Created for folks with kind 2 diabetes, Trulicity is a once-weekly, injectable medicine permitted that can assist you higher handle your blood sugar ranges.
It could actually additionally help in weight reduction and within the prevention of stroke, coronary heart assault, and untimely demise in each folks with kind 2 diabetes and with preexisting coronary heart illness.
However what are the negative effects of this medicine, and the way will it have an effect on your day by day life? This text will examine all the pieces it’s worthwhile to learn about Trulicity’s negative effects.
How does Trulicity work?
Trulicity is a name-brand medicine with the energetic ingredient dulaglutide.
It’s not insulin, and doesn’t exchange insulin, however it’s typically used together with insulin for higher diabetes administration.
Trulicity lowers blood sugars naturally by attaching to sure receptors on the cells of the pancreas. This indicators the pancreas to launch extra insulin, thus combating excessive blood sugar.
On the identical time, Trulicity stops the manufacturing of glucagon within the liver, stopping blood sugar spikes after consuming, and growing insulin sensitivity. It additionally slows digestion, resulting in urge for food suppression and, ultimately, weight reduction.
What are the negative effects of Trulicity?
Trulicity might trigger minor to average negative effects, which is totally regular, particularly whenever you first begin taking it. These negative effects can embrace:
- Suppressed urge for food
- Weight reduction
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Abdomen ache
- Redness, swelling, and bruising on the injection website
- Fatigue
- Diarrhea
- Low blood sugar (particularly in case you additionally use insulin)
A couple of uncommon however critical negative effects have been famous, together with:
- Acute pancreatitis
- Extreme allergic response
- Impaired kidney perform
- Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC)
Moreover, the FDA launched a black field warning about Trulicity’s use and its affiliation with an elevated danger of thyroid most cancers. And, it’s best to speak along with your physician earlier than attempting Trulicity in case you endure from gastroparesis or have power kidney illness (CKD), as Trulicity could make these situations worse.
Should you expertise negative effects that final quite a lot of weeks and even as much as a month, or in the event that they’re so debilitating you might be having bother with work, college, or sustaining a private or social life, it’s time to speak to your physician about both weaning your dose or discovering another medicine your physique might regulate to higher.
How will you mitigate the negative effects of Trulicity?
Should you’re battling nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, be sure you are staying hydrated by consuming loads of water and consuming electrolytes (coconut water is superb for this).
Be certain that your blood sugar ranges are staying inside a wholesome vary. If they’re constantly too excessive, you might fall into diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), which could be deadly if not handled.
Low blood sugar could be extraordinarily harmful as properly, and is a particular concern if you’re additionally taking insulin.
To assist handle nausea, stick to ordinary meals corresponding to toast, rice, bananas, and applesauce, and drink loads of clear liquids. Should you turn out to be so nauseous that you’re not capable of hold down meals or drink, name your physician or search emergency medical consideration.
It’s useful to eat smaller, extra frequent meals, and to all the time cease consuming as soon as you might be full, even in case you appear to be consuming lower than regular (that is anticipated).
You too can take over-the-counter nausea medicine corresponding to Dramamine, or speak to your physician a couple of prescription for Zofran.
Does taking extra Trulicity make the negative effects worse?
The upper the dose of Trulicity, the extra doubtless you might be to expertise negative effects. In a scientific research with folks taking higher-dose choices, about 16% of trial contributors skilled worsened nausea, which led to about 1% stopping the medicine fully.
That is why you will need to all the time comply with your physician’s pointers for taking Trulicity, and to by no means take greater than is prescribed. That is very true whenever you first begin taking the medicine. Your physician will regulate your dose as your physique will get used to the medicine.
Do you must take Trulicity with meals?
No. In contrast to insulin, Trulicity could be taken with or with out meals. Whereas Trulicity lowers blood sugars over time, it doesn’t trigger acute low blood sugars in the way in which that insulin does.
The most effective time to take Trulicity is whenever you’ll keep in mind to take it. Consistency is essential.
Nevertheless, in case you battle with nausea instantly after taking your Trulicity dose, it could assist to eat just a little one thing earlier than injecting the medicine, however this isn’t needed.
Learn extra: Meals to Keep away from When Taking Trulicity
How do I do know if I ought to cease taking Trulicity?
If the negative effects of Trulicity are debilitating, and forestall you from residing a traditional life, let your physician know. If the 2 of you determine to discontinue the medicine, your physician will in all probability wean your dosage ranges over a number of weeks, as a substitute of getting you cease .
Should you’re considering of stopping as a result of you aren’t seeing any enchancment in blood sugar ranges or weight, chances are you’ll need to wait. Improved blood sugar ranges and weight reduction will not be instantly seen with any medicine, together with Trulicity.
Your physician will in all probability suggest you give the medicine a number of months to take full impact earlier than you contemplate stopping it fully.
Who mustn’t use Trulicity?
People who find themselves allergic to dulaglutide mustn’t take Trulicity. Individuals who have a private or household historical past of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or a number of endocrine neoplasia ought to keep away from utilizing Trulicity as properly.
And, in fact, youngsters who’re beneath 18 years outdated mustn’t take Trulicity until they’re prescribed the medicine by a health care provider. It is usually not appropriate for people who find themselves pregnant, planning on turning into pregnant, or who’re breastfeeding.
Speak along with your physician in case you at present stay with power kidney illness (CKD) or have gastroparesis, as Trulicity can worsen these situations.
Trulicity can also be not meant for the therapy of prediabetes or kind 1 diabetes.
Are there options to Trulicity?
Should you’re battling Trulicity, it’s best to speak along with your physician about doable various drugs that will trigger you to expertise fewer adversarial negative effects.
Some options to Trulicity embrace:
- Ozempic (semaglutide)
- Mounjaro (tirzepatide)
- Victoza (liraglutide)
- Ryebelsus (semaglutide)
- Farxiga (dapagliflozin)
- Jardiance (empagliflozin)
- Fortamet or Glumetza (metformin)
