Gliclazide+metformin
About Gliclazide+metformin
Gliclazide+metformin is used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus. Type 2 diabetes develops when the body does not produce enough insulin or when your body's insulin does not work as well as it should. It can also develop if the body produces too much glucagon.
Gliclazide+metformin is a combination of Gliclazide and Metformin. This medicine works by increasing the amount of insulin released by the pancreas and thus results in decreased blood sugar levels in the body. It also works by lowering the glucose production in the liver, delaying glucose absorption from the intestines and increasing the body's response to insulin.
Not everyone who is taking Gliclazide+metformin will get these side effects. In some cases, you may experience certain common side effects, such as stomach ache or indigestion, nausea, vomiting, and constipation. Most of these side effects do not require medical attention and resolve gradually over time. However, please consult your doctor if you experience these side effects persistently.
Gliclazide+metformin should be taken with food to avoid an upset stomach. It is advised to take it at the same time each day for best results. For better advice, your doctor will determine the appropriate dose, which can change quickly depending on your condition. Do not skip your meals, and also carry a form of sugar with you to prevent low blood sugar levels.
Do not take Gliclazide+metformin if you are allergic to any of its components, or if you have diabetic ketoacidosis (excess acids in your blood). Gliclazide+metformin should not be stopped even if you feel better without consulting your doctor, as sugar levels may change. Consult the doctor if you are pregnant or planning to get pregnant or breastfeeding. Avoid alcohol consumption while taking Gliclazide+metformin, as it might increase the side effects (hypoglycemia).
Uses of Gliclazide+metformin
• Type 2 Diabetes management: Gliclazide+metformin helps to manage type 2 diabetes by controlling blood sugar levels in adults. It works by stimulating the pancreas to release more insulin.
• Lowering HbA1c (blood sugar)levels: Gliclazide+metformin helps to lower HbA1c (blood sugar)levels, indicating better long-term blood sugar control and reducing the risk of diabetes complications.
• Support complications of diabetes: Gliclazide+metformin helps manage diabetes complications such as kidney damage, blindness, and nerve damage by controlling blood sugar levels.
Medicinal Benefits
- Gliclazide+metformin plays a vital role in decreasing the blood sugar level in the body as metformin lowers glucose production in the liver, whereas the other increases the amount of insulin released by the pancreas.
- Gliclazide+metformin also helps to prevent serious complications of diabetes such as kidney damage (diabetic nephropathy), blindness (diabetic retinopathy), loss of sensation in your hands and feet (diabetic neuropathy) or even loss of the foot.
- Gliclazide+metformin also helps to reduce your chance of having a heart attack or stroke.
- Being a combination of two drugs, it reduces the need to take multiple pills and hence makes it easier to remember to take the drugs.
- The strict control of blood sugars is especially important to mention the many disabling side effects of diabetes.
- Gliclazide+metformin shows optimum effects when taken along with healthy lifestyle changes like weight loss, regular exercise, a healthy diet, etc.
Directions for Use
• Gliclazide+metformin should be taken with food to avoid stomach upset. • It is usually taken twice daily at the same time each day or as prescribed by your doctor. • Swallow Gliclazide+metformin as a whole with a glass of water. • Do not chew, crush, or break it.
Storage
Side Effects of Gliclazide+metformin
- Low blood glucose levels
- Dizziness
- Sweating
- Hunger pangs
- Dry mouth
- Dry skin
- Taste change
- Nausea
- Diarrhoea
- Stomach pain
- Headache
Drug Warnings
- Do not take Gliclazide+metformin if you are allergic to any of its components. Also this medicine is not recommended in conditions like type 1 diabetes, diabetic pre-coma or coma, severe liver or kidney disease.
- Inform the doctor if you have/had any medical history of heart, liver, and kidney diseases, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency (abnormality of red blood cells), and hemolytic anemia.
- Gliclazide+metformin, when used with insulin, may extremely lower the blood sugar level, leading to a hypoglycemic condition, which can be fatal.
- Inform your doctor if you are pregnant, planning for a pregnancy or breastfeeding before starting the treatment.
- Gliclazide+metformin may lower vitamin B12 levels, so try to have annual blood tests and vitamin tests.
- Gliclazide+metformin may lower your thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), so an annual check-up of TSH is suggested.
- Avoid drinking alcohol while on this drug as it increases the risk of hypoglycemia (decrease in blood sugar which might be fatal in some cases) and lactic acidosis (when the lactic acid increases in the body, which impacts the functioning of various organs in the body).
- Be alert for signs of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), such as sweating, dizziness, dry mouth, dry skin, fast heartbeat, shivering, intense thirst, or frequent urination.
Drug Interactions
Drug-Drug Interactions: Gliclazide+metformin may interact with insulin, high blood pressure-lowering pills (e.g. hydrochlorothiazide, amlodipine), water pills/diuretics (e.g. furosemide), heart failure-related medicines (e.g. digoxin), anti-hypertensive (e.g. metoprolol), steroids (e.g. prednisolone), thyroid hormones etc. So, tell your doctor if you are using these drugs before taking the Gliclazide+metformin.
Drug-Food Interactions: Taking Gliclazide+metformin with alcoholic beverages may increase the risk of a rare but serious and potentially life-threatening condition known as lactic acidosis (build-up of lactic acid in the blood) and hypoglycaemia.
Drug-Disease Interactions: Gliclazide+metformin should be avoided in patients with vitamin B12 deficiency, kidney problems, liver problems, cardiovascular disease (heart-related issues), and low blood sugar level (hypoglycaemia) as it may worsen the condition.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
unsafeYou are recommended not to consume alcohol along with Gliclazide+metformin to avoid unpleasant side-effects.
Pregnancy
cautionPlease consult the doctor. There are no adequate and well-controlled studies on pregnant women. Your doctor will prescribe only if the benefits outweigh the risks.
Breast Feeding
cautionLet your doctor know if you are a nursing mother before taking Gliclazide+metformin; your doctor will decide whether Gliclazide+metformin can be taken by breastfeeding mothers or not.
Driving
cautionGliclazide+metformin may cause hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar levels), whose symptoms include unusual sleepiness, shivering, palpitations, sweating etc. This may affect your ability to drive. Use caution while driving or doing anything that requires concentration.
Liver
cautionTell your doctor before prescribing the Gliclazide+metformin if you have a history of liver disease. Your doctor may adjust your dose depending upon your current liver conditions.
Kidney
cautionTell your doctor before receiving the Gliclazide+metformin if you have a history of kidney disease. Your doctor may adjust your dose depending upon your current kidney conditions.
Children
unsafeThe safety and efficacy of Gliclazide+metformin in children have not been established. Gliclazide+metformin is not recommended in children.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- Fill your half plate with starchy veggies, a quarter with proteins, and a quarter with whole grain.
- Eat at regular intervals. Do not take the long gap between a meal or snack.
- Monitor your blood sugar level regularly, especially when there are a lot of fluctuations.
- Invest at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity and 15 minutes of high-intensity exercise weekly.
- Lose weight gradually to achieve a healthy body mass index (18.5 to 24.9).
- Replace refined carbohydrates-containing foods with whole grain foods and increase intake of fruits, veggies, and other fibre-enriched foods.
- Reduce saturated fat intake (or hidden fats) in food like chips, crisps, pastries, biscuits and samosas. Choose omega-3 fatty acid-containing oils for daily cooking. For frying, you may use palm oil, mustard oil, groundnut oil, rice bran oil, and safflower oil.
- Do not take stress as it may elevate your blood sugar level. You may adopt stress management techniques like mindfulness, yoga or meditation to control pressure related to blood sugar changes.
- Opt for low-fat dairy products (low-fat yoghurt, fat-free milk and cheese etc.).
- Keep your blood pressure as normal (120/80) as possible as it reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases in diabetes patients.
Special Advise
Take short, frequent meals, and avoid prolonged fasting when taking this drug. Beware of hypoglycaemia symptoms, including sweating, dizziness, palpitations, shivering, intense thirst, dry mouth, dry skin, frequent urination etc. Whenever you experience the symptoms mentioned above, immediately consume 5-6 candies or 3 glucose biscuits or 3 teaspoons of honey/sugar and get in touch with your physician. Make sure to carry these with you at all times, especially for long travels.
Remember, lifestyle modifications are the most important step in controlling blood sugar levels.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Diabetes Mellitus type 2 is a condition in which either the body stops producing enough insulin (the hormone which helps to decrease sugar levels in the blood) or there is resistance to the action of insulin. As a result, excessive insulin is produced but it fails to act on the organs of the body. Symptoms of type 2 diabetes include feeling exhausted all time, feeling thirsty, having blurry vision, and urge to urinate (pee) more often. Complications of type 2 diabetes include skin infection, eye problems (retinopathy), nerve damage (neuropathy), delayed wound healing, diabetic foot (foot ulcer), kidney disease (nephropathy), high blood pressure, and even stroke. Both low and high blood sugar levels can be dangerous and should be treated as soon as possible. Your H1bA1C below 5.7% is normal, 5.7-6.4% confirms the prediabetes stage, and 6.5% or greater states diabetes condition.
FAQs
Gliclazide+metformin is used to treat Type 2 diabetes.
Gliclazide+metformin is a combination of two anti-diabetic drugs: Gliclazide and‚ Metformin. Gliclazide works by increasing the amount of insulin released by the pancreas. On the other hand, Metformin works by lowering the glucose production in the liver, delaying glucose absorption from the intestines and increasing the body's response to insulin. In a nutshell, the two medicines prevent blood glucose levels from rising to very high levels, thus keeping your diabetes under control.
Hypoglycemia refers to low blood sugar levels and it is one of the side effects of Gliclazide+metformin. Hypoglycemia can occur if you miss or delay your food, drink alcohol, over-exercise or take other antidiabetic medicine along with this medicine. It is important to regularly monitor blood sugar levels.
No, Gliclazide+metformin should not be used with other anti-diabetic medications as it may cause hypoglycemia (lowering of blood sugar level).
If you feel thirsty after taking Gliclazide+metformin, it may be because of dehydration as Gliclazide+metformin can lead to loss of fluids. Increase intake of fluids, if even then you feel thirsty please consult your doctor.
Yes, long-term usage of Gliclazide+metformin can cause vitamin B12 deficiency as it interferes with the absorption of vitamin B12 in the stomach. The symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency include fatigue, nerve problems, tingling sensation and numbness in hands and feet, weakness, urinary problems, affect mental status, and difficulty in maintaining balance. These symptoms can be managed by taking Vitamin B12 supplements as advised by your doctor.
If you have symptoms like increased hunger, increased thirst, frequent urination (usually at night), unexplained weight loss, fatigue, blurred vision, slow wound/sores healing, and frequent infections, contact doctor as it can be a condition of type 2 diabetes.
In case you feel that your blood sugar level is going down and you are feeling weak, immediately eat sugar candies or drink sugary beverages. It will help to balance the blood sugar level in your body. So, it is advisable to keep sugar candies with you.
Type-2 diabetes generally does not affect healthy children and teens, but it may affect children who are obese, which is also known as Childhood Obesity.
Include a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains like brown rice, whole wheat, oats, barley, and quinoa. Non-fat or low-fat dairy and proteins like chicken, lean meats, nuts, beans, tofu, lentils, eggs, fish, and turkey can also be included.
Cut back on foods high in sodium, alcohol, fried foods, and high-carb food and drinks like sugary drinks, drinks with added sugar, white rice and starchy vegetables.
Hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) may occur because you inject too much insulin, miss or delay meals, do not eat enough, eat food containing less carbohydrate than normal, drink alcohol, lose carbohydrates due to vomiting or diarrhoea, do more exercise than usual or a different type of physical activity, are recovering from an injury, illness, operation or stress, or are taking/have stopped taking other medicines.
Gliclazide+metformin is an anti-diabetic medicine used to treat type-2 diabetes.
Possible side effects of Gliclazide+metformin are low blood sugar, taste change, nausea, diarrhoea, stomach pain, headache, and upper respiratory symptoms. Consult the doctor if the side effects persist or worsen.
Gliclazide+metformin can cause lactic acidosis, a rare, but serious, metabolic complication. Consult the doctor if you notice symptoms of lactic acidosis like abdominal pain, vomiting, muscle cramps, difficulty breathing, reduced body temperature and heartbeat, and severe tiredness.
Gliclazide+metformin should not be taken by people who are allergic to any of its components, people having severe kidney disease or diabetic ketoacidosis.
No, it is not safe to drink alcohol while taking Gliclazide+metformin as it might cause low blood sugar and unpleasant side effects.
Gliclazide+metformin should be taken during pregnancy and breastfeeding only if prescribed by the doctor.
Gliclazide+metformin may not be recommended for children as the safety and efficacy have not been established. Please consult the doctor.
Overdose may cause hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar). Seek medical attention if you have overdosed on Gliclazide+metformin.
