Liraglutide/Victoza

[dorcas61]

I've been on Victoza for 4 weeks now and it certainly works - my fasting blood sugars down from 11.5 to 6.2

There is a price to pay however - very bad reaction with nausea/diarrhoea for just over 3 weeks - eased now, but I have a constant mild tummy ache This no doubt helps with weight loss - 7lbs but is difficult to live with. Lemon and ginger tea helps with the nausea, can anyone suggest anything else that might help?

 

[Kerryman]

I have been on Victoza for a number of years now. Initial results good, helped to control my high blood sugars and got numbers down below 8 and hba1c to 6 and 7. Now bloods increasing due to depression and an enlarged prostate.
I do not want to be put on insulin...unsure why..however the daily intale of 1.2 is not hitting the spot.

Becoming concerned and demotivated. 2 stone overweight but energy levels and confidence very low.

all input gratefully received from a new Forum member. Thank you.

 

[Karen.G.]

Hi Kerryman

Sorry to hear your going through a bad patch.

They do say that Victoza can stop working over time - you need to go back to your Drs.

I'm on insulin and to be honest it's not that different to taking Victoza - it does a job.

Good luck.

 

[The Kerryman]

Thank you Karen. Doc insistent that I now switch over to insulin.
I am resistant to changing over but tired of being "high" all the time.

 

[Madame cupcake]

Hi all ! I'm new to this forum so trying to work how to do this lol. My hubby is diabetic and has recently started victoza after being on meterformin and then gliclerzide and his bloods being uncontrollable. 0.6 victoza hewas still getting high blood reads of low 20's high teens at best, he's now up to 1.2 and has been eating fish/chicken and salad every night and is getting 6's sometimes 9's. When do you all take your victoza he has his at 7am but it's not suppressing his hunger . Thanks in advance Jen xx

 

[Marvin]

I take mine just after my morning shower, when its easier to get to the flabby bits! Before I was on Victoza I was on Byetta instead (a very similar drug but you have to inject it twice a day, within the hour immediately before breakfast and evening meals. I found Byetta depressed my appetite too much! I just lost all appetite for food, and wasn't enjoying life at all, feeling queasy all the time. So they've swapped me to Victoza and that side of things is a lot better. If your husband WANTS his appetite depressed, I suppose its possible Byetta might do the trick better for him than Victoza, but Byetta is less convenient with the two injections a day. I found the evening one particularly awkward especially if we were going out for a meal. Victoza can be taken at any time, as long as its roughly the same time each day.
On the positive side, I lost weight well on Byetta, and my HbA1C came down well, so the drug works....it just made me feel awful.

 

[Madame cupcake]

Where do you inject your victoza ? My hubby has been doing it in his stomach but is wanting to swap area and if you do it in a different area does it reduce the nausea ? Or does it work quicker ?

 

[Marvin]

I was told to inject into my lower abdomen: imagine drawing a four inch wide semicircular arc below the navel (keeping away from the navel area itself. That gives you a pretty big area to choose from, so you can keep the injection sites well separated. Avoid the belly above the navel...this can be quite muscular, expecially in men, even if, like me, there is something of a "beer belly". That said, he should have been taught the best places by the diabetes nurse, and I guess its best to stick to them.......it may vary from person to person depending on physique.

 

[Mikka Bikka]

Hi, I am new here, so not really sure if I am using the right thread?
I am afraid my problem goes further than trying to find the right meds for my diabetes type 2.
I have undergone tests and have had my letter saying I need a hysterectomy, I have abnormal cells. I am due to go in hospital on the 20th of February.
My problem is that they have phoned me up from the pre op assessment on Tue 22nd Jan to tell me that my blood sugar is through the roof? and my consultant has said it has to be better controlled before the op, because of healing etc. That doesn't give me much time! I have been quite poorly over Christmas with a chest infection, which resulted in my blood platelets being too low, these have fortunately improved now. I have downloaded as much information as I can, lot's of medical info plus low carb recipes which my nurse suggested. I go back for more blood results on Fiday 1st Feb, but if they are still too high, I only have a couple of weeks to get them under control!
I now bring you to my other problem!!!! I do have a phone appointment with my doctor tomorrow to try and sort it out.
I take Metformin SR, 1000 twice a day, and Victoza once daily. Recently (don't know why) my body will not seem to telerate the dose I am supposed to take. (1.2) I can tolerate the lowest dose, but a soon as I try to go to the next one, I am being sick and can't keep anything down? This is obviously affecting my Metformin SR, as I am bringing it back as it's still in my stomach being slow release. It hardly looks digested at all, just a little more jelly looking. (sorry for my descriptions) just trying to get the image across. I am at my wits end, as I don't want my operation to be put back! At the moment I am just injecting the smaller dose, and I will see what my doctor says tomorrow. I don't have anything to check my own levels at the moment so I will ask about that as well, as I have read some useful info about testing, and checking which foods don't send your sugar soaring!
any tips would really be appreciated, getting quite panicky now!
My previous meds were Metformin and Rosyglitazone, which I don't think is prescribed anymore. I have been diabetic for about 5 years. Sorry this is so long.

Hi, I have been taking Victosa for a couple of weeks and I have found an immediate effect on glucose levels, reduction in appetite (particularly cravings for sweet things) However, I too have experienced the side effects. (some nausea but mostly POUNDING headaches). I reduced the dose right back to .3mg and have slowly increased it to .6mg with a view to eventually getting to 1.8mg. I too take metformin SR (1mg in the evening and 500mg in the morning). I think that its worth persevering with the Victosa. Increase you dosage a little at a time as your body begins to tolerate it. As for the testing, it is important to monitor your glucose if nothing else at least for your own peace of mind and so that you can see that what you are doing is working. keep up the good work

 

[Starbuck28]

I started taking Liraglutide for the 1st time yesterday - I was advised by my diabetic nurse to take it in the evening just after evening meal that way if i feel sick it will be whilst I am asleep . I was gob smacked this morning to wake to a fasting reading of 11.2 and that was after i had halved my normal does of nighttime back ground insulin, up till this morning my fasting readings had started to creep up 18 with massive doses of Levemir (90 units) morning and night and meal time injections on Lantus based on the Carbs I had eaten.

I was diagnosed 4 years Ago and was put on insulin within 6 months as was very ill on Metformin I was not over weight before I was diagnosed but fell foul of my fathers family genes - Since I have been on Insulin things were great for the first two years but over the last year especially i have struggled to control my sugar levels and have swung between hypos and hypers which has resulted in a marked weight increase.

The fact i go to the gym or do some form of exercise every other day has enabled me to maintain my weight over the last year and because all of this was recorded at my local gym I think thats why I was offered this treatment that and the fact I broke down in tears with the GP over my weight.

I know this is only one day in but i have hight hopes for this treatment and how it helps my body with its struggle with insulin.

 

[Starbuck28]

Still doing great on this I have lost 7 lbs and My blood sugars are all between 8 and 9 now morning noon and night - Had a bit of nausea and minor headaches at the beginning and when i upped the dose this week - I feel wonderful

 

[bedslady]

Just joining in convo re victoza.... I started on 0.6 ml 3 days ago and although my bs still high, 13 &14's( usually I'm up in 20's)they have dropped within this short space of time. I feel totally different already- that insatiable craving for carbs & sugar have gone! My appetite very low but good ! Let's hope it continues. Only one issue... Even after just 1 injection my tummy so bruised. Anyone else have this prob?

 

[Starbuck28]

Just joining in convo re victoza.... I started on 0.6 ml 3 days ago and although my bs still high, 13 &14's( usually I'm up in 20's)they have dropped within this short space of time. I feel totally different already- that insatiable craving for carbs & sugar have gone! My appetite very low but good ! Let's hope it continues. Only one issue... Even after just 1 injection my tummy so bruised. Anyone else have this prob?

The diabetic specialist I see has said i can also inject into the top of my leg
What length needle are you using? I think the smallest you can get is 5mm, This is why I use and I get no bruising but what I do is go in slowly at a slight angle (only slight) bruising is normally caused by either stabbing it in and it then goes into the muscle through the dermis or dull needle
Don't know if any of that helps?

 

[bedslady]

Ok I'll check out needles and try yr suggestions

 

[tiresiaslily]

There's not been much activity on this thread but I'll post all the same in the hope of some positive feedback.

Just had my first full week on victoza and only 0.6mg. The last two days I've had a really sore stomach; a constant ache that doesn't let up.
I'll be due to double the dose in 6 days and I'm miserable at the thought.

This smacks back to early on in my diagnosis when my body couldn't tolerate metformin. I then went on Metformin SR topped up with glicazide but that didn't work out either. For the last 6 months I've been on lixisenatide and suffered no side effects but because my hbc1a is still too heigh the hospital have made this change to liraglutide. I'm beyond miserable but will try and stick it out if there's a chance it will subside. Looking for positive feedback but prepared for the worst.

 

[Liam1955]

Hello @tiresiaslily - How are you feeling now on the Liraglutide/Victoza? Have you increased the dosage?

 

[tiresiaslily]

I only posted yesterday so everything is much the same. I'm beginning to suspect that if I avoid eating the discomfort is about manageable.
However I'm sure there's a flaw in that

 

[tiresiaslily]

Okay just over 2 weeks, my dose has doubled to 1.2 and almost all the discomfort has eased off. I'm glad I stuck it out!

Hope this helps anyone else looking in

Dx

 

[Hobbytraveller]

It looks like liraglutide is the new wonder drug for repelling the onset of demensia. Reported on TV news last week that clinical trials study had produced remarkable results. It was with larger doses but hey ho 1.2 mg a day may do more than just keep blocking our sugars.

 

[Grahamkh]

I am about to start on Victoza after years of oral med's. After my latest recent check my Hba1c was showing signs of further increase and not being kept in reasonable control. So my HCP as taken off the Sitagliptin and I start on the Victoza 21/11/16. She has sold me on this medication with informing me I could at last lose some weight and lower my bloods to a more exceptable level. So I wait with fingers crossed. Kind regards to everyone Graham.