Hi All, I'm 45 and fairly new to diabetes (1 year) and very new to victoza. I have fibromyalgia which includes IBS so when I was given Metformin as a first line drug I had a bit of a tough time and was quickly switched to Slow Release (750mg x2) which has been much better tolerance wise but only limited success in bringing down my BG which was waivering between 18 and 12 (although much better than the 23 when I was first diagnosed!) My specialist then added in dapagliflozin which reduced my BG range to 9 to 15, a slight improvement but which gave me chronic and persistent thrush, so I have been switched to victoza and although i do have some concerns about the cancer results in rat trials I am aware that a lot of thing we do and are exposed to in daily life increases our risk so I'm trying to keep a balance . The diabetes is having quite a serious effect on my health, every time I'm ill with a bug or infection I'm VERY ill, my eyesight has deteriorated rapidly and problems with nerves in my hands have been attributed so I felt victoza was worth a go. I think it's down to the individual to try and make the best informed decision for their circumstances.
18 months ago I had to give myself Clixane injections (anticlotting) daily for a month, which were so painful I dreaded taking itp so I was upset to learn the new drug was injected. I need not have worried. My diabetes nurse allayed my fears and she as right. The needles are so fine you barely feel them, I have no injection site irritation and no burn afterwards. It's easy peasy. I've found having the injection an hour after my evening meal means my nausea is limited. I've had some mild headaches and thirst but nothing compared to dapagliflozin. I doubled my dose to 1.2mg after a week and found it just as tolerable as the lower dose so feel lucky, I've had a couple of bouts of tummy pain but only after eating something fatty and constipation has so far not been an issue for me.
As for weight? I haven't weighed myself in 2 weeks but there is a visible difference in me. I was on the upper border of overweight but not obese when I started but would benefit from losing a couple of stone, which I find difficult to do through exercise as I have one hip replacement and need another. I find my appetite is completely different from the very first dose of victoza. I don't feel snacky, I don't fancy foods the way I did and am finding that I'm not enjoying eating like I did, which I sort of miss but at the same time it's a relief to not be thinking about how to satisfy myself in healthy ways constantly . I now find that I'm satisfied with a much smaller plateful and usually leave half of my meal. Fatty foods also give me horrible heartburn, so I don't feel an incentive to eat them. I'll keep an eye on this thread as it's been useful and makes one feel less alone, as it can be hard for family to understand the need for a total lifestyle change.