Gliclazide

[Shewill]

hi everyone I'm new to this forum but would be grateful if any one of you lovely people could advise on the above treatment. I have been on Metformin for a couple of years but this year my doc decided it wasn't enough so added Gliclazide twice a day as well. The problem I have got with this is it makes you put on weight.....I have lost 2 stone over the last year on the advice of docs and am now within normal range....why oh why have they now give me these tablets that could put it back on, does anybody else have this problem?.

 

[Northerner]

hi everyone I'm new to this forum but would be grateful if any one of you lovely people could advise on the above treatment. I have been on Metformin for a couple of years but this year my doc decided it wasn't enough so added Gliclazide twice a day as well. The problem I have got with this is it makes you put on weight.....I have lost 2 stone over the last year on the advice of docs and am now within normal range....why oh why have they now give me these tablets that could put it back on, does anybody else have this problem?.

Hi Shewill, welcome to the forum 🙂 I think there are a couple of things to consider here: firstly, if you are not able to control your blood glucose levels adequately without extra medication, despite your best efforts, then you do need something to help. Secondly, it's a bit of a myth that medications like insulin and gliclizide (which stimulates the pancreas to produce more insulin and thus help lower levels) cause weight gain - they do not. As long as you follow a healthy, balanced diet that is suitable for your own particular tolerances, and exercise regularly, there is no reason why you should gain weight. It's possible that you may regain a little of the weight you have lost whilst you find the appropriate dose and balance, but once you have good, stable blood glucose levels you will be a much healthier person 🙂 It's likely that, if your levels have been running high for some time then this has been partly responsible for some of your weight loss, as you will have been losing 'calories' by peeing it away, but this is far from ideal as it carries a much greater risk to your long-term health.


I'd say, give it a try and see how you get on - if you really find it is unsuitable, there may be other medications you can try 🙂

 

[pav]

Unfortunately gliclazide does have the habit of encouraging weight gain, been on and off it numerous times. It makes your pancreas produce more insulin though not in a controlled way for some. If the dose is to high you then start eating to combat the decrease in you glucose levels, if you also do some activities you naturally use energy and your levels drop and again you have to feed to the drop in your levels.

I hate gliclazide as I have the added problem it works in such an erratic way with me one day it won't work and the next day, like yesterday was running quite low for me and ended up in eating extra at night and at 4 am on the point of a hypo at a reading of 4.0, as I have only just switched back on to gliclazide from alternatives which stopped working and its already misbehaving.

Its a case of testing and monitoring to see how your levels are, and trying to get the balance of gliclazide that's right for you. If you drive you will need to test before driving and you should be above 5.0. If you don't have a meter and strips ask your doctor for a presciption for test strips as its a requirement by DVLA that you test. Some GP's only support certain meters due to the cost of the strips, meters you can normally get for free direct from the manufactures as they make their money from the strips.

 

[Shewill]

Thank you both so much for the information....I do have a meter and strips to test my blood sugar and as you quite rightly say it's been a bit erratic. I will persevere with Gliclazide and see the doc again if I put on weight. I have trouble exercising as I also suffer with Rheumatoid Arthrits in all my joints but I will watch what I eat. I just want to get to a level that is stable and not up and down as it is at the moment, one day last week I was 18and a couple of days later I was 6.4 !! I didn't realise that you had to test yourself before driving nobody mentioned that to me but I will do it in future. Thank you again

 

[grovesy]

I find it does not make put me put weight.

 

[Stitch147]

Hi, I take gliclazide, 2 tablets before brekkie, as the metformin didn't work for me at all. I haven't noticed any significant weight gain or loss. I lost almost 7 stone before finding out about my diabetes. I have certainly noticed better levels since taking gliclazide.

 

[Shewill]

Thank you Stitch147 for your reply....could I ask how long you have been on Gliclazide? I have been on it for only a few months but I find that it does make my blood sugar drop quite a lot. Have you been offered any other treatment apart from this.

 

[Stitch147]

Hi, I've been on gliclazide since about the beginning of November. I'm still on the metformin as well. When I was on just metformin my bg levels were regularly in the high teens low 20's, now they are very rarely above 10 (only if I've been slightly naughty with food).