Trulicity, a once-weekly injectable treatment produced by Eli Lilly, is used to handle blood sugar in folks residing with kind 2 diabetes.
It was first authorised by the Meals and Drug Administration in 2014 and should assist with blood sugar administration, enhance HbA1c ranges, enhance insulin sensitivity, and support in weight reduction.
This text will discover every thing you might want to find out about taking Trulicity, its advantages, and its unintended effects.
What’s Trulicity?
Trulicity is a name-brand prescription treatment for folks with kind 2 diabetes and is prescribed to assist handle blood sugar ranges, A1C, and weight reduction.
It might additionally assist forestall stroke, coronary heart assault, and untimely demise in folks with kind 2 diabetes and pre-existing coronary heart illness. It is just accessible through injection and is taken as soon as weekly.
It falls beneath the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1) agonist drug class, and its lively ingredient is dulaglutide.
It’s often used along with insulin and different diabetes medicines.
How does Trulicity work?
Trulicity attaches to particular receptors on the cells within the pancreas. This alerts the pancreas to launch extra insulin, decreasing blood sugars naturally.
Trulicity additionally inhibits glucagon manufacturing within the liver, stopping blood sugar spikes after meals, which improves insulin sensitivity.
Lastly, it slows digestion, which results in urge for food suppression and weight reduction.
By decreasing your blood sugar ranges and A1C over time, Trulicity lowers the chance of coronary heart assault, stroke, and untimely demise.
What are the advantages of taking Trulicity?
There are numerous advantages to taking Trulicity. Sufferers who use Trulicity for diabetes administration do shed extra pounds.
In randomized management trials (RCTs), Trulicity helped the common individual lose round 6.6 kilos over 6 months.
One other examine confirmed that in comparison with a placebo, Trulicity helped sufferers obtain decrease blood sugar ranges, A1C, and weight reduction.
In its scientific trial, examine contributors with kind 2 diabetes skilled a lowered danger of main cardiovascular occasions comparable to coronary heart assault, stroke, and even demise.
Trulicity is only when mixed with a nutritious diet, elevated bodily exercise, and as a complement to any prescribed diabetes medicines.
Why would you be prescribed Trulicity?
Chances are you’ll be prescribed Trulicity in case you at present stay with kind 2 diabetes and are experiencing insulin resistance, or are having bother managing your blood sugar ranges.
Typically folks with out kind 2 diabetes are prescribed Trulicity to assist fight insulin resistance, or in the event that they’re having bother managing their blood sugars with different diabetes medicines.
Because of its results on cardiovascular well being, generally folks with present coronary heart illness are prescribed Trulicity.
Although it’s not an FDA-approved weight reduction remedy, Trulicity is typically prescribed off-label as a weight reduction treatment for these struggling to take care of or shed extra pounds.
By no means take Trulicity in case you are not prescribed Trulicity.
What are the unintended effects?
Trulicity could trigger opposed unintended effects. Chances are you’ll discover this particularly if you first begin taking the treatment till your physique acclimates to the drug.
The unintended effects are often delicate to reasonable and should embrace the next:
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Abdomen aches and pains
- Redness and swelling on the injection website
- Suppressed urge for food
- Weight reduction
- Low blood sugar, particularly in case you’re on insulin remedy
Though uncommon, extra critical opposed unintended effects could embrace:
- Acute pancreatitis
- Extreme allergic response
- Impaired kidney perform
- Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC)
Don’t take Trulicity you probably have a private or household historical past of MTC, a number of endocrine neoplasia, or in case you are allergic to its lively ingredient, dulaglutide.
Moreover, the FDA launched a black field warning concerning the elevated danger of thyroid most cancers in case you use Trulicity.
In case you have gastroparesis or persistent kidney illness (CKD), discuss together with your physician earlier than beginning Trulicity, because the treatment could make these circumstances worsen.
What are the standard Trulicity doses?
When you’re first prescribed Trulicity your physician will most likely wish to begin you on a low dose to keep away from opposed unintended effects.
The beginning dose for Trulicity is 0.75mg administered as soon as weekly.
After 4 weeks, if further treatment is critical to handle blood sugar ranges and also you’re not experiencing too many unintended effects, your physician could enhance your dose to 1.5mg administered as soon as weekly.
The utmost dose for kids is 1.5mg administered as soon as weekly as a upkeep dose.
Adults could take both 1.5mg, 3mg, or 4.5mg administered as soon as weekly as a upkeep dose.
By no means enhance your dose with out speaking together with your physician first.
If you happen to do determine to extend your dose, by no means enhance your dose in increments of greater than 1.5mg, and solely after being at your present dose for at the least 4 weeks.
What’s the most weekly dose?
The utmost dose of Trulicity for kids is 1.5mg administered weekly.
The utmost dose of Trulicity for adults is 4.5mg administered weekly.
Individuals can have totally different upkeep doses, relying on their well being historical past, well being objectives, physique weight, life-style, exercise degree, and quantity of insulin resistance they’re experiencing.
By no means take extra Trulicity than you’re prescribed.
Discuss to your physician in case you’re curious about rising your dose.
What occurs in case you take an excessive amount of Trulicity?
The utmost dose you can take of Trulicity per week is 4.5mg.
By no means take two doses inside 72 hours of one another, or you could expertise extreme opposed unintended effects, together with nausea, vomiting, and low blood sugar, which could be deadly if left untreated.
Signs of extraordinarily low blood sugar embrace:
- Dizziness
- Shakiness
- Confusion
- Fast heartbeat
- Shallow respiratory
- Nervousness
- Lethargy
- Fatigue
- In excessive circumstances, unconsciousness and diabetic coma
Name your physician or emergency companies instantly in case you suspect that you just’ve overdosed on Trulicity.
Can I miss a dose?
Don’t fear in case you miss a dose of Trulicity. You received’t expertise elevated insulin resistance, larger blood sugars, or weight acquire in case you miss every week of the treatment.
Nonetheless, all the time attempt to bear in mind to take your medicines on time as they’re only when taken constantly.
Schedule an alarm or reminder in your telephone so you’ll be able to make sure that you all the time take your dose on the identical day and on the similar time.
If you happen to’re nonetheless inside a 3-day window of your missed dose, you’ll be able to take it.
Nonetheless, in case you’re 5 or extra days out of your missed dose, go forward and skip every week and take your subsequent dose as usually scheduled.
How do I inject Trulicity?
Trulicity is available in pen kind and is injected subcutaneously (which suggests beneath the pores and skin).
You’ll inject Trulicity perpendicular to an space of your physique that has fatty tissue. Sometimes good areas embrace the higher thighs, higher arms, and abdomen.
You’ll clear the realm with an alcohol swab beforehand, and all the time twist a brand new pen cap on for every dose.
You’ll dial your weekly 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 treatment.
Maintain the pen needle in your pores and skin for about 10 seconds to verify all the treatment was launched.
Twist the needle off and discard it, throwing it right into a sharps container. Wipe any extra treatment and/or blood away with one other alcohol wipe, and you’re executed.
Who shouldn’t take Trulicity?
It is best to solely take Trulicity in case you are prescribed Trulicity. Trulicity isn’t meant for people who find themselves pregnant, planning on changing into pregnant, or breastfeeding.
It’s not really useful for folks with out diabetes, or these with prediabetes or kind 1 diabetes, with out the steering of a doctor.
Don’t use Trulicity in case you or any of your loved ones members have ever had medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), or you probably have A number of Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome kind 2 (MEN 2).
Don’t use Trulicity in case you are allergic to dulaglutide. If you happen to’re curious about attempting a GLP-1 agonist however you’re allergic to dulaglutide, you could go for Ozempic whose lively ingredient is semaglutide.
In case you have persistent kidney illness (CKD) or gastroparesis, discuss together with your physician earlier than beginning Trulicity, because the treatment could make these circumstances worse.
Discuss together with your physician you probably have questions or considerations about beginning Trulicity or in case you’ve lately been prescribed the treatment.
How do I cease taking Trulicity?
By no means cease taking Trulicity or any of your prescribed medicines with out speaking together with your physician first.
Your physician will most likely wish to wean you off of any treatment slowly as an alternative of abruptly stopping your remedy, so you don’t expertise opposed unintended effects.
These unintended effects could embrace weight acquire, a pointy rise in blood sugar ranges, elevated A1C, or worsening insulin resistance.
If you happen to’d prefer to cease taking Trulicity, name your physician who can advocate the suitable subsequent steps.
Can Trulicity change insulin?
No. Trulicity and different GLP-1 agonist medicines don’t take the place of insulin.
They could, nevertheless, cut back your insulin wants over time, however in case you are prescribed insulin, Trulicity acts as a complement to insulin remedy.
By no means cease taking your insulin except with the shut steering and suggestion of your physician.
Can I take Trulicity with different diabetes medicines?
This can rely upon the treatment. Trulicity could be taken with medicines comparable to insulin and/or metformin.
Nonetheless, you must by no means combine two GLP-1 agonists, otherwise you’ll expertise opposed unintended effects, like critical low blood sugar, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. These embrace medicines like Ozempic, Victoza, and Mounjaro.
Discuss together with your physician in case you’re involved about any contraindications your present diabetes medicines could have together with your Trulicity; there could also be options that they will counsel if there is a matter.
Does Trulicity have to be refrigerated?
Sure. Trulicity needs to be saved 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 Trulicity or expose it to excessive warmth.
How do I get a prescription for Trulicity?
Discuss together with your physician if you’d like a prescription for Trulicity. Chances are you’ll qualify in case you’re combating wholesome weight upkeep, insulin resistance, and have kind 2 diabetes.
In case you have prediabetes or kind 1 diabetes and are combating insulin resistance, Trulicity could assist enhance insulin sensitivity.
If you happen to don’t have any type of diabetes and need to shed extra pounds, discuss together with your physician about FDA-approved weight reduction prescription medicines that could be safer and extra acceptable for you, with out the unintended effects that Trulicity typically causes.
