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Side Effects of Diamicron

The World Health Organization reports that 180 million people worldwide suffer from diabetes, a condition that causes elevations in blood-sugar levels. Left untreated, diabetes causes a number of serious health complications, including damage to your heart, blindness and a lack of circulation to your legs and feet that can lead to amputation. Fortunately, there are a number of treatments available to help lower your blood sugar and limit the complications of diabetes. In Canada and the United Kingdom, a common treatment option is the use of a prescription drug called Diamicron, or gliclazide. Despite its effectiveness, Diamicron is not for everyone as it presents several risks for side effects and complications in some patients.

  1. Common Side Effects

    • The most common side effects of Diamicron are not serious in nature. Many patients who take the drug experience gastrointestinal side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, gas and heartburn. It is also common for diabetics using Diamicron to notice either an increase or decrease in appetite. Diamicron users also frequently reports changes in the way food tastes and more frequent urination.

    Hypoglycemia

    • Because Diamicron functions to lower blood-sugar levels, the drug has the potential to cause severe drops in glucose levels or hypoglycemia. While you are using the drug, your doctor will advise you to check your blood-sugar levels several times each day to prevent a sudden incidence of hypoglycemia, but you should also be aware of the symptoms of this common side effect. Signs of hypoglycemia include blurred vision, anxiety, a change in behavior that mimics intoxication, drowsiness, racing heartbeat, confusion and slurred speech.

    Drug Interactions

    • There are some medications that produce unwanted side effects when used in conjunction with Diamicron. Some drugs increase the likelihood of developing hypoglycemia while taking Diamicron, including ACE and MAOI inhibitors, cimetidine, large doses of aspirin, fluconazole and sulpha drugs. When combined with blood thinners such as warfarin, Diamicron increases your risk of experiencing uncontrollable bleeding during surgery or following an injury.

    Risks

    • In addition to minor side effects and the risk of interactions, Diamicron has the potential to cause serious medical complications. For instance, Diamicron sometimes interferes with liver function, leading to a yellowing of the eyes and skin known as jaundice. In some cases, this interference leads to inflammation of the liver, which is sometimes referred to as hepatitis. Rarely, Diamicron causes seizures, increases in blood pressure and chest pain.

    Considerations

    • Because it can cause low birth weights and damage to the fetus, doctors do not prescribe Diamicron for pregnant women. Additionally, it is not given to children under the age of 12 and used only with caution in people over the age of 65 due to its side effects. If you have a history of liver disease, your doctor may not prescribe Diamicron because of the risk of developing hepatitis. Certain glandular disorders, such as hypothyroidism and pituitary or adrenal insufficiency, increase your risk for developing side effects from Diamicron.

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