Avazide MF 40mg/500mg Tablet SR

Avazide MF 40mg/500mg Tablet SR should be taken with food. Take it regularly at the same time each day to get the most benefit. Your doctor will decide what dose is best for you and this may change from time to time according to how it is working according to your blood sugar levels.

Keep taking this medicine, even if you feel well or your blood sugar levels are controlled. If you stop it without consulting your doctor, your blood sugar levels could rise and put you at risk of kidney damage, blindness, nerve problems and loss of limbs. Remember that it is only part of a treatment program that should also include a healthy diet, regular exercise, and weight reduction as advised by your doctor. Your lifestyle plays a big part in controlling diabetes.

The most common side effect of Avazide MF 40mg/500mg Tablet SR is low blood glucose levels (hypoglycemia). Make sure you recognize the signs of having low blood glucose levels, such as sweating, dizziness, headache, and shaking and know how to deal with it. To prevent this, it’s important to have regular meals and always carry a fast-acting source of glucose such as sugary food or fruit juice with you. Drinking alcohol can also increase your risk of low blood sugar levels and should be avoided. Other side effects that may be seen on taking this medicine include taste changes, nausea, diarrhea, stomach pain, headache, and upper respiratory tract infection. Some people may find that they put on weight with this medicine.

You should not take it if you have type 1 diabetes mellitus, if you have diabetic ketoacidosis (high levels of acid in your blood), or if you have severe kidney or liver disease. Before taking this medicine, tell your doctor if you have ever had heart disease. It may not be suitable. Pregnant or breastfeeding women should also consult their doctor before taking it. Your blood sugar levels should be checked regularly and your doctor may also advise blood tests to monitor your blood cell counts and liver function.

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is an antidiabetic medication. It works by increasing the amount of insulin released by the pancreas in order to lower the blood sugar levels.

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Take it shortly before or with the first main meal of the day (usually breakfast). Avoid skipping meals.

Be careful while driving or operating machinery until you know how Gliclazide affects you.

It can cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar level) when used with other antidiabetic medicines, alcohol or if you delay or miss a meal.

Always carry some sugary food or fruit juice with you in case you experience hypoglycemic symptoms such as cold sweats, cool pale skin, tremor and anxiety.

Your doctor may check your liver function regularly. Inform your doctor if you develop symptoms, such as abdominal pain, loss of appetite, or yellowing of the eyes or skin (jaundice).

Q. What is the best time to take Gliclazide?

Take Gliclazide before meals or exactly as instructed by your doctor. There is evidence stating that Gliclazide works best at controlling post meal high blood sugar levels when taken 30 minutes before breakfast. So, if you are supposed to take it once daily, take it in the morning before breakfast with a glass of water.

Q. Is Gliclazide the same as metformin?

No, Gliclazide is not the same as metformin. Although both these oral medicines are used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, the way they work to reduce the sugar levels are different. While Gliclazide acts by increasing the secretion of insulin by the pancreas, metformin acts by improving the functioning and effectiveness of the insulin already available in the body.

Q. Can you take metformin and Gliclazide at the same time?

Yes, Gliclazide and metformin can be taken at the same time but only if prescribed by the doctor. Your doctor may have prescribed taking the two together to control your uncontrolled sugar levels. However, taking the two together may cause low blood sugar which may also occur if you delay or miss a meal, exercise more than usual or take it with insulin. Follow the instructions given by your doctor strictly to avoid such complications.

Q. Is Gliclazide bad for kidneys?

No, Gliclazide is not harmful if your kidney function is normal. Any previous case of kidney problem should be informed to the doctor, so that the use of Gliclazide can be assessed. This is done in order to analyze whether Gliclazide can be given or not because it is principally excreted by the kidney. If you have kidney problems you will be started at a lower dose.

Q. What does Metformin do exactly?

People with type 2 diabetes are not able to make enough insulin or respond normally to the insulin made by their bodies. When this happens, the concentration of sugar/glucose increases in the blood. Metformin acts in several ways to reduce the increased levels of sugar in blood. Metformin decreases glucose production from the liver and decreases absorption of glucose from the intestine after taking food while improving the sensitivity of the body organs and muscles towards insulin. This helps improve the uptake of glucose from the blood. It also helps your body to respond better to the insulin it makes naturally.

Q. Does Metformin cause weight loss?

Yes, Metformin has been shown to cause weight loss in people who are overweight or obese. It may also cause a modest loss in weight in those overweight and obese individuals who are at risk for diabetes. In addition, patients who are sensitive or resistant to insulin may also show weight loss. But, do not start taking this medicine for weight loss on your own. Consult your doctor for the same.

Q. What are the benefits of taking Metformin?

Metformin is one of the first medicines that is given to patients with high blood sugar levels. It helps control blood sugar levels. It promotes the body’s response to the insulin made by the pancreas, decreases the amount of sugar made by the liver and decreases the amount of sugar absorbed by the intestines. Unlike other oral antidiabetic medicines, Metformin when taken alone, rarely causes low blood sugar as it prevents the pancreas from secreting more insulin. In addition to being a great medicine to lower blood sugar levels, it also helps in controlling weight gain.

Q. Can Metformin make you sleepy?

Metformin usually does not cause sleepiness and is well tolerated. However, the use of Metformin may rarely cause sleep disorders and insomnia. Sleepiness may be due to a very serious side effect called lactic acidosis, which particularly occurs if your kidneys are not working properly. Contact your doctor if you feel sleepy or tired while taking Metformin.

Q. How to take Metformin?

Take Metformin with or after a meal. Do not crush or chew the tablets and swallow it with a glass of water. If your doctor has prescribed one tablet a day, prefer taking it in the morning with breakfast. If you have been prescribed two tablets a day, then take one in the morning and other in the evening with dinner. In case of three doses a day, apart from morning and evening, you can take it with lunch. Taking Metformin with meals will reduce its digestive problems like indigestion, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach ache and loss of appetite.

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Most side effects do not require any medical attention and disappear as your body adjusts to the medicine. Consult your doctor if they persist or if you’re worried about them

Loss of appetite

Abdominal pain

Diarrhea

Taste change

Vomiting

Nausea

Alcohol:UNSAFE

It is unsafe to consume alcohol with Avazide MF 40mg/500mg Tablet SR.

Pregnancy:CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR

Avazide MF 40mg/500mg Tablet SR may be unsafe to use during pregnancy. Although there are limited studies in humans, animal studies have shown harmful effects on the developing baby. Your doctor will weigh the benefits and any potential risks before prescribing it to you. Please consult your doctor.

Breast feeding:SAFE IF PRESCRIBED

Avazide MF 40mg/500mg Tablet SR is probably safe to use during breastfeeding. Limited human data suggests that the drug does not represent any significant risk to the baby.

Driving:CAUTION

Your ability to drive may be affected if your blood sugar is too low or too high. Do not drive if these symptoms occur.

Kidney:CAUTION

Avazide MF 40mg/500mg Tablet SR should be used with caution in patients with kidney disease. Dose adjustment of Avazide MF 40mg/500mg Tablet SR may be needed. Please consult your doctor.Use of Avazide MF 40mg/500mg Tablet SR is, however, not recommended in patients with severe kidney disease. Regular monitoring of kidney function test is advisable while you are taking this medicine.

Liver:CAUTION

Avazide MF 40mg/500mg Tablet SR should be used with caution in patients with liver disease. Dose adjustment of Avazide MF 40mg/500mg Tablet SR may be needed. Please consult your doctor.Avazide MF 40mg/500mg Tablet SR is generally started with low dose in patients with mild to moderate liver disease and its use is not recommended in patients with severe liver disease.

Gottwald-Hostalek U, Schlachter J, Geloneze B. Combination Therapy with Metformin plus Gliclazide in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes. J Dia Res Ther. 2016;2. view

Gliclazide. Dupnitsa, Bulgaria: Balkanpharma-Dupnitsa AD; 2016. view

Metformin hydrochloride. Princeton, New Jersey: Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. view

Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation . view