Q: I am 39 years old and am a diabetes patient for the last two years. I am taking Daonil one before lunch and one before dinner. Then on your web site I read that there are three types of diabetes medicines. Some are taken before food while some are taken with and after food. My question is - How can I know which medicine is fit to me? Further, since the time I am using Daonil I frquently have loose motions.

A:Daonil is the brand name of a medicine called glibenclamide. It belongs to a broader group called sulphonylureas. The other popular members of this group are: gliclazide, glipizide. They all have similar mode of action. Only one sulphonylurea can be taken at one time. In view of the loose motions being caused by Daonil, you can shift to gliclazide 80mg (sold under the brand name of Lycazid). The medicine should be taken during the meal (i.e. in the middle of a meal) to avoid side effects. The dose is one tablet with breakfast and one with dinner. Depending on blood glucose levels, the dose can be increased to three or four tablets or reduced to just one tablet in due course. The reccomendation of taking anti-diabetic drugs before or after (or even during) are not very crucial. One can take the medicine either just before, or during or just after a major meal. The idea is to ensure that the medicine is not missed when the meal is taken and meal is not missed when the medicine is taken before hand. In either case there can be either high or low blood glucose levels. Generally, anti-diabetic drugs are taken just before meals to ensure that the patient does not forget once the meal is taken. Also this results in better absorption.