Glican-M Tablet belongs to a class of medicine known as an anti-diabetic. It is primarily used to treat Type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is a chronic or lifelong condition affecting how your body processes glucose. People with type 2 diabetes either do not produce enough insulin, or if at all the insulin is produced, it is unable to perform its function in the body (insulin resistance). Due to this, the blood glucose level increases and symptoms such as frequent urination, increased thirst and increased hunger start. It can lead to serious complications like skin infection, eye problems (retinopathy), nerve damage (neuropathy), diabetic foot (foot ulcer), kidney disease (nephropathy), high blood pressure, and even stroke.

Glican-M Tablet is a combination of two anti-diabetic drugs: Gliclazide and Metformin. Gliclazide is a 'sulfonylurea' which acts by increasing the amount of insulin released by the pancreas. On the other hand, Metformin, which is a 'biguanide', 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. Glican-M Tablet act together to keep your blood sugar levels under check. The strict control of blood sugars is especially important to mention the many disabling side effects of Diabetes. Glican-M Tablet shows optimum effects when taken along with healthy lifestyle changes like weight loss, regular exercise, a healthy diet etc. 

Glican-M Tablet should be taken with food to avoid an upset stomach. Glican-M Tablet should be taken at the same time of the day each time for best results. For better advice, your doctor will decide what dose should be taken, which can change quickly depending on your condition. A common side effect of Glican-M Tablet is hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose levels) characterized by dizziness, sweating, palpitations, hunger pangs, dry mouth and skin etc. So, to avoid hypoglycaemia, you should not miss meals and also should carry some form of sugar along with you. Other side effects include taste change, nausea, diarrhoea, stomach pain, headache, and upper respiratory symptoms.

You should not take the Glican-M Tablet if you have diabetic ketoacidosis (excess acids in your blood). Glican-M Tablet should not be stopped even if you feel better without consulting your doctor as sugar levels change. If you stop taking Glican-M Tablet abruptly, it may increase your sugar levels which could further increase the risk of eyesight loss (retinopathy), kidney (nephropathy) and nerve damage (neuropathy). Glican-M Tablet should not be taken if you have type 1 diabetes mellitus or severe kidney or liver disease. Tell your doctor before prescribing the Glican-M Tablet if you are a pregnant woman or nursing mother.

Glican-M Tablet 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. Glican-M Tablet 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. Glican-M Tablet 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.

• Hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose level)

• Dizziness

• Sweating

• Palpitations

• Hunger pangs

• Dry mouth

• Dry skin

• Taste change

• Nausea

• Diarrhoea

• Stomach pain

• Headache

Some diabetic patients taking Glican-M Tablet  may develop a rare but serious condition called lactic acidosis. In this condition, too much lactic acid is accumulated in the blood. So, your liver and kidney's proper functioning is required to eliminate excess lactic acid from the blood. You should not take Glican-M Tablet if you have kidney disease, as measured by a blood test. Glican-M Tablet may lower vitamin B12 levels, so try to have blood tests annual blood and vitamin. Glican-M Tablet , when used with or without insulin, tends to lower the blood sugar level extremely. So, the doctor may reduce the dose of insulin. Glican-M Tablet may lower your thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), so an annual check-up of TSH is suggested.

Drug-Drug Interactions: Glican-M Tablet 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 Glican-M Tablet .

Drug-Food Interactions: Taking Glican-M Tablet 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: Glican-M Tablet 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.

• INSULIN
• HYDROCHLOROTHIAZIDE
• AMLODIPINE
• FUROSEMIDE
• DIGOXIN
• METOPROLOL
• PREDNISOLONE

• 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.

• Keep taking the drug even if you think your blood sugar levels are under control. If you miss a dose, do not take a larger dose; consult your treating physician for advice. 

• 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. 

• Before the doctor prescribes this medicine, it is always better that your physician knows about any underlying conditions like kidney or liver disease, prior heart attack, alcohol intake, etc..

• Avoid drinking alcohol while on this drug as it increases the risk of hypoglycaemia (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).

• Try to quit smoking and reduce your intake of carbohydrate-rich food like potatoes, rice, mangoes, bread, sugar etc.

• Remember, lifestyle modifications are the most important step in controlling blood sugar levels.

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.