Victoza is an injectable medicine taken as soon as each day for the remedy of blood sugars in folks with sort 2 diabetes. It helps folks obtain decrease blood sugar and HbA1c ranges, and even reduce weight.
There are completely different doses obtainable, relying in your well being historical past, well being targets, and way of life.
Determining the precise dose of Victoza for you may take time and will solely be carried out beneath the steerage of your physician.
This text will clarify every little thing it’s essential to find out about Victoza dosing.
What dose do you sometimes begin with?
When you’ve lately been prescribed Victoza, your physician will most likely wish to begin you out on a small dose that can assist you keep away from antagonistic unwanted side effects corresponding to nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
The beginning dose of Victoza is 0.6mg, administered as soon as each day subcutaneously (beneath the pores and skin.)
Chances are you’ll expertise antagonistic unwanted side effects while you begin Victoza, so by no means take greater than is prescribed to you, particularly at first.
When you’re liable to nausea and vomiting, your physician might even advocate that you just begin at lower than 0.6 mg each day.
What’s a standard Victoza dose?
A “regular” or upkeep dose will rely in your well being historical past, targets, way of life, weight, age, and degree of insulin resistance.
A upkeep dose for most individuals, after one week at 0.6mg, is 1.2mg administered each day.
When you want further blood sugar management, and aren’t experiencing antagonistic unwanted side effects, your physician might improve your dose to 1.8mg.
How and when are you able to improve your dose?
It is best to solely improve your dose beneath the steerage of your physician.
They are going to sometimes need you on the beginning dose of 0.6mg for per week or two earlier than growing your dose. Chances are you’ll keep at 0.6mg in the event you’re experiencing success with decrease blood sugar ranges.
When you want further blood sugar management, your physician might improve your dose to both 1.2mg or 1.8mg, administered each day.
By no means improve your dose with out the steerage of your physician.
What’s the appropriate dose for me?
This will solely be decided by you and your physician.
The effectiveness of Victoza will depend on the dose. So, the extra insulin resistant you might be, the bigger your prescribed dose could also be.
Usually, increased doses of Victoza yield extra outcomes corresponding to decrease blood sugar ranges, weight reduction, and improved A1Cs—in addition to a better likelihood of antagonistic unwanted side effects.
Preserve this in thoughts as you scale up your doses, particularly if you don’t tolerate unwanted side effects effectively.
What’s the appropriate dose for weight reduction?
Victoza is simply FDA-approved for the remedy of sort 2 diabetes and it’s not accredited for weight reduction. Nonetheless, many individuals expertise weight reduction whereas taking Victoza.
In scientific trials of the medicine of adults with sort 2 diabetes, many misplaced weight over the course of 6–12 months.
Different research have proven that when Victoza remedy was added to a metformin routine, adults misplaced round 10 kilos.
Since Victoza shouldn’t be an FDA-approved weight reduction medicine, there isn’t a beneficial dose to attain weight reduction.
Victoza works finest when it’s taken constantly and utilized in mixture with a nutritious diet and train routine.
Discuss along with your physician when you’ve got diabetes and want to take an FDA-approved weight reduction medicine. Choices embody Saxenda which shares the identical energetic ingredient (liraglutide) as Victoza.
What occurs if I cease taking Victoza?
By no means cease taking Victoza, or another diabetes medicine, with out speaking to your physician first.
When you cease taking Victoza abruptly, it’s possible you’ll expertise antagonistic unwanted side effects corresponding to elevated insulin resistance, increased blood sugar ranges, elevated starvation, and weight achieve.
When you want to cease taking Victoza, your physician will possible wish to wean your dose and finally discover you an alternate medicine that can assist you keep away from these unwanted side effects.
Are there completely different Victoza pens?
No, there is just one single Victoza pen. Relying in your dose, it’s possible you’ll obtain a number of per 30 days as a part of your prescription.
The next tips could also be useful:
Dosage Doses per pen
0.6mg 30 (1 pen per 30 days)
1.2mg 15 (2 pens per 30 days)
1.8 mg 10 (3 pens per 30 days)
What’s the strongest Victoza?
All Victoza pens are the identical power and comprise the identical energetic ingredient—liraglutide.
If you improve your dose, you merely improve the quantity of the medicine that you just’re taking.
By no means take extra Victoza than your physician has prescribed.
What’s the most each day dose?
The utmost dose of Victoza is 1.8mg administered each day.
When you’re on the utmost dose of Victoza however nonetheless want further blood sugar management, contact your physician who might be able to prescribe you a stronger or completely different medicine.
When you’re not at present on insulin, your physician may advocate that you just begin insulin, change your weight loss program, or improve your each day bodily exercise degree.
Can Victoza be taken long-term?
Sure, Victoza is secure and efficient as a long-term remedy possibility.
When you’re seeing enhancements in your blood sugar ranges and A1C, it’s possible you’ll proceed to take it.
Causes for stopping Victoza embody an absence of outcomes, antagonistic unwanted side effects, or in the event you develop a destructive response to the medicine.
What occurs if I miss a dose?
Don’t worry in the event you’ve missed a dose of Victoza. Lacking a single dose won’t improve your blood sugars, A1C, insulin resistance, starvation, or make you achieve weight.
Nonetheless, Victoza is best when taken constantly. If it’s been greater than 12 hours since your missed dose, be certain that to take it on time the next day.
By no means take two doses inside the similar 24-hour interval, otherwise you’ll expertise vital antagonistic unwanted side effects corresponding to nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Name your physician or 911 in the event you suspect that you just’ve overdosed on Victoza.
If a each day dose doesn’t match into your way of life, there are different choices. Ask your physician about GLP-1 agonist drugs that solely require a weekly injection. These embody Ozempic, Trulicity, and Mounjaro.
