Gliclazide

About gliclazide

Insulin is a hormone that is made naturally in your body, in the pancreas. It helps to control the levels of sugar in your blood. If your body does not make enough insulin to meet its needs, or if it does not use the insulin it makes effectively, this results in the condition called diabetes (diabetes mellitus).

Les personnes atteintes de diabète need treatment to control the amount of sugar in their blood. This is because good control of blood sugar (glucose) reduces the risk of complications later on. Some people can control the sugar in their blood by making changes to the food they eat but for other people, medicines like gliclazide are given alongside the changes in diet.

Gliclazide works by increasing the amount of insulin that your pancreas produces. It can be given on its own or alongside other antidiabetic medicines or insulin.

Some medicines are not suitable for people with certain conditions, and sometimes a medicine may only be used if extra care is taken. For these reasons, before you start taking gliclazide it is important that your doctor or pharmacist knows:

• Si vous êtes enceinte, essayez d'avoir un bébé ou allaitez.

• Si vous avez des problèmes rénaux ou hépatiques.

• Si on vous a dit que vous avez la porphyrie ou une déficience en glucose-6-phosphate déshydrogénase (G6PD). Ce sont des troubles héréditaires rares.

• Si vous prenez d'autres médicaments. Cela inclut tous les médicaments que vous prenez et qui sont disponibles à l'achat sans ordonnance, ainsi que les médicaments à base de plantes et les médecines complémentaires.

• Si vous avez déjà eu une réaction allergique à un médicament.

• Before you start this treatment, read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside your pack. The leaflet will give you more information about gliclazide and a full list of side-effects which you may experience from taking it.

• Take gliclazide exactly as your doctor has told you. It is usually recommended that you take it once a day with breakfast. Some people who need to take higher doses may be asked to split their dose and take tablets twice a day. Your doctor or pharmacist will tell you which is right for you, and your dose will also be on the label of the pack to remind you.

• If you have been given a modified-release form of gliclazide tablet (these usually have 'MR' after the tablet name), they should be swallowed whole. Do not break or crush the tablets, as they are specially coated to allow the medicine to be released slowly and evenly over the day.

• If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If you do not remember until the following day, skip the missed dose - do not take two doses together to make up for a forgotten dose.

• It is important that you keep your regular doctor's and clinic appointments. This is so your progress can be monitored. You are likely to need regular check-ups with an eye clinic and a foot clinic as well as with your doctor and diabetes clinic.

• Votre médecin peut vous recommander de tester régulièrement le taux de sucre (glucose) dans votre sang pour vérifier que votre diabète est bien contrôlé. Votre médecin ou votre infirmière spécialisée en diabète vous montrera comment faire.

• Si votre médecin vous a conseillé de modifier votre régime alimentaire, d'arrêter de fumer ou de faire de l'exercice régulièrement, il est important de suivre les conseils qui vous ont été donnés.

• Make sure you know what it feels like if your blood sugar is too low. This is known as hypoglycaemia, or a 'hypo'. The first signs of hypoglycaemia are feeling shaky or anxious, sweating, looking pale, feeling hungry, having a feeling that your heart is pounding (palpitations), and feeling dizzy. If this happens, eat something containing sugar, such as dextrose tablets, or sugary sweets or drinks (non-diet), and then follow this up with a snack such as a sandwich or a banana.

• Hypoglycaemia may occur if you miss a meal, if you exercise more than usual, if you are ill, or if you drink a lot of alcohol.

• Si vous êtes conducteur, vous devez faire particulièrement attention, car votre capacité de concentration peut être affectée si votre diabète n'est pas bien contrôlé. Il peut vous être conseillé de vérifier votre glycémie avant de voyager et d'avoir une collation avec vous lors de longs trajets.

• Les conducteurs au Royaume-Uni peuvent avoir besoin d'informer l'Agence des permis de conduire et des véhicules (DVLA) s'ils subissent un épisode d'hypoglycémie sévère ou une 'hypo' en conduisant. Demandez conseil à votre médecin. Les conducteurs dans d'autres pays devraient contacter l'agence de permis de conduire pertinente.

• Consultez votre médecin avant de commencer tout nouvel exercice physique, car cela aura un effet sur votre glycémie et vous devrez peut-être vérifier vos niveaux de sucre dans le sang plus régulièrement.

• Drinking alcohol is not advisable with gliclazide. If you do have a drink, keep well within the recommended alcohol limits, as alcohol will affect the control of your blood sugar.

• If you become unusually thirsty, pass urine more frequently, and feel very tired, then let your doctor know. Your dose of gliclazide may need adjusting.

• Treatment for diabetes is lifelong. Continue to take the tablets unless you are advised otherwise by your doctor.

• If you are due to have an operation or dental treatment, you should tell the person carrying out the treatment that you have diabetes and are taking gliclazide.

• If you buy any medicines, check with a pharmacist that they are suitable for you to take. This is because some medicines may interfere with gliclazide.

Along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them. The table below contains some of the more common ones associated with gliclazide. You will find a full list in the manufacturer's information leaflet supplied with your medicine. The unwanted effects often improve as your body adjusts to the new medicine, but speak with your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following side-effects continue or become troublesome.

Si vous ressentez d'autres symptômes que vous pensez être dus à ce médicament, parlez-en à votre médecin ou à votre pharmacien.

• Gardez tous les médicaments hors de la portée et de la vue des enfants.

• Conserver dans un endroit frais et sec, à l'abri de la chaleur directe et de la lumière.