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Gliclazide

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R

Rivki061

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Good afternoon to everyone and I hope your Monday is going well.
I have recently been put on to Glicazide 80mg a day to supplement the Metformin I am already taking.
The directions tell me to take it before a meal but how long before the meal should I take it?
Also aside from the possiblitly of hypos what other side effects have posters here who take Glicazide experienced?

Thank you.
 
Hello

I take it about the same time as my meal, within or 10 minutes either side and it seems OK for me.

I make sure the meal is reasonable size rather than a snack, I've not had any Hypos I've noticed or measured, had a few low values getting getting down to 4.5 but only if I miss meals and get stuck without a snack.

I did have problems for a while balancing exercise and glucose when out on the mountain bike. I have to test quite often when exercising and take bananas, sports energy drink and dextrose tables.

For other side effects I've not really had any that I've noticed.
 
Thanks Allan that is helpful.
I've been told to take it once a day and I think before breakfast will be the best time for me.

I generally take a snack to work with me so hopefully I will be able to avoid hypos.


It is good to know that you've not had any noticeable side effects,I hope to avoid them too.
I'm also on Metformin and that has caused side effects but thankfully they are considerably better now.
 
Have you resolved the problem with your GP prescribing test strips? 🙂
 
I recently gate crashed a clinic appointment with my hubby (also T2) as his BS has been gradually rising to 7.9 over the last 5 HBAIc tests he has had. The nurse mentioned to him on the phone she wanted to put him onto Gliclizide.

My older brother was on this & had to come off as he put on half a stone in 3 weeks! My hubby is already very overweight & I had concerns this would make it worse as he is alergic to exercise!. I did try to get her to inject an exercise bug, but she didn't have one handy.

Nurse agreed, with me put the meter away & prescribed a Gliptin instead to be reviewed in 3 months depending on BS.

Make sure your weight doesn't increase as my brother has been unable to shift it despite the fact he does exercise regularly.
 
with the gliclizide the advice I was given is to take it about 20-30 minutes before eating as it is supposed to stimulate the pancreas and the insulin is there ready for when you eat.
 
Northerner said:
Have you resolved the problem with your GP prescribing test strips? 🙂
Click to expand...

Not yet.
I'm going to the surgery in a couple of weeks for my flu jab so I can mention it then and see what response I get,if I'm not satisfied then I may well take it further and see how much good it does me!
 
Caroline said:
with the gliclizide the advice I was given is to take it about 20-30 minutes before eating as it is supposed to stimulate the pancreas and the insulin is there ready for when you eat.
Click to expand...

Thank you Caroline.
I have started taking it but I realised that the instruction to take before meals is a little unclear as to what time frame should elapse between tablet taking and meal eating.
20-30 minutes is good for me before breakfast because by the time I've got everything done at home that needs to be done before I eat that amount of time has usually passed.
 
you're welcome. I missed you asked abut hypos before. You are more likely to get a hypo with glicilizide. I have never had one, but it is a possibility and I'd have thought it may be a case for you getting more test strips.
 
I asked about test strips when the Glicazide was prescribed and was told that they are not given for people whose diabetes is not insulin dependant.
I will have to ask again when I go to the surgery in a couple of weeks.
 
Rivki061 said:
I asked about test strips when the Glicazide was prescribed and was told that they are not given for people whose diabetes is not insulin dependant.
I will have to ask again when I go to the surgery in a couple of weeks.
Click to expand...

NICE recommendations
Self-monitoring of plasma glucose should be available:
to those on insulin treatment
to those on oral glucose lowering medications to provide information on hypoglycaemia
to assess changes in glucose control resulting from medications and lifestyle changes
to monitor changes during intercurrent illness to ensure safety during activities, including driving
Click to expand...

Your doctor is putting you, and possibly others, at risk by denying you the strips you need - stand your ground! 🙂 Gliclizide is equivalent to insulin in these circumstances!
 
I wasn't aware that weight gain was a problem with this drug,thank you for telling me SimplesL.
I am careful what I eat and I am trying to shed a few pounds or at least not gain any.

But I doubt that I will ever look like one of those stick thin celebrities!

Has the Gliptin helped your husband?
 
Hubby only started Gliptin this week so early days.

On the test strips issue; when we arrived for the appointment when he was like you going to be prescribed Glicizide the nurse already had a meter ready to give to my hubby & details on how to use it.

I had gone armed with the DVLA advice to argue (cause he wouldn't) for a meter & had the wind taken out of me as she was going to prescribe no questions asked!

I then queried why my dad also on gliclizide didn't get test strips from same practise & she said due to each individual; my hubby a lot younger & drives more including for work So if she didn't prescribe & he had a hypo at the wheel she said she could be struck off!

Not sure it will help you; but print off the DVLA guidence to shove under thier nose & stress you need to drive for work (assuming you drive). Without testing strips/meter they are asking you to break the law.

I understand as well that when you start on glicilzide you are more likely to possibly suffer a hypo until dose etc sorted.

Good luck
Lynne
 
I've never had a problem getting test strips from the doctors so can't comment on that bit.

For the weight gain, I did pile on a stone after starting Gliclazide, but after carefully watching my diet I soon lost it and a little more and find it easy to maintain.

The reasoning I was given was that before Gliclazide I'd gradually adapted to the inefficiency of uncontrolled diabetes by eating more. Once you start medication and start to use glucose properly you have to readjust your food intake.

Made sense at the time.
 
Northerner said:
Your doctor is putting you, and possibly others, at risk by denying you the strips you need - stand your ground! 🙂 Gliclizide is equivalent to insulin in these circumstances![/QUOTE

I will do my best and it might help if I print out the NICE recommendations.

Thanks Alan!
Click to expand...
 
The DVLA guidelines won't help me as I don't drive but I may well print of the NICE guidelines as I mentioned before.
I wonder if I'm less likely to get test strips as I'm a non driver although I wasn't asked if I drove or not when the Glicazide was prescribed.

So far I've been ok on the Glicazide but it's best to know that hypos are likely in the early days.

Thanks Lynne
 
Allan what dose of Glicazide are you on?
I'm being so careful with what I eat that I really don't want to gain weight.

It's ironic really that I was told that losing a bit of weight could help my diabetes and yet I'm prescribed a drug that could cause weight gain!
Oddly enough the doctor didn't mention that bit!
 
I'm on a single 80mg tablet twice a day, gradually reduced that over the last year from the maximum 320mg a day I started on.

I'm not a drug expert but as far as I'm aware the weight gain is due to increased glucose uptake - it's staying in you rather than going straight through 😱
Think of it like your car having a leaky tank, once you fix the tank you might need half the fuel to go the same distance.

I was warned about the weight gain but was also advised I could adjust my diet to compensate.

Ended up doing the Slimming World Original plan and it works really well for my sugar levels and helps with the weight loss overall.
 
I've only just realised that the medicine is called gliclazide and not glicazide😱 !!
 
Rivki061 said:
I've only just realised that the medicine is called gliclazide and not glicazide😱 !!
Click to expand...

I've seen all sorts of variations on the spelling of that one! 🙂 I'll change the heading in case anyone searches for it in future 🙂
 
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