Has any ever taken Victoza?

sakitchens
sakitchens Posts: 37 Member
edited November 12 in Health and Weight Loss
OK I went to the doctors on Monday. She told me that I have diabetes. Then she said she wanted to put me on Victoza to help with my blood sugars. I have been keeping my sugars around the right range so I do not get it. She told me that it would also help me to loose weight. Well the first day I got very sick and my sugars did go down. I was so sick though. Then I find out one of my friends who is not diabetic and just wants to loose 10 pounds is taking Victoza too. I was shocked. I thought I was taking medicine for my diabetes not for weight loss. I have lost 15lbs in 7 weeks I think that is fast enough. Has anyone else had any experience with taking Victoza? I would love to hear what you all think.

Replies

  • July24Lioness
    July24Lioness Posts: 2,399 Member
    I have never heard of it...............

    However, I was diabetic with an A1C of 8.9% at one time and I am slowly reversing it and my A1C recently is at 5.8%.

    I have been adhering to a low carb eating plan and focusing on Whole, all natural foods and getting some exercise..............
  • July24Lioness
    July24Lioness Posts: 2,399 Member
    Looks like it is a European Drug..............
    Victoza Use for Weight Loss
    Victoza is the brand name used for liraglutide in Europe. This drug is the first human Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 developed to be taken once per day in order to treat type 2 diabetes. It has only just received its approval for all of the states in the European Union for two uses:


    Victoza is a new drug used for treating type 2 diabetes and has been found to promote weight loss in overweight and obese patients.
    As a treatment combined with metformin or one of the sulphonylureas among patients who suffer from a lack of glycemic control even after having tried the highest possible dose of metformin or sulphonylurea monotherapies.
    As a treatment combined with metformin and one of the sulphonylureas or metformin and one of the thiazolidinediones among patients who suffer from a lack of glycemic control even after having tried the dual therapy.
    Clinical studies with Victoza that involved the participation of over 6,500 people suffering from type 2 diabetes demonstrated a notable decrease in blood glucose levels, allowing for weight loss without the a heightened risk of hypoglycemia. For this reason, it is now considered to be a beneficial type 2 diabetes treatment option and helps to further reduce the risks of the condition by allowing for weight loss.

    The drug was first launched by Novo Nordisk – the manufacturer – within Germany, the United Kingdom, and Denmark during the summer of 2009, and throughout the second half of 2009 and throughout the year 2010 the drug will continue to be released throughout the rest of the European Union marketplaces.

    The drug functions by only stimulating insulin release when the blood’s glucose levels are high enough to warrant its need. Weight loss is a very common side effect of this drug – one that is often considered very desirable, as one of the things that is most recommended to type 2 diabetes sufferers is weight loss in order to reduce the symptoms of their condition. It is believed that Victoza causes this weight loss because it decreases the speed at which gastric emptying occurs, so that the patient feels more satisfied after meals and for a longer period of time. The body naturally breaks down Victoza and does not need renal excretion for elimination.

    Though the drug is not considered to be weight loss medication, it does include this side effect among one of the beneficial reactions that can occur when it is used in order to control type 2 diabetes – especially in cases where weight loss is recommended by the prescribing medical professional.
  • SamIzLozing
    SamIzLozing Posts: 3
    I'm taking Victoza. I've been on it for about 3 weeks.
  • HealthyChanges2010
    HealthyChanges2010 Posts: 5,831 Member
    So you folks that have been on it for a bit, what do you think of it? How's it working for you? Are you nauseous, loss of appetite, any weird strange thing happening?

    I just got a couple sample pens from my doc today when I got my flu shot and went in for my A1C blood draw.

    I started using Byetta early on when it came out, had great success....no side effects whatsoever...lucky me I know!! Some weren't so lucky and were sick to their stomach all the time.

    Anyone move from Byetta injections to Victoza?

    I really need to do some reading up on this as I only just today got my case, pamplets etc. It highly regarded in Canada so it came out here...seems many are having success.

    Thought I'd check in with those of you that started it a while back... I did read a tip to do the injection before going to bed if you get sick to stomach using it the first couple weeks. When I was on Byetta I joined a Yahoo Group to learn more...so was going to look for something like that to get some feedback too.

    Thanks for any info you'd like to share :wink: :flowerforyou:
  • HealthyChanges2010
    HealthyChanges2010 Posts: 5,831 Member
    OK I went to the doctors on Monday. She told me that I have diabetes. Then she said she wanted to put me on Victoza to help with my blood sugars. I have been keeping my sugars around the right range so I do not get it. She told me that it would also help me to loose weight. Well the first day I got very sick and my sugars did go down. I was so sick though. Then I find out one of my friends who is not diabetic and just wants to loose 10 pounds is taking Victoza too. I was shocked. I thought I was taking medicine for my diabetes not for weight loss. I have lost 15lbs in 7 weeks I think that is fast enough. Has anyone else had any experience with taking Victoza? I would love to hear what you all think.

    Wha??? What crazy doc would put someone on a Diabetes med that isn't Diabetic....sheesh.... It's not intended for weightloss, for some that's simply a side effect, it's used to lower sugar level and also targets beta cells ... crazy docs and their diets...:grumble: hcg, ali, sheesh what next, the toothpick diet? I'm glad I have a sane doctor!! :drinker:

    From what I understand it's suggested a person try and stay on it (if at all possible) through the initial 2 week period to get through the adjustment phase...for some the sick to your stomach feeling then goes away. Dang, 2 weeks can be forever if you're feeling nauseous though. :sick: :ohwell:

    Like I said, I've read some and always hate to start new things but am willing to try it out if it helps pancreatic cells etc.

    Thanks for any info anyone has.... or a group you can pass me info on such as Yahoogroups etc. that's strictly for learning ......
  • ninnysgirls
    ninnysgirls Posts: 16 Member
    I was put on Victoza about two weeks ago. I am a diabetic who was on byetta and metformin. My three month tests are still 7.5. I have lost 40 pounds and gone from 45 % body fat to 25%, yet my diabetes is still out of control. So victoza may be it for me unless I want on insulin. I still weighed 143.8 pounds and carry most of my weight in my belly. Since starting the med I was very sick in the beginning (nausea, vomiting and no appetite.) The nausea and vomiting are gone for the most part but I have no appetite. I have lost 7.8 pounds in two weeks. I was wondering if I will ever regain my appetite. I can lose another 10 or 15 but more than that I will look really old. I also have less energy for my workouts (3 boot camps and 2 spin classes a week). This may be because I am not hungry. I have to force myself to eat 1200 calories a day but most days I am only getting 800-1000. The true blessing is my fasting blood sugar when I started this med was 167 and now it is 107. I'm about to up my dose to 1.8 tonight. I might get sick again.
    It is used for obesity. It works because your food empties from your stomach very very slowly. You also do not have an appetite. But I agree unless you are diabetic there might be better ways to lose weight, like calories in and calories out. Let me know if you are still on the med and how it is going for you. I'm just curious how long this no appetite will last!
  • ninnysgirls
    ninnysgirls Posts: 16 Member
    It does help the nausea and vomiting by taking it at night. I take it right before bed. I had been on byetta for years. It just stopped being effective. I don't think I was waiting long enough after the shot to eat. The beauty of this medication is you can take it any time of the day with or without food. It is also much cheaper. My copay for 10 byetta was $89.00 and for a three month supply of Victoza my co pay was $75.00 dollars. Like I said I have on appetite and have lost 7.8 pounds in two weeks. I just don't want to go into starvation mode. I have been there gaining 5 pounds a week when I went off diets. I have worked hard since 2003 to lose 45 pounds and keep within that weight by 5 pounds for the last 6 years. It has been all because of exercise 5 times a week to build that metabolism up. I also don't want to lose more than 15 more pounds. WIll my appetite eventually come back, will I stop losing weight this quickly? But for my diabetes it is amazing and I really want to keep my vision, my kidney's, and not develop neuropathy. Let me know if you like it .
  • HealthyChanges2010
    HealthyChanges2010 Posts: 5,831 Member
    bump to reply back a bit later....:flowerforyou:
  • HealthyChanges2010
    HealthyChanges2010 Posts: 5,831 Member
    bump to reply back a bit later....:flowerforyou:
    finishing up my Byetta then plan to start my Victoza.. no side effects with Byetta so hope the same with Victoza...bit nervous though. Mostly because I haven't heard of anyone that's started it with no 2 week side effects of nausea... not looking forward to that:sick: ...but getting past that lil fear, I'm looking forward to trying it out.:flowerforyou:
  • DonaA123
    DonaA123 Posts: 337 Member
    bump
  • polarsjewel
    polarsjewel Posts: 1,725 Member
    I starting taking Victoza almost a month ago, along with metformin. I noticed an immediate drop in my fasting (morning) blood sugars. I haven't had any side effects with the Victoza at all. (except that I suck at giving myself injections) I had some big bruises for the first week. I take it just before I go to bed. I started at 0.6mg for the first week and then was bumped up to 1.2 mg. I have lost about 5 lbs (of the 30 I put ON with glickizide) in the month that I have been on it.

    Looking forward to other replies!
  • Cyngen
    Cyngen Posts: 557 Member
    I am taking Victoza for about a year now. I hope to be off of it soon now with my weight loss and diet control. The side effect of the med is you can lose weight. Supposedly, it makes you feel full faster and therefore eat less per meal. That's how it operates on me.

    I didn't have any side effects and i started at the .6 range for two weeks, then 1.2 for two weeks and then on to 1.8 thereafter.

    I'm also on glipizide which can cause weight gain but I don't attribute my weight to that, more to poor eating on my part.
  • jen7eleven
    jen7eleven Posts: 83 Member
    When I was diagnosed a few years back, the doc started me on Byetta 10mcg 2x/day and Metformin 1000mg 2x/day. Had some nausea for the first week but got over it quickly.

    After a while the Byetta was taking a toll on my wallet so the doc switched me to Victoza, which was about $30 cheaper with insurance. I noticed that I felt hungrier while on Victoza, and my doc said he had several other patients who were experiencing the same thing. So I asked to be switched back to Byetta.

    Since I was diagnosed I've brought my A1c down from about 7.5% to 6.1% - out of the T2 range (yay NSV!). Now I'm only on 500mg of Metformin once a day. :-)

    I haven't lost much weight this year though so I'm wondering if my switch from Depo Provera to Reclipsen has made any difference... Sorry I know that's like a whole different topic in itself.
  • Debbe2
    Debbe2 Posts: 2,071 Member
    Victoza was new on the market when I discussed it with my doctor several years ago. By now it has a track record that you can look into. Byetta and Victoza both have a side effect of weight loss and they help control blood glucose but do not work alone without your help in managing good control of what your eating. If you are not comfortable with or completely have trust in your doctor then find another for another opinion. It can't hurt. You and your doctor are a team working towards your optimal health :)
  • misfit34
    misfit34 Posts: 104 Member
    I have been on Victoza for about two years. I did feel the sick but it was mainly because my body had to adjust to it. Once I got my diet right along with my meds I straightened out. There were some days I wouldn't eat hardly anything because I felt so sick. I did lose about 40lbs in the past two years. the first six months 25 dropped quick. I continue to take it now because it does help control my sugar levels.

    I have had great success with the Victoza from a weight loss stand point as well as a sugar control stand point. My last A1c was 5.1 and that is down from in the high 6's.
  • MyaPapaya75
    MyaPapaya75 Posts: 3,143 Member
    Hmm maybe just me I find this all very odd but then again I dont know your A1C number mine was well over 7.1 and my physician had me meet with a Diabetes eductater and adhere to less that 180 grams of carbs a day..a year later Im maintaining a A1C of 6.3 and its slowly dropping...very odd your doc would even consider meds without trying diet and exercise first.
  • kesstral
    kesstral Posts: 10 Member
    I just started taking Victoza (first shot was this morning). My doctor has decided that since my mother (who is also his patient) is morbidly obese (as I am) and developed type 2 diabetes in the last few years that the benefits of the drug for weight loss is worth taking to prevent me from developing type 2 as well. I have been using MFP for over a year now (although I fell off the wagon for a bit) and just got my fitbit last month but I haven't made any progress on weight loss. I'm only 5'2" with a BMI of 40 so I know I have to make major changes to avoid diabetes plus I want to get to a healthier weight before I start a family. My mom will also be starting Victoza soon (in combination with her Metformin) to help her control her sugars and bring her weight down. The only reason she hasn't gotten a prescription yet is because our doctor ran out of samples and she doesn't have insurance so he wants to give her a free month to start with. I also felt confident about his decision to prescribe this to me as he's been using it himself (and lost 36lbs so far).
  • medicvaldez
    medicvaldez Posts: 42 Member
    I just started a week ago and Im down 4lbs..no real side effects..just occasional nausea if I dont eat which is hard because for the first time in my life Im not hungry!! Up my dose to the 1.2 tomorrow and I have a very heavy schedule so Im a little nervous about side effects getting stronger but I'll deal with it. My fastkng sugar is usually in the 170-220 range but those are consistantly coming down so Im super excited! The cost is going to be huge because its not covered through my Kaiser insurance which sucks but its worth it to get results!!
  • pradamary
    pradamary Posts: 5 Member
    I was taking Victoza for a few years because of metabolic syndrome, and my endo said it would help me lose weight and it did. I started it before a trip to Italy and for the first time ever, I returned from Italy lighter than when I arrived. I did suffer nausea and loss of appetite and I'm sure that contributed to the initial weight loss. The nausea went away my weight stabilized at a less than ideal weight but I was okay with that. Then my insurance company stopped paying for it. I have been off of it for 3 months and my weight feels like it is going up daily. I'm very freaked out about this because I have been eating fairly low carb, clean whole foods, protein, veggies etc. I'm very distraught. I had started taking coconut oil because I heard that it would regulate my metabolism but it only added weight so now I just use it for pulling and for cooking.
  • beep1o
    beep1o Posts: 2
    I just started it for Type II diabetes. Lost 12 lbs in 12 days. The first couple of days it was 1.5 to 2 lbs a day, then dropped to 1, then .5/day. I still don't know where that weight went. It isn't water, as I've been drinking a ton. The best part of this medication is that it completely takes away your desire to eat. I've never felt like that in my whole life, always been obsessed with food. We'll see where this journey takes me.
  • jamieinohio
    jamieinohio Posts: 1 Member
    I found out that I was pre-diabetic late in 2016 after I started experiencing neuropathy in my feet and legs. My A1C was 6.6% and my main issue was my morning numbers. I was started on Metformin, which has helped, but my 80lbs of excess weight is certainly what is causing the insulin resistance.

    Has anyone had any issues personally had or known anyone with thyroid cancer, as a result of Victoza? My endocrinologist always lists out side effects clearly and mentioned that the does, given to lab rats, was 8x the human dosage. That is really the only barrier that is keeping me from starting Victoza. I would love to start this week and begin the weight loss. :smile:
  • lisakammwang
    lisakammwang Posts: 44 Member
    jamieinohio wrote: »
    I found out that I was pre-diabetic late in 2016 after I started experiencing neuropathy in my feet and legs. My A1C was 6.6% and my main issue was my morning numbers. I was started on Metformin, which has helped, but my 80lbs of excess weight is certainly what is causing the insulin resistance.

    Has anyone had any issues personally had or known anyone with thyroid cancer, as a result of Victoza? My endocrinologist always lists out side effects clearly and mentioned that the does, given to lab rats, was 8x the human dosage. That is really the only barrier that is keeping me from starting Victoza. I would love to start this week and begin the weight loss. :smile:

    I am a primary care provider, I prescribe Victoza regularly for T2DM. I use Victoza because it is a branded medication and there are co pay cards available on the Victoza website to help reduce copays. I myself am pre-diabetic and have used Victoza. I can only tolerate the 0.6 mg dose daily due to issues with constipation with use. I have never had anyone develop thyroid cancer during its use. The literature states that < 1% of patients developed papillary thyroid cancer in post marketing case reports.

    As a FYI liraglutide is the generic name for Victoza. It is marketed as Saxenda for chronic weight management, dosing is different with max dose 3 mg/day vs. 1.2-1.8 mg for Victoza.
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