Hi Stacy, metformin and gliclazide is a common combination for treating diabetes. As the others have said gliclazide can cause hypos, even after being on it for around 12 months I am still trying to get the correct dosage sorted out.
If on tablets and if driving a car there's no need to inform DVLA, though they do keep amending the rules. Think the latest ones are on the web site below. You do need to tell your insurance company. When I was diagnosed rules were that DVLA had to be notified even if on tablets. This is where confusion comes into play as rules change very frequently or appear that way.
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/193489/INF188_2.pdf
As on gliclazide you will need to test your BS levels before driving and during driving. DVLA say every 2 hours. I can't last the 2 hours when driving as I know I would most of the time be hypo within the 2 hour period, max time I test at is 1 1/2 hours.
Even as a type 2 on meds that can cause hypos, you are entitled to test strips at a quantity that meets your requirements. Though a lot of doctors / DN say you don't some still have their heads buried in sand about testing. If you encounter this problem tell them about the DVLA requirements and you may need to fight / put in a complaint to get test strips.
My repeats are for 300 strips (2 different strips), recently I changed doctors and the attitude is totally different, from having to fight for every thing do you know about the DVLA rules and do I need strips.
🙂
As part of the guide lines you should always carry a meter / test strips with you when driving, good to get a spare meter for this, and have hypo awareness. At the moment you probably not had a hypo, look out for changes on how you feel as this can be an indicator of going hypo or close to one. Different people have different symptoms of a hypo, the learning curve again.
I don't drink much, but do test through the night while out as got caught out the first time I had a few drinks. Walking home it felt as if I had been on a right binge, I was in fact hypo. Drinks have different sugar levels in them, depending on what you drink could depend on if you go high or low. I drink lager which has a lower sugar level than other beers and missed judged the time span from the last meal which caused me the problems.
I am possibly an awkward one when it comes to BS levels as I can go from normal to very high then to hypo within a few hours. Last big hic up as an example I was around 6.0 at tea time then after tea 28.3 then by midnight hypo.
