication, so there are alternatives.
 
I too think your best bet is to seek advice from the pharmacist they will know the relation between the 2 drug names and if its safe for you to take ir not then you can go back to your dr with what the pharmacist says.
 
Thanks all. Having read up a bit more it seems I may not necessarily be allergic to this particular drug.... :rolleyes:
 
Worth having a good read of the information which comes with the medication itself, if there is any doubt double and treble check the medical advice. Better to be safe. Hope you are ok
 
Hi. Yes, you can always talk to a pharmacist. You could always take a very small portion of a tablet and check there is no reaction, but if in doubt talk to a GP or pharmacist. Keeping the carbs down very low will get the blood sugar down until you can review the best way forward. Gilclazide in far superior to Metformin in enabling the body to produce more insulin.
 
I'd check with Pharmacist every time
 
Thank you all for your input. I tried to speak to my GP but she was on annual leave and as another doctor at the practice had OK'd it I didn't see much point in speaking to someone else. So instead I took myself off to Boots and spoke to the pharmacist there and she has said I should be fine. I have however bought a pack of antihistamines, just in case.......
 
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