Is It Better To Take Victoza In The Morning Or In The Evening
You can take Victoza at any time of the day. It will be just as effective in the morning as it is in the evening. However, you should choose the time for your injection thats easiest for you to do consistently.
If you find that taking Victoza in the morning causes you more side effects, such as nausea or vomiting, you can try taking it at nighttime. Doing so may decrease how severe your side effects are.
What Should I Know About Victoza Vs Saxenda And Other Alternatives
You may wonder how Victoza compares with alternative drugs, such as Saxenda.
Victoza and Saxenda both contain the active ingredient liraglutide, but theyre used for different conditions. Victoza is used in people with type 2 diabetes to help manage blood sugar levels. Its also used to lower the risk of severe heart or blood vessel problems in people with type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Saxenda is used for weight management.
See this article to learn more about the differences and similarities of Victoza and Saxenda. Read on to find out more about other drugs. Make sure to talk with your doctor about which treatment option is right for you.
I’ve Never Used An Injectable Medication Before How Do I Get Started
Many people have concerns about using injectable medications to treat type 2 diabetes. But with practice you can make it part of your daily routine. Talk to your health care professional or a Diabetes Health Coach about any questions or concerns you may have. You can also find answers to many of your questions by reading the Medication Guide that comes with your Victoza® pen. These Instructions for Use can help you become more confident about using Victoza® by showing you how to use your Victoza® pen the right way.
These instructions do not take the place of talking with your health care professional or diabetes care team. If you have additional questions about your Victoza® pen, call a Health Coach at 1-877-905-1126, Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm ET.
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How Do I Take Care Of My Victoza Pen
Always protect your Victoza® pen from heat and sunlight, and be sure to keep the cap on when your Victoza® pen is not in use. Use a Victoza® pen for only 30 days it should be thrown away after 30 days, even if some medication is left in the pen. The Victoza® pen should only be used with Novo Nordisk disposable needles. After removing the needle and discarding it safely, put the cap on your Victoza® pen and store it without the needle attached. Never try to refill your Victoza® penit is prefilled and disposable.
Talk to your health care professional or pharmacist for more information about needles for your Victoza® pen.
Be sure to read the Medication Guide that comes with your Victoza® pen, as well as the Instructions for Use to learn more about how to properly care for your Victoza® pen.
Featured Question
Questions About Victozas Dosage
- What if I miss a dose of Victoza? If you miss a daily injection of Victoza, skip the dose. The next day, you can take your usual dose at your normal time. Dont take more than one dose of Victoza in 24 hours. If youre unsure of what to do after missing a Victoza injection, ask your doctor or pharmacist. If you miss more than three doses in a row, talk with your doctor. Youll likely need a lower dose of Victoza for a while.
- Will I need to use Victoza long term?Diabetes is a long-lasting medical condition. So youll likely take Victoza long term. Your doctor can tell you how long youll likely need to take it.
- How long does Victoza take to lower blood sugar levels? Victoza starts working to lower blood sugar levels within a few hours after injection. But you may only notice the long-term benefits of Victoza after several months.
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What Should I Do If I Forget A Dose
Inject the missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not inject a double dose to make up for a missed one. If you forget to use liraglutide injection for 3 or more days, call your doctor.
How Much Weight Will I Lose On Victoza
Taking Victoza doesnt guarantee significant weight lossbut it is a possibility. In the studies above, participants took liraglutide in addition to eating a balanced diet and following an exercise regimen. This means liraglutide could have played a role in weight loss, even though it wasnt the sole factor. In a review of five clinical trials, those using liraglutide consistently lost between eight and 13 pounds .
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Drug Forms And Administration
Victoza and Saxenda both come as liquid solutions inside prefilled pens. Each pen holds 18 mg of liraglutide in a total of 3 mL of solution.
Both medications are self-injected once a day. However, the dosages for Victoza and Saxenda are different.
Victoza can be given in the following dosages: 0.6 mg, 1.2 mg, or 1.8 mg once a day. See the Victoza Dosage section for more information.
The recommended dosage of Saxenda is 3 mg once a day. Dosages lower than 3 mg daily are not effective for weight loss.
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Victoza Use With Other Drugs
Your doctor may prescribe other diabetes medications for you to take with Victoza. Its often used in combination with drugs including metformin and insulin products. In fact, clinical studies found that Victoza was effective as an add-on therapy to several other diabetes medications.
Talk with your doctor about your medication regimen. They can discuss with you the best drug combinations to help you achieve your goals for blood glucose levels.
How Should I Take Victoza
Victoza is injected, under the skin , in areas such as the stomach , thigh or upper arm.
Victoza is injected once per day. Liraglutide should be taken at the same time each day so it is advisable to pick a time of day that will be easy to remember and convenient.
Victoza can be taken in addition to other diabetes drugs such as metformin and sluphonylureas.
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What Side Effects Are Possible With This Medication
Many medications can cause side effects. A side effect is an unwanted response to a medication when it is taken in normal doses. Side effects can be mild or severe, temporary or permanent.
The side effects listed below are not experienced by everyone who takes this medication. If you are concerned about side effects, discuss the risks and benefits of this medication with your doctor.
The following side effects have been reported by at least 1% of people taking this medication. Many of these side effects can be managed, and some may go away on their own over time.
Contact your doctor if you experience these side effects and they are severe or bothersome. Your pharmacist may be able to advise you on managing side effects.
- burping
- redness, itching, or swelling at the site of injection
- skin rash
- vomiting
Although most of these side effects listed below don’t happen very often, they could lead to serious problems if you do not seek medical attention.
Check with your doctor as soon as possible if any of the following side effects occur:
- increased heart rate
- increased occurrence of sinus infections, colds, or nasal congestion
- itchiness
- lump in the neck, difficulty swallowing, hoarseness
- signs of low blood glucose
- symptoms of an inflamed gallbladder
Stop taking the medication and seek immediate medical attention if any of the following occur:
- chest pain
- heart rhythm changes
- seizures
- severe hypoglycemia
- signs of pancreatitis
- symptoms of a serious allergic reaction
- unconsciousness
How To Inject Victoza
You should take Victoza according to your doctor or healthcare providers instructions.
Your healthcare provider will show you how to inject Victoza before your first dose. Then, youll self-inject the medication at home once each day.
Victoza is given as a subcutaneous injection. You can inject Victoza into your upper arm, thigh, or belly.
If youre injecting Victoza at the same time as youre injecting insulin, be sure to never mix the drug solutions together. This can make the medications less effective for you. You can inject each of the drugs into the same area of your body, but not close to each other. Make sure to leave several inches between the two injections.
Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Victoza, has step-by-step instructions for how to self-inject the drug. They also have video instructions available for you to watch online.
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Liraglutide With Insulin Improves Glycemic Control In Type 1 Diabetes Without More Hypoglycemia
In recent years, diabetes advocacy groups have called for greater attention to measures beyond glycated hemoglobin when evaluating diabetes drugs, because avoiding hypoglycemia and spending more time in range are important to health and quality of life.
A yearlong study presented at the 78th Scientific Sessions of American Diabetes Association found that adding liraglutide to insulin regimens for patients with type 1 diabetes helps them to achieve better glycemic control and lose weight, without causing more incidents of hypoglycemia.
Liraglutide, the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist sold by Novo Nordisk as Victoza, had been shown to boost glycemic control and promote weight loss in T1D patients over a 12-week period, prompting researchers to pursue the longer study, which was presented in the late-breaking session June 24, 2018.
Improved control without increased hypoglycemia is a key finding, given the recent emphasis on measures beyond glycated hemoglobin to gauge the effectiveness of diabetes medication. Leading researchers and patient advocacy groups have called on both the FDA and payers to give more attention to time in range, which measures how well a therapy helps T1D patient avoid the roller coaster effect that can occur with insulin. More work is being done to show how repeated incidents of hypoglycemia cause renal and retinal damage, which increases healthcare costs and reduces quality of life for people with T1D.
Reference
Whats The Difference Between Saxenda And Victoza
Victoza and Saxenda are the same medication. Theyre both brand names for liraglutide, just like Kleenex is a brand name for tissues. So whats the difference? The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regularly approves certain brands or dosages for one indication, and other doses or brands for separate useseven when they contain the same active ingredient. In this case, Victoza is FDA-approved for treating type 2 diabetes, while Saxenda is FDA-approved for helping with weight loss.
Both drugs are initially prescribed at dosages of 0.6 mg daily. The target dose for Victoza is 1.8 mg each day, and 3 mg for Saxenda. While these drugs have different names, they are functionally the same. Victoza can help you lose weight just like Saxenda, even if it was prescribed to you for diabetes.
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How To Take Victoza
Victoza is available as an injectable pen. Patients administer Victoza once a day by injecting the prescription pen into their thigh, upper arm or stomach. Victoza can be taken any time of day and does not have to be taken with food. The manufacturer recommends establishing a routine to help patients remember to inject the drug at the same time each day. Providers should instruct patients on how to use the Victoza pen. The prefilled 6 mg/mL pens can last up to 30 days, depending on the daily dosage however, unused medication should not be taken after 30 days of first use of the pen.
If patients are taking Victoza with insulin, they should inject each drug separately and never mix the two solutions.
What Should I Tell My Health Care Provider Before Using Victoza
Before using Victoza®, tell your health care provider if you:
- have or have had problems with your pancreas, kidneys, or liver.
- have any other medical conditions or severe problems with your stomach, such as slowed emptying of your stomach or problems with digesting food.
- are pregnant or breastfeeding or plan to become pregnant or breastfeed.
Tell your health care provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, herbal supplements, and other medicines to treat diabetes, including insulin or sulfonylureas.
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Can You Take An Insulin With Victoza If So What Kind And How Much
Home Q & A Questions Can you take an insulin with… Can you take an insulin with victoza? If so What kind and how much? You can go to the top of the page and look for the tab that says interactions checker. From there you will have the option to imput what medicatios you take and it will tell you how they will react with each other. Still looking for answers? Try searching for what you seek or ask your own question . Is anybody taking Insulin with Victoza? If so what has your experience been? The easiest way to lookup drug information, identify pills, check interactions and set up your own personal medication records. Available for Android and iOS devices. Subscribe to receive email notifications whenever new articles are published. Drugs.com provides accurate and independent information on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines and natural products. This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Data sources include Micromedex , Cerner Multum , Wolters Kluwer and others. To view content sources and attributions, please refer to our editorial policy .Continue reading > >
Should I Take Victoza With Food Are There Foods To Avoid With Victoza
You can take Victoza with or without food. And there arent any foods you need to avoid while taking Victoza.
Questions for your doctor
You may have questions about Victoza and your treatment plan. Its important to discuss all your concerns with your doctor.
Here are a few tips that might help guide your discussion:
- Before your appointment, write down questions such as:
- How will Victoza affect my body, mood, or lifestyle?
Bring someone with you to your appointment if doing so will help you feel more comfortable. If you dont understand something related to your condition or treatment, ask your doctor to explain it to you. Remember, your doctor and other healthcare professionals are available to help you. And they want you to get the best care possible. So, dont be afraid to ask questions or offer feedback on your treatment.
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Can Victoza Help Me With Losing Weight Whats The Dosage For Weight Loss And Whats The Best Time To Take Victoza For Weight Loss
The active ingredient in Victoza, liraglutide, can cause weight loss. But Victoza isnt approved to be used for weight loss.
For managing blood sugar levels, Victoza is prescribed with a healthy diet and exercise. So its possible to lose weight while taking Victoza due to exercising and eating more healthily.
Since this isnt an approved use of Victoza, theres no dosage for weight loss. And theres no best time to take Victoza for weight loss. If youd like to learn more about how liraglutide can help with weight loss, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Victozas Effects On Blood Sugar Levels
Controlling blood glucose can help prevent complications of diabetes such as cardiovascular disease. Patients taking Victoza had favorable results regarding A1C, a measure of glucose concentration over a period of two to three months. Victoza helped lower blood sugar in as short as two weeks. A two-year study found the levels remained down.
Victoza also helped lower fasting blood sugar, which is the blood sugar level when a patient has not eaten food, in people with Type 2 diabetes. A normal fasting blood sugar level is less than 100 mg/dL after not eating anything for at least 8 hours. In people with Type 2 diabetes, these levels are much higher.
Another 52-week trial found that patients experienced about a 20 percent reduction in fasting blood sugar levels when taking 1.8 mg of Victoza daily, while blood- glucose levels in patients taking 1.2 mg dropped about 16 percent. The fasting blood sugar levels began to decline within two weeks.
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