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Going from Victoza to Insulin

D

Dippy Dora

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
Hi all

Ive been using victoza injection for the last few years. I have it every morning. It means I cannot go too low. My sugar levels have never been too low anyway. I am shaky at 8 (old school numbers) but to be honest am more than likely to be around 10. I am 14 before breakfast and 18 an hour later. This I know is way too high.

I keep having hot flushes - some down to my age and some down to medication. I get a hot flush within 15 mins of eating. I have days where I feel lousy. Nauseous, dizzy, lethargic to the point whereby I cant function. this usually happens when Ive had a few really busy days. I struggle to cope with the heat since I have been using Victoza. Is this normal?

I have been off work for the last two days due to feeling unwell generally (two very hot days over the weekend). Ive only been able to drink mineral water with elderflower cordial (this helps with the nausea). I have been experiencing palpitations for a few weeks now (but have put this down to stress of starting a new job)

My diabetes nurse keeps suggesting that I go onto insulin and I keep refusing - due to changes to driving licence and travel insurance etc. Has anyone else experienced this change and how did it go. What happened. How did you feel. How often do you have to check sugars and how often to you have to inject. I have come to the realisation that I really have no choice. There is history of diabetes in the family with three members on my mums side of the family being insulin dependent.

I am scared. Any reassurances will help.
 
First, are you overweight? If so then do adopt a low-carb diet to help reduce weight. You may then need neither Victoza nor insulin. Having insulin if overweight is not ideal as you may be adding insulin to a body already having too much? I may be wrong with my guess but if your BMI is too high then diet is your number one priority. If you do need to go onto insulin the number of injections depends on what regime you are put on. Some T2s will just be put on long-acting (Basal) which will be one or two injections per day. If your pancreas has failed badly then you may be given the Basal/Bolus regime which is both long and short-acting insulins. This can mean anything from 3 to 5 injections. A few may be put onto mixed insulin which I think is best avoided unless you want to minimise injections.
 
I was and still am using Victoza before I went on to insulin and now I am on insulin I am still on Victoza. When I got put on to insulin I was put on to novomix 30 a premixed insulin which is fantastic as a starting point for insulin, but found it to restricting, and a couple of months ago I switched on to a basal/bolus regime. And that has helped a lot but the Victoza helps to keep my weight down now as well. There are draw backs with driving if you are a professional driver however if you have just a car licence it's not to bad you will have to apply for a renewal every 3 years in most cases. As for travel insurance I haven't got a scooby doo about that. At the end of the day it's a pain being insulin dependant but saying that so is having diabetes, and you learn to cope and adjust to your new circumstances, and there are a few advantages to being on insulin, that you get testing supplies on prescription if you already don't lol. And as for testing you will test a lot more if you go on to insulin


Type 2 diagnosed 24/01/2013.
NovoRapid, Lantus, Victoza, Metformin (sr), Simvistatin
 
Hello Dippy Dora, You have been on victoza for years, did'nt know it had been around that long!, Dora what dose of victoza you are on, I'm still on 1.2ml per day, and the maximumis 1.8 perday, do you feel as though it has failed you? and do you think it is as good as they say it is. (now they are even prescribing it for weight loss), You don't sound very happy at the prospect of going on to insulin, will it still be in the injectable pen style? I am asking as I hope it is going to work well for me, I dont fancy insulin. I also struggle with the heat, and try and stay in, where it is cooler, as the swollen feet and anklesare very uncomfortable, as well as getting sweatty, yuk. The other posts gave you lots of information, and I have been testing with a supplied by the doctors test kit. keep in touch and let us know how you are getting on, ttfn
 
thank you for your replies. I am feeling quite emotional about having to go on insulin but I am fed up of feeling iffy.

Of course I am overweight. I lost a stone over a few months and then went for a review. The sugar levels hadnt changed. I had cut out bread and potatoes as I was using the slimming world diet. It was just harder due to the diabetes. I did it though. Lost a stone. I went to review all excited thinking I was going to get good news and hope to be advised the sugar levels were coming down and that the weight loss would mean that eventually I could come off the meds.

Unfortunately this was not the case. No change. The levels that morning were 18 not to mention the HB1c thingy. That hadnt changed over the three months either. Was really down.

The nurse then advised me that as there had been no change and there are insulin dependent people in my family that It didnt matter if I lost weight and came into her at 6 stone that I would still end up on insulin. She offered to take me through it then and start me off and I refused for the second time.

I have just had another bought of feeling lousy and want to feel better so have now made an appointment to go onto insulin. I will be so upset if it doesnt help though.

I have been on Victoza for about three years now. 1.2ml a day.
 
Hi Dora, did you ask about putting your victoza up to 1.8ml a day?, before you went onto the unwanted insulin.
Have you considered a different diet plan, which may work for you?
What other medications are you /have you been on?
You sound so down and a bit depressed at the insulin prospect.
I have read that some users have two types together for long and short times
Have you seen a diabetic specialist doctor at a hospital, to confirm your need to change to insulin, why is the nurse always going on about you moving to insulin? could she using family history? I always have my victoza in the afternoon, as it is then between the tablets that I use twicea day, and the are marketing victoza as an aid to weight loss, I am trying to loose weight, and struggling along the way, the slowing down of the passage, through the stomach, intestines is part of the keeping you fuller longer, it has not helped my stomach as it now goes very slow, not what I like, hummm,keep connecting ttfn
 
Hi. Thanks for the updated info. Whilst I'm on insulin and it's not as bad as it sounds if you can avoid it that would be great. With regard to diet the important thing is reducing the carbs as far as you reasonably can as these cause both higher blood sugar and weight gain. The problem with many diets such as Slimming World and so on is that they aren't targeted at diabetics and also they are to some extent based on the bad science that fats are the cause of excess weight and cholesterol. It's the carbs that are the villain so anything you can do on that front will help. As your family has a history of diabetes it is always possible that you have a mix of T2 and T1. Whilst the causes may be complex, the treatment approach still involves a low-carb diet and some meds. Insulin may be needed eventually but keeping the carbs down may enable the Victoza to be reduced which will make it easier to decide the best meds for the future
 
i've been on insulin 9 weeks and Victoza since Monday this week. am on Metformin as well for 10 years.

I went on Victoza because i moaned to my nurse about putting weight on whilst on insulin, easily 1 lb a week. needed to reduce bloods sugars for an operation but then vicious circle if you put weight on they moan at you at the hospital and still wont get the operation.

I think I've noticed a difference with Victoza, my bloods for last 3 days have been around 7 which is a miracle even had 6.7 before my tea last night, until i did today's lunch one which was 9.3 but i did it after eating my cauliflower cheese and peanuts because i forgot, but only 15 mins after i'd eaten so shouldn't have made much difference. Not noticed the appetite surpressant thing but had a couple of short nausea attacks yesterday. i take my shot at night time to try and

I do the basal / bolus thing with insulin to minimise allegedly the weight gain. However with Victoza have dropped from 24u at night to 19, and so far have only had 2u of short acting all day 1 at brekkie, 1 at lunch after said cauliflower cheese and handfull and a bit of peanuts.

All i can say is why didn't they suggest Victoza first before suggesting insulin. There is Glicazide as well you can have theres 2 types 2 spellings, and i've been on that as well, 1 x 80mg tablet a day that lowers blood sugars and you can take between 2 and 4 a day. For the week prior to me going on insulin and waiting for appointment to see the nurse, she said take 2 twice a day i think it was and that made a difference.

My readings were 28 and hba1c of 164, so no wonder i couldn't get my operation.

there are other options out there so see if they will let you try them (i havent send my licence form off either, keep hoping i can come off insulin )
 
Bev18 said:
i've been on insulin 9 weeks and Victoza since Monday this week. am on Metformin as well for 10 years.

I went on Victoza because i moaned to my nurse about putting weight on whilst on insulin, easily 1 lb a week. needed to reduce bloods sugars for an operation but then vicious circle if you put weight on they moan at you at the hospital and still wont get the operation.

I think I've noticed a difference with Victoza, my bloods for last 3 days have been around 7 which is a miracle even had 6.7 before my tea last night, until i did today's lunch one which was 9.3 but i did it after eating my cauliflower cheese and peanuts because i forgot, but only 15 mins after i'd eaten so shouldn't have made much difference. Not noticed the appetite surpressant thing but had a couple of short nausea attacks yesterday. i take my shot at night time to try and

I do the basal / bolus thing with insulin to minimise allegedly the weight gain. However with Victoza have dropped from 24u at night to 19, and so far have only had 2u of short acting all day 1 at brekkie, 1 at lunch after said cauliflower cheese and handfull and a bit of peanuts.

All i can say is why didn't they suggest Victoza first before suggesting insulin. There is Glicazide as well you can have theres 2 types 2 spellings, and i've been on that as well, 1 x 80mg tablet a day that lowers blood sugars and you can take between 2 and 4 a day. For the week prior to me going on insulin and waiting for appointment to see the nurse, she said take 2 twice a day i think it was and that made a difference.

My readings were 28 and hba1c of 164, so no wonder i couldn't get my operation.

there are other options out there so see if they will let you try them (i havent send my licence form off either, keep hoping i can come off insulin )
Click to expand...
That's great about how your bg's have dropped, I was the same when I started Victoza.
But on the other hand not sending off your licence hoping that you are going to come off insulin I a bit irresponsible as if you have an accident you will have the book thrown at you and also there is a good chance your insurance company won't pay out for any damages


Type 2 diagnosed 24/01/2013.
NovoRapid, Lantus, Victoza, Metformin (sr), Simvistatin
 
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