[Diabetes-Talk] Questions regarding Victoza and ending treatment

Sat Jun 15 00:50:39 UTC 2019

Hi Terri,
I am a type one and I take Victoza plus Insulin.  I have had no side effects but, my husband did.  He like Jeanette dropped his dosage down to 1.2 after calling his Doctor.  It stopped his nausea.  Neither one of us are constipated but, we are both heavy water drinkers.
One bit of advice, if you let your blood sugar  stay above 400 for several days you might move into a coma.  Plus, is your boyfriend in the medical field?  If not, go back taking the Victoza immediately!
With much care, Joy

-----Original Message-----
From: Diabetes-Talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Jeanette Kutash via Diabetes-Talk
Sent: Friday, June 14, 2019 4:52 PM
To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Blind' <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Jeanette Kutash <kutash-jm at comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-Talk] Questions regarding Victoza and ending treatment

Terri, I took and still take Victoza and have been fortunate enough not to have experienced the side effects you have, but let me say a few things that I know. I might have decreased my dose down to the 1.2, which is 20 clicks on your pen. That might have decreased your nausea and diarrhea. I know someone who tried Trulicity and after a month she still has some diarrhea, so I would ask about that one. Metformen may not have been bringing your levels down enough which is why your doctor may not like that option for you. 

Bridgit always makes excellent points. I will tell you I had side effects like yours with Metformen for almost eight years and finally was offered the option of Insulin. For me it seems to be working with Victoza in the morning, and a Long-acting Insulin in the evening. But we are all different, and it is often trial and error.

If your numbers are in the 400 range, I would drink lots of fluids to try to keep the numbers down till you have your appointment. Let us know how it goes, and good luck. I have to tell you, since I eliminated metformin and added Insulin in its place I feel better than I have in a long time. And whether your doctor does long-acting or quick-acting or both, it is something to ask about.

Jeanette  

-----Original Message-----
From: Diabetes-Talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter via Diabetes-Talk
Sent: Friday, June 14, 2019 5:20 PM
To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Blind'
Cc: Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-Talk] Questions regarding Victoza and ending treatment

Terri,

Have you considered taking Humalog or novolog for meal boluses? Likely you're going high after meals and do not have enough on-board insulin in your system to combat any carbs. So, taking insulin to bolus at meals might be a good idea.

As for swelling and tingling in the feet, sorry to say, but sounds like neuropathy, which is common in diabetics, especially when blood sugars are high for extended periods of time. There is medication that can help alleviate the symptoms, but nothing to reverse existing damage to the nerves. If you are able to lower your glucose levels and maintain them, there's a good chance nerve damage won't progress though.

Bridgit

-----Original Message-----
From: Diabetes-Talk <diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Terri Stimmel via Diabetes-Talk
Sent: Friday, June 14, 2019 3:29 PM
To: Diabetes-talk <Diabetes-Talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Terri Stimmel <princessterri76 at gmail.com>
Subject: [Diabetes-Talk] Questions regarding Victoza and ending treatment

Hello everyone,

As my subject says, I have some questions regarding Victoza. I have been taking this medication for at least three years now. Maybe a little bit longer. I have been taking 1.8 units for quite a while now. Not long after I started it actually. In the beginning, for about the first two or three weeks of starting it, it made me very ill! I almost quit taking it. That’s how bad it was. I was extremely nauseated, and was throwing up almost every morning. Anyway, I have stuck with it over the years. It did help me lose a little weight. And it did help control my blood sugar pretty well.
However, it has always seemed to make me pretty constipated, and I could still have nausea. But I think part of that is due to being so constipated. I got tired of feeling this way. Plus, anytime I have ended up in the hospital, they don’t have this medication. So then I am off of it for a few days. Which is never helpful when you have to restart it. So after a lot of consideration, and talking it out with my boyfriend, I decided to stop the Victoza. I did not want to be nauseated anymore, or constipated. Which now this does seem a lot better.

However, my blood sugar is quite high now. I do not eat a diabetic diet. I never really have. But I do try to watch what I eat to a point. Anyway, I have an appointment set up with my doctor for the 20th of this month. Already had an appointment toward the end of this month anyway. But, I did call them and told them that I stopped the medication. So they tried to get me in a little earlier. I know he is not going to be thrilled about this. I want him to understand that I did not do this to be noncompliant. And also, in my last couple visits, I did try to explain to him why I wanted to stop the medication. I wanted to get back on the Met Forman. But he did not feel this was a good choice for me again. He said it was too dangerous. So in a way I felt like he wasn’t hearing me. Which is usually not the case with him. So I really think I just need to express myself more.

With all that said though, I have noticed that along with my blood sugar being high, sometimes over 400, my legs and feet have been swollen. Now I can deal with this every once in a while, or maybe a day or so. But usually it is not an ongoing thing. So this be a strange result, or reaction from stopping the Victoza? Or is this just a coincidence most likely?

Any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated. I would just like to know others experiences who have maybe had to stop this medication. I want to find out what alternatives might be out there besides a medicine that can make you feel so awful!

Thank you,

Terri

Sent from my iPhone
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