Glz Total Tablet

Composition of Glz Total Tablet

Glz Total Tablet contains Metformin (500mg) + Pioglitazone (15mg) + Gliclazide (60mg). It belongs to the Biguanide, Oral anti-diabetic and Sulfonylurea class of medicines.

Uses of Glz Total Tablet

Glz Total Tablet is used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Key benefits

• First-choice medicine for type 2 diabetes
• Does not usually cause weight gain
• Low risk of hypoglycaemia when used alone
• Targets the after-meal sugar rise
• Can be combined with other diabetes medicines
• Lowers blood sugar quickly
• Long-established and inexpensive

How Glz Total Tablet works

Glz Total Tablet is a combination of three antidiabetic medicines: Gliclazide, Pioglitazone and Metformin. They work by different mechanisms to provide better control of blood sugar when single or dual therapy is not effective. Gliclazide is a sulfonylurea which works by increasing the amount of insulin released by the pancreas in order to lower the blood glucose. Pioglitazone is a thiazolidinedione which increases insulin sensitivity. Metformin is a biguanide. It works by lowering glucose production in the liver, delaying glucose absorption from intestines and further increasing the body's sensitivity to insulin.

How to take Glz Total Tablet

Take this medicine in the dose and duration as advised by your doctor. Swallow it as a whole. Do not chew, crush or break it. Glz Total Tablet is to be taken with food.<br>Glz Total Tablet may cause stomach upset if taken on empty stomach.

Take it exactly as your doctor prescribed. Do not change the dose or stop early on your own.

Missed dose and overdose

If you miss a dose

Take it as soon as you remember. If your next dose is almost due, skip the one you missed — never take two doses together to catch up.

If you take too much

An overdose of this medicine can cause a dangerous build-up of acid in the blood, with vomiting, severe weakness and laboured breathing. It may cause low blood sugar and marked stomach upset. It can cause severe and prolonged low blood sugar, which may lead to fits or unconsciousness. Do not wait for symptoms to appear — go to the nearest emergency department and take the pack or strip with you.

Side effects of Glz Total Tablet

Most side effects of Glz Total are mild and settle as the body adjusts. Reported side effects include:

• Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar level) Nausea Taste change Diarrhea Stomach pain Headache Edema (swelling) Weight gain Blurred vision Bone fracture Respiratory tract infection

Stop the medicine and seek help immediately for a rash, swelling of the face or lips, wheezing or difficulty breathing. Tell your doctor about any side effect that persists or worries you.

Safety advice for Glz Total Tablet

Warnings and precautions

Stomach upset is common in the first two weeks and usually settles; taking it with food helps. Tell your doctor before any surgery or a scan that uses contrast dye — this medicine is usually stopped for a short time around them. Stop and seek urgent care if you develop deep rapid breathing, severe weakness, muscle pain or vomiting with cold clammy skin. This is rare but serious. Long-term use can lower vitamin B12, so your doctor may check it from time to time. If you feel shaky, sweaty, confused or unusually hungry, take sugar, glucose or a sweet drink at once and tell your doctor — these are signs your blood sugar has fallen too low. If a low-sugar episode happens while on an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor such as voglibose or acarbose, use glucose — ordinary sugar and sweets work more slowly. Tell your doctor about any new swelling of the ankles, breathlessness or sudden weight gain. Do not skip meals while on this medicine — a missed meal is the commonest cause of a low-sugar episode. Carry glucose, sugar or sweets with you, and tell the people you live and work with what a low-sugar episode looks like. Older people and people with kidney trouble are more likely to have low sugar, and may need a smaller dose.

Do not take Glz Total if

Not for anyone with a known allergy to this medicine or to any ingredient in the pack. Not for people with severe kidney disease, severe liver disease, or an acute illness causing dehydration. Not for people who have had diabetic ketoacidosis. Not for type 1 diabetes or for diabetic ketoacidosis. Not for people with heart failure, active bladder cancer or unexplained blood in the urine. Not for people with severe kidney or liver disease.

Interactions with other medicines

Tell your doctor about water tablets, steroids, and any contrast dye scan. Alcohol increases the risk of the rare acid build-up and should be limited. Low blood sugar is more likely when combined with insulin or a sulfonylurea. Many medicines change how strongly this works — tell your doctor about aspirin, blood thinners, antifungals, sulfa antibiotics and beta blockers in particular. Beta blockers can mask the warning signs of low blood sugar.

How to store Glz Total Tablet

Store below 30°C in the original pack, away from direct sunlight and moisture. Keep out of the reach of children.

Expert advice for Glz Total Tablet

Take it with or just after food to reduce stomach upset. Keep taking it even when your sugar readings look normal — that is the medicine working. Continue your diet and physical activity; this medicine works alongside them, not instead of them. Take it with the first mouthful of your meal so it can act on that meal. Expect some wind in the first weeks; it usually settles. Take it shortly before a meal, and eat that meal. Check your sugar as often as your doctor has asked, especially when your routine changes.

Manufacturer and class

Manufacturer:

ALEMBIC PHARMA

Therapeutic class:

Anti-diabetic

Drug class:

Biguanide, Oral anti-diabetic and Sulfonylurea