Victoza - just started, side effects - do they go away?

Type 2
1

My endo started me on Victoza instead of the Januvia I have been taking for years… I like that this is an injectable… (yeah I am the only person in the world who prefers that?? I hate the pills)

I took my first dose last night and everything was OK. Now about an hour ago I started getting a really bad headache and nausea and I threw up - which was weird since I haven’t eaten anything for hours…

Trying to slowly sip water and eat little amounts because it is not a good outcome when I throw up too much and don’t keep anything down … I end up dehydrated and in the ER.

Do these side effects go away? Or are they indications that I can not tolerate Victoza?

2

Disclaimer: I am not and never have been a Victoza user.

However, people who are tell me that the side effects usually do lessen or go away after the body has time to adjust. For what it’s worth. $0.02.

3

Thank you David. I read some of the other threads - someone was mentioning they got the anti-nausea meds from the drugstore… This is so bad … I think I might do that…

At least for work on Monday, I can’t be feeling like I want to throw up all the time…

4

Have you been started on a reduced dose? This is done to allow your body to adjust but even at that reduced dosage some people have difficulty, sometimes extreme difficulty. For the majority of people their body does eventually adjust but not all do, a few are forced to discontinue its use.

I took Victoza for a while with little problems but I had also taken Byetta, a very similar,drug, before Victoza and had already adjusted to this type medication.

Good luck, from what I remember the first few days are the worst, hopefully you will experience smooth sailing after a short while.

5

Yes, I start on 0.6 if no side effects I am to move to 1.2 mg.
So far no real nausea today. I am still waiting to move up though.

The weirdest thing is I am normally exhausted in some way everyday. Since I stopped the Januvia I feel better, I actually walked to Trader Joes and carried back a heavy bag of groceries back to my house.

I wonder if that Januvia was making me feel like that along or is the Victoza doing that?

Either way I hope it continues… I will have to see how I feel during a work week though.

6

Have headaches off and on and that same weird tingly feeling when I started Metformin six years ago…

How long do people wait until the side effects are gone at go up a dose?

7

And omg, I can’t stop burping - which is weird because normally I can’t burp at all.

8

I read in the Victoza dosage guide that the .06 dose is only supposed to last a week. I have heard of folks that stay on the low dose for longer. The sooner you can move on the better because at the low dose its effectiveness is greatly reduced .

9

Thanks Gary!

I will have to see how I am doing after a week and ask my endo. I still take Metformin and Lantus. Lantus will only go down if start having lows…

10

I think it is important to follow your plan and eat. I take my Victoza in the morning with food. Nancy