Victoza: how to take, what to replace, contraindications
Victoza is a drug for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus with the main active ingredient liraglutide. The drug is produced by Novo Nordisk, which has proven itself in the pharmaceutical services market on a positive side.
If a person has been prescribed the drug Victoza for the treatment of diabetes mellitus, then the information presented below will allow him to obtain maximum information about contraindications, side effects and dosage of the drug. Victoza is used not only to lower blood sugar levels, but also to reduce body weight. It is an effective drug that meets all modern safety requirements.
Content:
- Victoza: instructions for use
- How to administer the drug correctly?
- How many injections is the pen syringe for?
- Which needles are suitable for pen syringes? Where are they sold?
- Byeta or Victoza - what to choose?
- Victoza for weight loss
- Victoza or Saxenda - which one to choose?
- Is it possible to combine treatment with alcohol intake?
Victoza: instructions for use
| How the drug works |
Liraglutide causes the pancreas to release insulin after every meal. Also, the effect of the substance is aimed at reduced production of glycogen in the liver. This allows you to lower blood glucose levels, but hypoglycemia does not threaten a person. The use of the drug makes it possible to reduce appetite, and also slows down the digestion of food. The drug is excreted by both the kidneys and the liver. The withdrawal period is 6 to 8 days. |
| When to take it | Victoza is prescribed for patients with type 2 diabetes. This is the only indication that can be found in the official instructions. However, many people independently inject themselves with the drug, which allows them to fight excess weight, as it allows them to control their appetite. At the same time, such people have a decrease in blood sugar if it has been increased (a similar situation is often observed in obesity). If you combine the use of the drug with a low-carb diet, then you can achieve good results. |
| When the drug cannot be used |
There are certain contraindications to the use of Victoza:
|
|
What you need to pay special attention to |
With diabetic neuropathy, the patient may develop gastroparesis, which is characterized by a violation of the transfer of food from the stomach to the intestines. With such a complication, the use of the drug is prohibited. During treatment, you should regularly take a blood test for pancreatic amylase. If the indicators deteriorate from time to time, then you need to stop using Victoza. Otherwise, the patient may develop pancreatitis. It is impossible to replace Victoza with insulin injections without a doctor's appointment. |
| Recommended doses |
The injection is given once a day. It is best to do this at the same time. Practitioners recommend giving injections 1 to 3 hours before an upcoming hearty meal. The starting dose is 0.6 mg per day. If the patient feels satisfactory, then it is increased and after 7 days it should be 1.2 mg. In the future, it can be increased to 1.8 mg. If a person's sugar level is normal, and he uses Victoza for weight loss, then 3 mg of the drug can be administered per day. However, you should also start with small doses. This will allow the body to adapt to therapy. |
| Side effects | As side effects, patients often complain of diarrhea and constipation, nausea and vomiting, and itchy skin. As a rule, they develop in the early stages of treatment, and after a few weeks or days they disappear on their own. Headaches and chest pains are also possible. At the same time, appetite worsens, but it does not disappear completely. The most dangerous side effect is acute pancreatitis. |
| The period of gestation and breastfeeding | The drug is not prescribed for pregnant and lactating women. |
| Interaction with other drugs | Since liraglutide affects the absorption processes in the stomach and intestines, its use may negatively affect other treatments. It is known that Victoza can be used in a complex treatment regimen with Levemir insulin injections. However, before starting therapy, you need to get medical advice. |
| Overdose | An overdose is indicated by nausea and vomiting, as well as severe diarrhea. With timely medical attention, it is possible to completely stop the symptoms of an overdose. The use of high doses of Victoza does not lead to hypoglycemia. Treatment depends on the person's symptoms. |
| Release form | The drug is produced as a solution for subcutaneous administration at a dosage of 6 mg / ml. The solution is practically colorless. You can also find the drug in 3 ml cartridges made of glass. They are sealed with a rubber or polyisoprene disc and a piston is located on the other side of the cartridge. The cartridge is sealed in a pen-syringe. A cardboard package can contain from 1 to 3 syringe pens. |
| How to store, shelf life |
The storage conditions must be strictly observed. All of them are indicated in the instructions for use. If the cartridge has started to be used, then its shelf life is limited to a month. |
| Composition | The basis of the drug is liraglutide. The auxiliary substances are: sodium hydrogen phosphate dihydrate, propylene glycol, hydrochloric acid, sodium hydroxide, water for injection. |
There are no analogues of the drug Victoza, which are distinguished by low cost. Drugs with a similar effect include Byetta (Exenatide), Lixumia (Lixisinatide), and Truliciti (Dulaglutide). However, these funds are expensive.
Liraglutide, as a hypoglycemic substance, has practically no effect on blood glucose levels. However, it dampens appetite, promotes fast satiety and prevents overeating.
The disadvantages of Victoza include:
- The high cost of the drug.
- The presence of side effects.
- The need for injections.
For some patients, the fact that they will need to inject themselves on their own is decisive for refusing treatment. Although syringe pens allow injections to be made with little or no pain.
How to administer the drug correctly?
The drug can be injected into the thigh and shoulder area as well as into the abdomen. It is best to give injections 2 or 3 hours before the upcoming meal (when the person plans to consume maximum amounts of it), for example, before lunch. Although many people broadcast in the evening. Victoza will reduce appetite, which increases towards night.
How many injections is the pen syringe for?
The higher the dosage of the drug that a person injects himself, the faster he will run out of syringe pens. One such device contains 18 mg of liraglutide.
A syringe pen can be enough for the following number of doses:
- If a person injects himself with 0.6 mg of the drug per day, then one pen will be enough for him for 20 injections.
- When the daily dose is 1.2 mg, the pen will last for 15 doses.
- If a person uses 1.8 mg of the drug per day, then the number of doses will be 10.
- When the daily dose is 3.0 mg, then the syringe pen will last for 6 doses.
With severe obesity, it is shown to inject exactly 3.0 mg of the drug per day, even if the level of sugar in a person's blood is within normal limits.
Patients with diabetes are shown to use up to 1.8 mg of the drug per day. However, therapy should be started with 0.6 mg of Victoza. The first time, the dosage should be increased no earlier than 7 days later.
Sometimes, in order to save money, some patients give themselves one injection of Victoza, and then take a break for several days. It is not known how such experiments may threaten. With the help of the drug, you can develop the habit of consuming food in small portions and eating right. When this happens, you can refuse to accept it.
During therapy, it is imperative to monitor the state of the pancreas by donating blood for amylase. If there are any deviations, then you need to refuse to take Victoza.
Which needles are suitable for pen syringes? Where are they sold?
Syringe pens can be used with NovoFine and NovoTvist needles manufactured by Novo Nordisk. The same company produces the drug Victoza. They can be purchased at the pharmacy and ordered online. The price of needles is not high. You can also check with the seller about the possibility of using needles from other manufacturers.
It is recommended to use one needle for one injection. After it has been used, it should be discarded. Do not leave the needle in the pen, as this can cause drug leakage, and also carries the risk of contamination of the needle and further infection of soft tissues.
Byeta or Victoza - what to choose?
Exenatide-based Byetta is a drug that has a similar effect to Victoza. You need to enter it 2 times a day: in the morning and evening hours. Of course, this creates certain inconveniences. Victoza is more expensive than Byetta, but it is also more comfortable to use the drug.
Abroad on sale you can find a drug called Bydueron. The injection needs to be given only once every seven days. However, reviews of the drug vary. There is evidence that its use can trigger the development of thyroid cancer. If this information is confirmed, then it will be removed from sale. In Russia, this drug is produced under the name Byetta Long, but it is problematic to buy it.
The drug Truliciti with the main active ingredient dulaglutide has a similar effect with Byetta. It is enough to inject it once a week to achieve a therapeutic effect. It is sold not only in European countries, but also in Russia. Reviews in a foreign language about this drug are mostly positive. It lowers blood sugar and suppresses appetite. In this case, the injection will need to be done only once every 7 days, which is very convenient.
The administration of the drug causes nausea and diarrhea. You definitely won't want to eat with such side effects. It should be noted that the official medicine does not recognize the drug Trulicity as a means to combat obesity. Also, after setting the first injection, you need to be ready to call an ambulance. It cannot be ruled out that the drug will provoke an attack of acute pancreatitis or a serious allergic reaction.
Victoza for weight loss
People use the drug Victoza on their own for weight loss. It is not aimed at burning calories, but suppresses appetite, which allows you to eat less and lose weight faster. Sometimes you can find reviews that Victoza provokes an aversion to food, but does not force a person to completely abandon it.
The course reception of the drug Victoza is designed to teach a person to eat correctly, to break the habit of overeating. After giving up injections, useful skills should be preserved. It is not recommended to use Victoza injections for weight loss for a long time.
Victoza or Saxenda - which one to choose?
Liraglutide was originally created as a substance for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Further, manufacturers realized that it could be used as a weight loss drug. After all, there are a lot of obese people, much more than diabetics. Therefore, the US Department of Health (FDA) conducted a number of studies on this subject and authorized the use of liraglutide as a drug for weight loss. At the same time, it is produced under the Saxenda trademark.
Therefore, Victoza and Saxenda are a drug with the same active ingredient, but they have different names. Liraglutide can be used by people with a BMI of 30 kg / m2 and more than 27-30 kg / m2 if they have metabolic disorders, hypertension, impaired glucose tolerance or prediabetes. It is recommended for such people to inject 0.6 mg of the drug per day during the first week. Then every 7 days the dose is increased by 0.6 mg. It is necessary to bring it to 3.0 mg per day. While patients with diabetes mellitus are shown no more than 1.8 mg of liraglutide per day.
The side effects of Saxenda and Victoza are similar. However, in people who use the drug for weight loss, they can manifest themselves much more intensely, since they have a higher daily dose of the drug. They need to be careful about their health, as there is a risk of developing pancreatitis. It is more difficult to acquire Saxenda than Victoza.
Is it possible to combine treatment with alcohol intake?
If you refer to the official instructions, then there is no information about alcohol intake during treatment with Victoza. Therefore, a person can drink alcohol at his own discretion. However, in order not to provoke the development of serious side effects, you need to refuse to take large doses of alcohol. After all, all liquids containing alcohol in themselves increase the risk of developing pancreatitis, and taking the drug Victoza doubles these risks.
Author of the article: Alekseeva Maria Yurievna | Therapist
Education: From 2010 to 2016 Practitioner of the therapeutic hospital of the central medical-sanitary unit No. 21, city of elektrostal. Since 2016 she has been working in the diagnostic center No. 3.
