Gliclazide and testing

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Highlander

Highlander

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Evening all, my wife, who is also Type 2 and taking Gliclazide was told she did not need to test, this was about a year ago. Then one of her friends, also type 2, said her GP had told her that all type 2 people on Gliclazide should test regularly to avoid hypos. So today, my wife goes for her annual checkup and mentions this to the nurse. Guess what, she comes home with a new meter and strips and the strips have been added to her repeat prescription.

The meter is a Gluco Nexus Rx TD-4277.

Wouldn't it be nice if everyone was told the same thing, wherever you live.
 
Highlander said:
Gliclazide was told she did not need to test
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😱..... I was under the impression that it was DVLA rules that require testing before driving.
 
I strongly suspect that that is because of the country we live in, Highlander, I suspect the hurdles are somewhat higher in Little England.

I reckon you will get a hail of responses bemoaning the difficulty of getting test strips prescribed down in the proto-civilisation down south.🙂
 
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Thank heaven this friend mentioned about testing when on Gliclazide.
You should be provided with a meter and enough test strips when your on meds that can cause hypos's.
Martin is correct !! the DVLA should be notified as their are rules we need to follow when driving whilst on meds that can cause hypos's, though this should have already been explained to your wife by that nurse .
If not ask here and we will post the DVLA rules.
 
We both informed the DVLA many years ago, they were not worried about my wife, but as I am on insulin I get my licence renewed every three years. However, my good lady has not driven for many a year.
 
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I was on max dose Gliclazide for years and never offered a meter, but should have been. Fortunately I never went low with it.
 
Highlander said:
Wouldn't it be nice if everyone was told the same thing, wherever you live.
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It would be nice, especially if you read what https://www.gov.uk/diabetes-driving says.

Diabetes treated by tablets or non-insulin injections

Car or motorbike licence

Check with your doctor or nurse to find out if your treatment means you need to tell DVLA.

It's possible to hypo while taking something like Gliclazide, although not inevitable. I believe we should be responsible in the way we treat the advice especially if we know there is even the remotest chance of a hypo. All you need is a policeman who believes he knows the law inside out and back to front and wants to know where your meter is while you're driving, and . . . . . . . .
 
Fortunately here on the north side of Hadrian's Fence I was given a meter and the Doc has been happy to prescribe test strips and lancets.
I really can't comprehend why, when there's so much rhetoric from NHS about self-management of diabetes, that self testing isn't provided free to everyone. A HbA1C test two or three times a year doesn't do much to help one manage the condition. Self testing every couple of days, at different times, is helping me discover how best to lower my BG. If I wasn't doing it I wouldn't have a clue as to how I was progressing or otherwise.

I'm on Gliclazide and normally my BG readings are a bit higher than I'd like and I'd never experienced a hypo until June this year and I didn't realise what it was until a couple of months later when I saw a video about hypos. My hypo came after travelling to Greece, we'd spent 12 hours travelling, hadn't eaten much on the plane and had taken my meds several hours earlier than normal. We'd scurried about on arrival, went out for a meal (I chose low carb options) then went to our favourite taverna for a couple of drinks (Rusty Nails). Half way through the second drink I felt really drunk and had to leave it and had to be helped home - I couldn't understand it at the time as my capacity for alcohol is reasonable and I don't get drink much at all anyway.
 
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