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Victoza no longer working

S

SimonMu

Member
Messages
8
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hi all.
New here but 12 year type 2 diabetic.
Originally when diagnosed years ago I started on metformin and insulin jabs. Quickly normalised and managed only on metformin for many years.
Then back onto insulin which did not really suit me very well. Hba1c >80 so I went onto victoza a few years ago which worked like a dream.

3 months ago started noticing increased thirst so started glucose testing again. Sugers to high so increased victoza to 1.8 to see if it helped. No different so off to the drs.
Dr took me off victoza and put me on forxiga (sglt2) but after 3 weeks no reduction in readings.
Readings averaging
12-15 in the morning. 18-25 in the afternoon and 18 at bedtime. This has been my averages now since the victoza stopped working.
Dr has now put me on trulucity for the last week but no signs as yet of any suger reading reduction :(
Hit 27 reading yesterday afternoon. Down to 18 b4 bed. And 13 this morning.

Also about 4 years ago I recall trying a med called glicazide or a similar name but that did not work and I put on over 10kg in 2 months while on it!!
All this time also metformin twice a day 1000mg

Dont have a huge amount of faith in the diabetic nurse at my drs as she seems to wait for me to suggest what to do lol. Got to see her again in a couple of weeks to access what to try next.

Any idea would be most welcome
 
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Can I ask what your daily carb intake is? Putting on weight with Gliclazide is when the carbs are too high and Victoza is usually prescribed when you have excess weight. The fact that insulin didn't work well implies you have insulin resistance again thru too many carbs. It's unusual to be prescribed insulin early on as a T2 unless you are actually a LADA. What dietary advice has your DN given you?
 
In all the 10+years I've been diabetic I've never really been given dietary advise by the diabetic nurse. Other than keep away from suger.
I'm 6'1 tall. 105kg. Active physically (removal man).
I don't really eat a huge amount. And even not eating at all on busy days has not lately lowered my readings all that much. Last week for example had a really busy day at work with no time for breaks or food. Reading in the morning was 14.2.. And when I got home at 7pm it was 11.5 with no food all day.

It would make sense that when I do eat it could be to many carbs as I try to eat rice and that type of food as I'd always though that was good food.
 
Hi and thanks for the reply. Yes, rice is a carb and needs to be kept under control. I would suggest you might want to set a daily carb total of less than 200gm to start with and see how you go. Many go for less than 150gm but you are tall and active. Your medication dose may need adjusting if your weight and BS do start to go down. Many in the NHS talk about keeping sugar down which is good but sugar is just another carb and that group includes all flour-based products, root vegetables and so on. Protein and fats are generally good and have little effect on blood sugar or even weight.
 
I am on victoza 1.8 aday and been on it just over a year. To start with, it helped to make me feel full and I did lose weight but over the last 3 to 4 months, that has stopped and have even put on a few pounds. In that 3 to 4 months, though I have been put onto another med Un related to diabetes, that is known for making people hungry/ weight gain and higher blood levels. My blood levels are up but not by alot. To start with, I blamed the victoza for now not working but I am just not sure
 
Gone carb free today.
Bacon. Chicken and egg with spinach for late breakfast and evening meal.
Started off with a reading of 12 on my meter. Not changed all day and still 12 now 2 hours after evening meal.
 
SimonMu said:
Gone carb free today.
Bacon. Chicken and egg with spinach for late breakfast and evening meal.
Started off with a reading of 12 on my meter. Not changed all day and still 12 now 2 hours after evening meal.
Click to expand...
Hi. If you do have insulin resistance it can take several weeks of the right diet and meds to get that reduced and allow the body to use your insulin efficiently. Just keep to the low-carb diet and hopefully you will see your weight gradually reduce. I would have expected the reading of 12 to reduce so not quite sure why. I can only suggest you keep at it. If you can get any excess weight down into the right range you should be able to stop the Victoza with the agreement of the nurse and perhaps re-start the Gliclazide or insulin to replace that. A c-peptide test would show whether your own insulin level is too low and needs Gliclazide or insulin to correct it. Obviously I'm assuming there are no other reasons for your high blood sugar so can only guess at the way forward as an amateur.
 
3rd day on carb free.
Readings are strange. Especially with no carb intake
12 1st day.
11 2nd day
10 3rd day.
I'd love to think that's great but cannot understand it taking so long for it to lower
 
SimonMu said:
3rd day on carb free.
Readings are strange. Especially with no carb intake
12 1st day.
11 2nd day
10 3rd day.
I'd love to think that's great but cannot understand it taking so long for it to lower
Click to expand...
Hi. It sounds like you are going in the right direction. Once you have insulin resistance it can take weeks for the body to start burning the fat that has been deposited in the muscles and other organs. As this burn continues the body can make more use of your own insulin to use the carbs you do eat for energy; exercise should help. It also takes a while for the body to realise it needs to burn fat rather than looking for the next dose of carbs. It's why athletes train a lot to get the body used to ketosis (fat burning) and move the 'wall' further out. Well that's the theory so hopefully you'll get there. Let us know.
 
My Victoza has stopped working, initially taking 0.6 morning and 0.6 evening. Low carbing when I can as I am working from home for 8 hours a day and sugar levels up to 16.4. I’ve just increased the Victoza in hope it does the trick, if not off to the DN
 
Have been on Victoza since 12 months. Initially lost 10lbs which gradually crept back on. Now lost the 10lbs again by diet but my hb1ac has gone up from 60 to 64. Doctor has now took me off victoza as it's not working for me and put me back on anogliptin. Further blood test in 3 months am now following vegetarian low carb. Watch this space
Pam
 
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