After over 3 years on Metformin I finally convinced my doctor that it was upsetting my stomach. I tried the slow release metformin but was no better. I then was given Gliclazide which was a game changer. Unfortunately, since taking this for the last couple of years I am now having great difficulty in losing weight and blood sugar levels have crept up. The practice nurse says there is no alternative medication that I can take that won't cause weight gain. Has anyone any ideas or had a similar problem. It is a catch 22 situation. I'm not greatly over weight but obviously losing a bit would help. I am following the blood sugar diet of 800 calories but can't sustain that for too many weeks and gym sessions have dried up due to covid.
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Gliclazide Weight Gain
- Thread starter DandiG
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Ralph-YK
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Gliclazide makes your body produce more insulin. If insulin made you fat, everyone would be. Insuling does allow your body to use the glucose in your blood stream. As diabetics, we do tend to have higher BG levels, so our bodies may very well lay that down as fat. If it can.
I don't know whether there's another reason why gliclazide would cause you to gain weight.
I don't know whether there's another reason why gliclazide would cause you to gain weight.
I just want a med that doesn't have weight gain as a side effect. It's very frustrating, reducing intake, watching carbs and not losing weight. I know I have not been doing as much exercise as I should since lockdown so that doesn't help either.
"Gliclazide can make you hungrier and retain water, so it can be quite challenging to avoid putting on weight while you're taking it." – https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/gliclazide/
Maybe there may be a reason for you not to take Sitagliptin, but it may be worth asking.
"This medicine does not usually make you put on weight." — https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/sitagliptin/
However, I was prescribed Gliclazide when I was diagnosed and did not gain any weight. But I did when I had to take steroids for a while, which I have not been able to lose since. But recently I stopped responding to Gliclazide so was prescribed Sitagliptin, but I feel like I am gaining weight with it.
But we all respond differently to medications so the only way of knowing which side effects will effect you is by trying them where safe and appropriate. There are no guarantees.
Maybe there may be a reason for you not to take Sitagliptin, but it may be worth asking.
"This medicine does not usually make you put on weight." — https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/sitagliptin/
However, I was prescribed Gliclazide when I was diagnosed and did not gain any weight. But I did when I had to take steroids for a while, which I have not been able to lose since. But recently I stopped responding to Gliclazide so was prescribed Sitagliptin, but I feel like I am gaining weight with it.
But we all respond differently to medications so the only way of knowing which side effects will effect you is by trying them where safe and appropriate. There are no guarantees.
I would say
I would say that if you gain weight whilst taking Gliclazide you are probably having too many carbs. I would suggest you follow the carbs and not the calories. Calories are not a food group and can mislead you into reducing fats rather than carbs as fats have twice the calories. Fats don't result in weight gain to the extent carbs do and don't raise BS by much. I wonder whether Dr Mosely realises that 🙂
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I have no idea what my intake of carbs is. How do you measure? I don't drink enough (water) so I would think that doesn't help either.
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Ah! Sorry I'd read that you were keeping a food diary and put 2 and 2 together and made 8.6!
Keeping a count of carb intake can be a very helpful strategy in terms of balancing your meds and food intake. Carbs are the macronutrient in your diet that will raise your BG most (not just sugars but all carbs, including 'healthy wholegrains').
To get a total is a bit of a faff to begin with, and involves quite a bit of packet squinting and ingredient weighing, bit the long term benefits will pay you back in spades.
There are trace elements of carbohydrate in lots of things, including onion and even lettuce(!). But to begin with I would focus on the main carb components of your diet. Cereals, bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, flour, pastry, bakery items, crisps, biscuits, fruit juice, fruit... all of that. Total it all up and estimate to 5-10g increments for each meal.
Thank you. I'll have a look for it.
The only thing I have from that list is a bit of fruit on my yoghurt and seeds for breakfast. I have only been listing what I eat and taking my bloods before and after meals.
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Sounds like you are running pretty low carb.
Milk and yoghurt might have appreciable carbs from the lactose depending on how much you eat, but I would imaging it's only 10-15g or so of carbs if unsweetened?
Milk and yoghurt might have appreciable carbs from the lactose depending on how much you eat, but I would imaging it's only 10-15g or so of carbs if unsweetened?
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Plant milks tend to have very few carbs I think. Yay!
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