Day 5 since diagnosed and Gliclazide

[Zaraah]

Hello all,

I was diagnosed last Friday with triple figure 129!

GP started me on 2 x Gliclazide 40mg daily and 1 x Metformin 500mg daily for first 7 days, 2nd week 2 daily and 3rd week 3 daily.

Since Friday diet overhaul med diet/low carb with walking (between 12k to 17k daily varies each day).

So today was a good day all green numbers on monitor single figures and then this evening at 7.40pm got a 5.7 and felt awful. Ate dinner and ended up eating slice of white bread and also 2 sips of coke. Number went up at 8.04pm it was 6.8 and then 7.6 at 8.20pm. 2 hours later now well just over at 9.45pm it is 6.7. I do not know if going down and till it go more down when I am asleep?!

I do not ever want to feel like that again if I was heading towards a hypo even though 5.7 I felt different.

My first appointment with Diabetic Nurse by phone this Friday, 7 days after being diagnosed.

Anyone have experience of being able to ask to come off Gliclazide given single figures more yesterday with a couple of double figures start and end of day and today all single figures?

Anyone have any advice please? Can Diabetic Nurse change medications. I really hope I can change things with being active (I was not before) and also diet and think being on Gliclazide and after this evening just going to stress me out more and also have a slightly raised blood pressure although not being tested for this yet as GP focusing on my triple figure of 129 which he said had to come down.

Sorry I just waffling now as so worried by experience this evening and my final reading just now ❤️

 

[Anna DUK]

Hey @Zaraah, sorry to hear how you felt when your levels dipped to 5.7. This is probably because your body has been used to those higher figures for a while and as your levels start to come down into the 'ideal' range, your body is feeling like you're dipping too low (levels below 4 is hypo). Hopefully over the next few weeks you will feel yourself whilst your levels are between 4-7, and even slightly higher than that too. Do mention this to the nurse too, and ask them when they plan to do another HbA1c to see if the medications and dietary changes you're making are helping to lower the 129 result.

It is possible for some people to come off Gliclazide, not everyone, but some have. Especially those who try to put their type 2 into remission.

 

[Zaraah]

Thank you so much for replying. GP told me for me on Gliclazide 5 and under is hypo and to sip coke etc. Like you said about 4 and under increasing same online however GP told me 5 so I fixated on that to make sure I did not go lower than 5 and at 5.7 I was not feeling right.

Funny thing was yesterday and today was feeling really well and lots of energy etc and then this evening just hit me!

I will check when next HbA1C will be and really hope nurse can least reduce Giclazide maybe from 80mg to 40mg daily. I can only ask ❤️

 

[Anna DUK]

It might be that the GP has given you a higher threshold just so you can treat anything under 5 as a hypo to avoid actually going hypo (if that makes sense). But definitely one to speak to the nurse about. The nurse will be more specialised in diabetes than the GP (so could also be that the GP got the hypo figures wrong on the day).

Yes, always worth asking. Let us know how you get on at the appointment this week. Hopefully it will prove to be a productive and supportive time with the nurse!

 

[Docb]

Hi @Zaraah. To answer your question...when i came off Gliclazide it was accompanied by a distinct rise in my BG readings. I came off it because my my BG levels had reduced to sensible levels and my DN was concerned that at my age, it was unwise to drive BG levels down and run the risk of becoming unsteady.

My take on the numbers you have quoted is that your HbA1c was up in the red zone and action was needed and well done to all concerned for doing something about it. The current spot readings you have quoted are very much in the "normal" range (5-10) suggesting what you have done - a combination of carb reduction and the medication - is working. At those sorts of levels, you should have an Hba1c well below 129 in a couple of months time.

When on Gliclazide my levels dropped to lows of around 5 but I never got anywhere near having an Hypo. I came to the conclusion that there might be a theoretical risk of it causing problems but the benefits of taking it far outweighed the risk of hypos and continued with it until everything was stable.

So, my usual pragmatic suggestion is not to panic, to do the things which work for most and keep monitoring.

 

[Newbie777]

Hello, usually the GP will put you on Metfirmin and then increase teg dosage to max, which is 2000mg andthen look at Glicizide.

Your HBa1c is quite high, but remember this is taken over a 3 month period, so you BG on a daily basis will vary.

In terms of going hypo, ask your DN if perhaps you can take Glicizide in the morning, rather than the evening.

I have mentioned this many times, but stress can make your BG worse.

Over the next few weeks as your body adapts to the medicine you may find it better to understand your reads and your food and exercise intake.

Normally reads of between 5 to 7 first thing in the morning and between 7 to 9, 2 hours after food are suggested. But I would say don't worry, you will get to these figures.

Also once your Hba1c drops you may just go on Metformin, so keep up the really good work.