Victoza, weight loss, diabetes, surgery

[Travelmego 235]

Hi all,

I am thrilled to be making the first post on this new forum!

I take Victoza for diabetes 2 with one of the side effects being weight loss. It is a once daily subcutaneous shot in the stomach. You really can't feel it since the needles are sooo small. It comes in pens where you just dial out the dose. It is prescribed for diabetes mostly but I believe I have heard of doctors prescribing it for weight loss, but I am not sure on that.

Yes, Victoza is someone effective for gradual weight loss and maintaining. It doesn't have the 'tension' that phentermine can give but phentermine is faster. The doctors gave me permission to combine the two but I haven't done it yet. The reason I haven't is that I have decided to get the sleeve surgery. It is my understanding that the sleeve will (hopefully and likely) put diabetes in remission. From my understanding, even if I were to lose all the weight without surgery, and somehow keep it off (unlikely), it would still not really be a 'cure' for diabetes like the sleeve is. This is supposedly due to the sleeve making some kind of hormonal changes that are not fully understood yet.

So, while victoza has been great in managing my sugar numbers, and has been ok but slow in weight loss and maintenance, it isn't quite enough for a diabetic.

Edited June 10, 2014 by Travelmego

[Teachamy 1,042]

There is no guarantee the surgery will cure Type II, however, it does a hell of a job getting rid of insulin resistance! So if you maintain the post-sleeve diet and keep your carbs reasonable, your body should have no problems pumping out the right amount of insulin.

I am Type I (autoimmune) but I had a lot of insulin resistance as well. I may have been a Type I /Type II hybrid. At any rate, now that the insulin resistance is gone, my blood glucose levels are far easier to control. What a relief!

[ProudGrammy 8,322]

Victoza side effect being weight loss.

@@Travelmego

I was taken off all diabetic meds after surgery, and things are/have been going great

but last time i had my HG1 (don't remember if thats the right acronym )

my sugar was 6.5 which doc (or me) weren't thrilled about

its not terrible, but higher than we like

hopefully it will get better, "but" maybe i will ask doc what his opinion on me taking the Victoza

it would help lower the sugar again, and if i could benefit alittle helping my weight, that would be great too

thanx for reminding me about the Victoza - i'm gonna talk to my doc

good luck

kathy

Edited June 10, 2014 by proudgrammy

[Travelmego 235]

@Teachamy @proudgrammy I do wonder if the 'cure' by the sleeve is really more about calorie/carb restriction than an actual change in the gut. if calories/carbs are reduced, then naturally the insulin you are able to produce would be enough. This could also account for why people are able to get off meds so quickly after surgery - even before massive weight loss. However, I have read that they think it might be an actual gut hormonal (or something) change. I'm kind hoping for a gut change which says more 'cure' to me than just merely sticking to your diet. What do you all think? How does it change insulin resistance?

Proundgranny - 6.5 isn't too bad. A lot of people would be thrilled with that. I understand wanting to be in the 5's or less. My last a1c was 6.0 on victoza and I did cheat a bit. I also take 2000 metformin extended release 1 time a day. I can't stand taking medicine more than one time a day because I always end up forgetting and do terribly on that schedule.

Edited June 10, 2014 by Travelmego

[rashika 1]

I'm also a diabetes and have been for 10 years recently my blood sugars got bad they put me 5 different diabetes medicine and my numbers were bad my cpap tie 1.5 A1C was 12.8 happy to say now I only take victoza Cap tie 5 and A1c 6.5 the weight is not coming off as fast as I would like it but I do see results and I believe that Victoza woks

[ga peach2558 8]

I am a type 2 insulin dependent diabetic & have been taking Victoza for several years. It helped me reduce the amount of insulin I needed by about half & helped me lose a little weight. I am 1 week post op for RNY surgery & have stopped Victoza completely. Victoza effects the speed of food moving thru the digestive system, actually slows it down. My dtr recommended that I stop it post surgery. Hope I don't have to take it again since I am gradually reducing insulin I am taking.

[Jkapp923 10]

I am a weeks out to surgery and use Victoza. I was using Victoza for insulin resistance and to work my way toward using Saxenda, which is Victoza but with higher dosages and was just FDA approved for weight loss. I meet with my endocrinologist the day before I start my pre-op diet and will find out more then.

[ProudGrammy 8,322]

Update Update Victoza

A1C

March 2015

4.0

off victoza, and other diabetes meds

woo hoo

party dance party dance

kathy

Edited March 6, 2015 by proudgrammy

[Jkapp923 10]

As an update, I have stopped my victoza as per doctors orders to allow the sleeve to do it own work.