Victoza is a well-liked prescription medicine used to handle blood sugar ranges for individuals with kind 2 diabetes.
Utilizing it commonly might enhance blood sugar and A1C ranges, assist in weight reduction, and defend in opposition to coronary heart assault, stroke, and untimely dying in individuals with kind 2 diabetes and pre-existing coronary heart illness.
This text will clarify every thing you have to learn about Victoza.
What’s Victoza?
Victoza is a name-brand injectable drug created by Novo Nordisk. The Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) permitted it to be used in the US in 2010.
It falls beneath the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist drug class. Its major ingredient is liraglutide.
It’s much like drugs comparable to Trulicity, Ozempic, and Mounjaro.
It’s injected subcutaneously (taken beneath the pores and skin) as soon as day by day and will be taken with insulin or different diabetes drugs.
How does Victoza work?
Victoza helps to decrease blood sugar in just a few other ways.
It naturally stimulates insulin manufacturing from the pancreas. This helps forestall blood sugar spikes after meals, slows digestion, and suppresses the urge for food.
It additionally prohibits the liver from producing glucagon, which will increase insulin sensitivity and prevents blood sugar spikes.
When taken constantly, together with a nutritious diet and elevated bodily exercise, Victoza lowers blood sugar and A1C ranges and helps many individuals preserve a wholesome weight.
What are the advantages of taking Victoza?
In scientific research, individuals with diabetes who took Victoza skilled decrease blood sugar ranges, particularly after meals.
Not solely do individuals not expertise weight acquire whereas taking Victoza, however many individuals even shed weight whereas taking Victoza.
In a double-blind research in sufferers with diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, or weight problems, Victoza and way of life counseling resulted in a median weight reduction between 8.9-13.3 kilos that was sustainable for over a yr.
Victoza can be a confirmed protecting agent in opposition to coronary heart assault, stroke, and untimely dying in individuals with diabetes and pre-existing coronary heart illness.
Why would you be prescribed Victoza?
Chances are you’ll be prescribed Victoza in case you at the moment stay with kind 2 diabetes, are experiencing insulin resistance, or are having hassle sustaining good blood sugar management.
Sometimes, individuals with out kind 2 diabetes are prescribed Victoza to assist handle insulin resistance, comparable to those that stay with kind 1 diabetes or prediabetes.
Typically individuals with present coronary heart illness are prescribed Victoza, on account of its results on cardiovascular well being.
Lastly, Victoza is usually prescribed off-label as a weight reduction medicine for these struggling to keep up or shed weight.
By no means take Victoza if you’re not prescribed Victoza and solely use the medicine beneath the steering of a physician.
What are the unwanted effects?
Victoza might trigger antagonistic unwanted effects, particularly once you first begin taking the medicine.
The unwanted effects are often delicate to average and should embody the next:
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Decreased urge for food
- Indigestion
- Constipation
- Weight reduction
- Low blood sugar, particularly in case you’re on insulin remedy
Though uncommon, extra critical antagonistic unwanted effects might embody:
- Extreme allergic response
- Impaired kidney perform
- Gallbladder issues
- Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC)
Don’t take Victoza in case you have a private or household historical past of MTC, a number of endocrine neoplasia, or if you’re allergic to its energetic ingredient, liraglutide.
Moreover, the FDA launched a black field warning concerning the elevated danger of thyroid most cancers in case you use Victoza.
In case you have persistent kidney illness (CKD), speak along with your physician earlier than beginning Victoza, because the medicine might worsen this situation.
Study extra concerning the unwanted effects of Victoza.
What are the standard Victoza doses?
There isn’t any typical dose. Doses will differ relying in your well being historical past, well being objectives, way of life, and insulin resistance.
Nonetheless, individuals often begin taking Victoza at 0.6mg, administered as soon as day by day.
After one week, in case you’re not experiencing too many antagonistic unwanted effects, your physician might improve your dose to 1.2mg administered day by day as your upkeep dose.
If you happen to’re nonetheless fighting insulin resistance and excessive blood sugars after just a few weeks at 1.2mg, your physician might improve your dose to 1.8mg administered day by day.
What’s the most day by day dose of Victoza?
The utmost day by day dose of Victoza is 1.8mg, administered as soon as day by day. By no means take extra Victoza than you’re prescribed.
What occurs in case you take an excessive amount of Victoza?
If you happen to by chance take an excessive amount of Victoza, you might expertise extreme antagonistic unwanted effects, together with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
These unwanted effects can result in dehydration. Taking an excessive amount of Victoza may also result in dangerously low blood sugar ranges, particularly in case you additionally take insulin.
If you happen to’re experiencing low blood sugar ranges and you can not preserve any meals or drink down on account of nausea, it is a medical emergency that may be deadly if left untreated.
Name 911 and search emergency medical help instantly in case you suspect that you just’ve overdosed on Victoza.
Can I miss a dose of Victoza?
Don’t fear in case you miss a dose of Victoza.
You gained’t expertise elevated insulin resistance, larger blood sugars, or weight acquire in case you miss a day or two of the medicine.
Nonetheless, attempt to take your drugs on time as they’re handiest when taken constantly.
You’ll be able to take your dose in case you’re nonetheless inside the 12–hour window of your missed dose.
If you happen to’re greater than 13 hours out of your missed dose, skip it, and take it as commonly deliberate the next day.
By no means take two doses of Victoza inside the similar 12-hour interval, and attempt to take your injection on the similar time every day (for instance, at breakfast time.)
How do I inject Victoza?
Victoza is available in pen type and is injected subcutaneously. Place it perpendicular to an space of your physique with fatty tissue, comparable to your higher arms, thighs, and abdomen.
Clear the realm with an alcohol swab beforehand, and at all times twist a brand new pen cap on for every dose.
You’ll dial your day by day dose to your prescribed milligram (mg), pinch an inch of pores and skin, push the needle into your pores and skin, and press the highest of the pen to launch the medicine.
Maintain the pen needle in your pores and skin for about 10 seconds to launch the entire medicine.
Twist the needle off and discard it, throwing it right into a sharps container. Lastly, wipe any extra medicine and blood away with one other alcohol wipe.
Who shouldn’t take Victoza?
Solely take Victoza if you’re prescribed Victoza.
Victoza is just FDA-approved for individuals with kind 2 diabetes. If you happen to should not have kind 2 diabetes, and also you haven’t been prescribed the medicine, don’t take it.
It’s not suggested for people who find themselves pregnant, planning on turning into pregnant, or breastfeeding to take any GLP-1 agonists, comparable to Victoza.
Don’t use Victoza if you’re allergic to its energetic ingredient liraglutide.
Don’t use Victoza in case you or any of your loved ones members have ever had medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or in case you have A number of Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome kind 2 (MEN 2).
In case you have persistent kidney illness (CKD) or gastroparesis, speak along with your physician earlier than beginning Victoza, because the medicine could make these situations worse.
How do I cease taking Victoza?
There are lots of explanation why you might need to cease taking Victoza—for instance, due to the antagonistic unwanted effects. Nonetheless, it isn’t suggested to cease taking Victoza abruptly.
Chances are you’ll expertise antagonistic unwanted effects comparable to elevated insulin resistance, elevated blood sugar ranges, and weight acquire in case you do. This may be harmful to your well being.
Discuss along with your physician in case you want to cease taking Victoza. They might suggest that you just wean your dose over the course of a number of weeks to assist forestall antagonistic unwanted effects.
They might additionally suggest an alternate medicine that could be extra applicable for you.
Can Victoza exchange insulin?
No. Sadly, drugs like Victoza and different GLP-1 agonists don’t exchange the necessity to take insulin.
Proceed taking your prescribed insulin except your physician instructs you in any other case.
Over time, Victoza can cut back the quantity of insulin you want, nevertheless it is not going to take away your must take insulin fully.
Can I take Victoza with different diabetes drugs?
Sure, though this may depend upon which drugs.
You’ll be able to take Victoza with insulin, metformin, and different drugs that assist individuals to handle situations like hypertension, excessive ldl cholesterol, and coronary heart illness.
Nonetheless, don’t mix Victoza with one other GLP-1 agonist. These embody Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Trulicity.
Share along with your physician the entire drugs you at the moment take earlier than beginning a prescription for Victoza.
Does Victoza must be refrigerated?
Sure. Retailer Victoza within the fridge between 36°F to 46°F. It may be used for as much as 56 days after opening. By no means freeze Victoza or expose it to excessive warmth.
How do I get a prescription for Victoza?
Chances are you’ll qualify for a Victoza prescription if:
You’ve kind 2 diabetes and are fighting insulin resistance.
You’ve prediabetes or kind 1 diabetes and are fighting insulin resistance and the ensuing weight acquire.
You need to shed weight—however should not have any type of diabetes. Chances are you’ll be eligible to attempt FDA-approved weight reduction remedies, comparable to Wegovy. There could also be choices for you that don’t trigger antagonistic unwanted effects, like Victoza typically does.
Discuss along with your physician if you’re taken with taking Victoza.
