VICTOZA users

Re: VICTOZA

Hello, This is my first time writing on a forum so here goes....I have read all your posts about Victoza and have now persuaded my consultant to let me try it.
I was diagnosed with Type 2 about 4 years ago and went through all the usual meds, about 2 years ago, after reading about it on her I persuaded my consultant to let me try Byetta which had great results but seemed to stop working really suddenly last April whereby I was put on insulin. Since being on insulin I have felt rubbish, just totally washed out and exhausted and could sleep all day everyday. Using Levemir 70 units daily and Novorapid but still have BG readings between 14 - 20ish always. Insulin resistance very high and it feels that no matter what I inject it has little effect. Started on the Victoza last Friday so am still on the 0.6 dose, have been told to half my insulin but am still taking Levemir and Novorapid. Was hoping for a miracle but I suppose it is too soon to tell. Still having the same readings and still feeling rubbish. Am hoping that when I go up to the higher dose that maybe I will see some better results. Will let you know how I get on as there don't seem to be many people taking it with Insulin (yes I know it's not licensed for this but want to try as need to get my sugars down somehow and will try anything). Also taking metformin and simvastatin too.

Thanks for listening...

Re: VICTOZA

I have been on Victoza now for about six weeks, and my BG readings are excellent. The initial dose of 0.6ml is to get you acclimatised to Victoza and has very little effect on BG. I'm sure you will find the maintenance dose of 1.2ml will improve your BG.

Re: VICTOZA

Thanks for that news I was impatient and expecting instant results will let you know how I get on next week. Have had some minor indigestion but apart from that all seems fine, am really hoping for good results would be great to get off insulin.

Re: VICTOZA

hi all newbie here,doc sent me to see specialist,as am type 2 metformin and glipetide,and 216 units of slow release insulin per day,anyway doc recommended byetta but specialist has put me on 0.06 of victoza,been on it a week put insulin down to 180 at start,now dropped to 160 insulin,and at the end of the month increase victoza to 1.2,blood sugar down to a reasonable level,so fingers crossed,papa12.

Re: VICTOZA

Day 3 on 1.2, bg slightly lower but not ever so, am ever hopeful that this will work for me. Does it take a while for the 1.2 to start to show effect???? Still not getting readings in single figures. Have halved my insulin intake and waiting for it all to come together. Watch this space.

Re: VICTOZA

i have been on victoza for nearly 3 weeks.
on the .6 dose my blood sugars didn't go down but once i put the dose up to 1.2 my bs went down after only one day from 10.4 too 5.2.
i have noticed a few things happening to me though.i am finding that i have a very short tempa which i never had before.i went with the flow & nothing really upset me.this last weekend i lost my tempa with my partner quight a few times.all i keeped doing was saying sorry to them all weekend.i also feel very dizzy like i am going to pass out most of the time.
i don't know if i feel like this because my bs have gone down quight abit in only a few days.
i am very happy with the victoza as my bs have gone down & i am losing weight.the only problem's i have is my mood swings & the dizzyness.does anyone else suffer form this aswel ??

Re: VICTOZA

Tracey.
As you have dropped quite quickly from higher levels you are probably getting what is known as 'false hypo ' symptoms. Your body thinks that it is in danger of going too low and will give you some or all of the symptoms of a real hypo. A warning in effect. This is to be expected and should disappear once your levels stabilise at the lower level.

Happens to a lot of us at one time or another.

Ken.

Re: VICTOZA

cugila said:

Tracey.
As you have dropped quite quickly from higher levels you are probably getting what is known as 'false hypo ' symptoms. Your body thinks that it is in danger of going too low and will give you some or all of the symptoms of a real hypo. A warning in effect. This is to be expected and should disappear once your levels stabilise at the lower level.

Happens to a lot of us at one time or another.

Ken.

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thanx for the information Ken.
i was getting quight worried as i feel very shaky & dizzy all the time.
over the last few days my blood sugars have gone up a bit from 5.2 too 7.3.hope it goes down again soon.
i didn't know what was happening to me over the last few weeks.why don't they warn you on the medication leaflet ?
i am looking forward to feeling alot better soon.

Re: VICTOZA

Tracey wrote "

thanx for the information Ken.
i was getting quight worried as i feel very shaky & dizzy all the time.
over the last few days my blood sugars have gone up a bit from 5.2 too 7.3.hope it goes down again soon.
i didn't know what was happening to me over the last few weeks.why don't they warn you on the medication leaflet ?
i am looking forward to feeling alot better soon.

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Tracey.
When you say 'all the time' is that what you really mean ? Are we talking about constantly without a break or just episodes ? If it is constantly then you need to discuss this with your GP to make sure there is nothing else going on. Sometimes other meds might need to be reduced as well, has that happened ? You should only be feeling that way when you are actually getting a false hypo, not ALL the time.

Ken

AMAZING VICTOZA *YAY*

Today is my 100th day of injecting Victoza, and was it really worth the initial nausea, dizzyness, constipation, sleep disturbance, getting arsey with family, and headaches?? YOU BETCHA!! :wink:
The daunting side effects were gone within a few weeks ( + the drinking of Actimel) and I have never known such good BG results. Other beneficial effects have been a decrease in systolic hypertension (uncontrolled by other meds) a rise from a really low heart rate to 'normal' and a heart arrhythmia (T+AF) has not returned since day one of Victoza. It has also reduced asthma attacks and lowered the volume of the left side pesky tinatus.

My GP is very pleased with the results and so is my DN and asthma clinic, but to be told yesterday by my cardiologist that my clinic appointments are being reduced to 6 monthly from quarterly is a real super duper bonus. It has made no affect on the arthritis, but hey, one cant have everything :lol: .

Well done Victoza!!!

Re: VICTOZA

tracey72 said:

i have been on victoza for nearly 3 weeks.
on the .6 dose my blood sugars didn't go down but once i put the dose up to 1.2 my bs went down after only one day from 10.4 too 5.2.
i have noticed a few things happening to me though.i am finding that i have a very short tempa which i never had before.i went with the flow & nothing really upset me.this last weekend i lost my tempa with my partner quight a few times.all i keeped doing was saying sorry to them all weekend.i also feel very dizzy like i am going to pass out most of the time.
i don't know if i feel like this because my bs have gone down quight abit in only a few days.
i am very happy with the victoza as my bs have gone down & i am losing weight.the only problem's i have is my mood swings & the dizzyness.does anyone else suffer form this aswel ??

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I can relate to your experience and would have ticked the same boxes (and more) but it does get better after time. I have been injecting Victoza for 100 days now and to think back I'd guess it was about 4 to 5 weeks before most of the nasty side effects wore off. I did check with my GP and got some Stemetil to help with dizziness ( middle ear problems ) as I knew the symptoms, and that got me through. He filled in a report form about my unusual a**eyness, but I do not know what the outcome was, and as it has left me I have not asked.
I think if you give it another couple of weeks all should be well, but if you are in any way worried, speak to your GP about the problems.

Re: VICTOZA

Hobs said:

tracey72 said:

i have been on victoza for nearly 3 weeks.
on the .6 dose my blood sugars didn't go down but once i put the dose up to 1.2 my bs went down after only one day from 10.4 too 5.2.
i have noticed a few things happening to me though.i am finding that i have a very short tempa which i never had before.i went with the flow & nothing really upset me.this last weekend i lost my tempa with my partner quight a few times.all i keeped doing was saying sorry to them all weekend.i also feel very dizzy like i am going to pass out most of the time.
i don't know if i feel like this because my bs have gone down quight abit in only a few days.
i am very happy with the victoza as my bs have gone down & i am losing weight.the only problem's i have is my mood swings & the dizzyness.does anyone else suffer form this aswel ??

Click to expand...

I can relate to your experience and would have ticked the same boxes (and more) but it does get better after time. I have been injecting Victoza for 100 days now and to think back I'd guess it was about 4 to 5 weeks before most of the nasty side effects wore off. I did check with my GP and got some Stemetil to help with dizziness ( middle ear problems ) as I knew the symptoms, and that got me through. He filled in a report form about my unusual a**eyness, but I do not know what the outcome was, and as it has left me I have not asked.
I think if you give it another couple of weeks all should be well, but if you are in any way worried, speak to your GP about the problems.

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i have been on betahistine for a few weeks as i got an inner ear infection & felt very dizzy & passing out episodes but since being on the victoza the efects of the medication has changed.when i take the betahistine it is making me feel really unwell.i don't know if it is the victoza working against it.

Re: VICTOZA

i suffer with migraines have done since being a child.i can usually cope with them but today was the worst one i have ever experienced.i have had flashing lights for 6 hours,carn't stop being sick.i couldn't even stand up very well.
could the victoza made my migraines worse ?

i am very afraid to take my victoza this evening in-case it gives me another attack ?

i have keeped an eye on my bs all day with being sick as i didn't want them to go to far down/

Re: VICTOZA

"i have been on betahistine for a few weeks as i got an inner ear infection & felt very dizzy & passing out episodes but since being on the victoza the efects of the medication has changed.when i take the betahistine it is making me feel really unwell.i don't know if it is the victoza working against it."

Betahistine (Serc) will work to the same ends as the Stemetil I was prescribed, but if you feel its action has changed, then your GP should decide what to do about it. I could speculate, but that would not help you.

Re: VICTOZA

tracey72 said:

i suffer with migraines have done since being a child.i can usually cope with them but today was the worst one i have ever experienced.i have had flashing lights for 6 hours,carn't stop being sick.i couldn't even stand up very well.
could the victoza made my migraines worse ?

i am very afraid to take my victoza this evening in-case it gives me another attack ?

i have keeped an eye on my bs all day with being sick as i didn't want them to go to far down/

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Here is a link to the list of known side effects I posted in this thread in July last year:

viewtopic.php?f=26&t=9281#p87887

Ken

Re: VICTOZA

(Serc) BETAHISTINE DIHYDROCHLORIDE
Checked the interactions out and there is no recorded case of it interfering with Victoza.

There is however a contra-indication that the effect of betahistine is theoretically antagonised by antihistamines.

As Hob's suggested, you should discuss this with your GP.

Ken

Re: VICTOZA

Ive been taking Victoza now for just over 3 Months, with no side effects. I also take 4 Metformin a day. My Blood Sugar has been up & down averaging about 10. I have just had a diabetic blood test & I've been asked to contact my GP. (appointment 13th May). My Question is, When is Victoza most effective ? I've just read that you can get most benefit from it in the first 12 hours. If that is right, should I be taking it first thing in the morning instead of mid afternoon as I do now ? This is a Question I shall be asking my doctor

Re: VICTOZA

thats it,i can not take any more off the side effects off victoza.
i have no life part from lying on the sofa through feeling so ill.i can not even take my dog out at all.
i feel so sick,the world wont stop spinning,i can not go out because i keep panicking all the time because i don't know if i am going to collapse or not.i think my partner is ready to leave me as i keep losing my temper with him.
give me high blood sugars any day.i would rather die sooner than have to put up with a life off these side effects.i would rather be a fat lump all my life too than have these feelings.my bs have rose up to 7.5 anyway.
the doctor said that i just couldn't stop the victoza,that i ha to cut it down by half form 1.2 too 0.6.is this true or can i just stop it ?

this might be a miracle drug for some but not for me.its made my life a living hell

Re: VICTOZA

Tracey.
I am sorry to hear that you are having such a tough time on Victoza. You must follow the instructions that your Dr has given you. Do not just stop taking Victoza. You may find that by dropping to the 0.6 dose you will feel better. There are other meds which may be given that will help you overcome the nausea etc. Discuss these with your Dr.

You say your Bg levels have risen to 7.5.....that is not high, that is within the guideline figures, no more than 8.5 mmol/l. I think most of the people on here who have suffered side effects as you have, found that they went after a period of time. As I have said elsewhere, no pain, no gain. I hope you can get this sorted. I know you are feeling 'cr*p' but controlling your Diabetes is much better than having uncontrolled Diabetes with all it's complications which can occur.

You may be one of those who cannot tolerate the drug. If that is the case there are alternatives which may not give side effects. This again is something you need to discuss with your Dr.

Ken

Re: VICTOZA

videopro said:

My Question is, When is Victoza most effective ? I've just read that you can get most benefit from it in the first 12 hours. If that is right, should I be taking it first thing in the morning instead of mid afternoon as I do now ? This is a Question I shall be asking my doctor

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Many people take it firt thing, others even last thing at night. The manufacturers advice is that Victoza is administered once daily at any time, independent of meals, and the timing can be
changed without dose adjustment. However, it is preferable that Victoza is injected around the same time of the day, when the most convenient time of the day has been chosen.

Absorption
The absorption of liraglutide following subcutaneous administration is slow, reaching maximum
concentration 8-12 hours after injection. It has a 24-hour duration of action and improves glycaemic control by lowering fasting and postprandial blood glucose levels.

Discuss the timing with your GP.

Ken