Liraglutide Injection
Liraglutide injection may increase the risk that you will develop tumors of the thyroid gland, including medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC; a type of thyroid cancer). Laboratory animals who were given liraglutide developed tumors, but it is not known if this medication increases the risk of tumors in humans. Tell your doctor if you or anyone in your family has or has ever had MTC or Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2; condition that causes tumors in more than one gland in the body). If so, your doctor will probably tell you not to use liraglutide injection. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately: lump or swelling in the neck; hoarseness; difficulty swallowing; or shortness of breath.
Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor may order certain tests to check your body’s response to liraglutide injection.
Your doctor or pharmacist will give you the manufacturer’s patient information sheet (Medication Guide) when you begin treatment with liraglutide injection and each time you refill your prescription. Read the information carefully and ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions. You can also visit the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website (http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm085729.htm) or the manufacturer’s website to obtain the Medication Guide.
Talk to your doctor about the risks of using liraglutide injection.
🔔 Why is this medication prescribed?
Liraglutide injection (Victoza) is used with a diet and exercise program to control blood sugar levels in adults and children 10 years of age and older with type 2 diabetes (condition in which the body does not use insulin normally and therefore cannot control the amount of sugar in the blood) when other medications did not control levels well enough. Liraglutide injection (Victoza) is also used to reduce the risk of a heart attack, stroke, or death in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus and heart and blood vessel disease. Liraglutide injection (Victoza) is not used to treat type 1 diabetes (condition in which the body does not produce insulin and therefore cannot control the amount of sugar in the blood) or diabetic ketoacidosis (a serious condition that may develop if high blood sugar is not treated) in adults. Liraglutide injection (Saxenda) is used along with a reduced calorie diet and exercise plan to help certain adults and children 12 years of age and older who weigh 132 pounds (60 kg) or more and who are obese or who are overweight and have weight-related medical problems to lose weight and to keep from gaining back that weight. Liraglutide injection (Saxenda) is not used to treat type 2 diabetes. Liraglutide injection is in a class of medications called incretin mimetics. It works by helping the pancreas to release the right amount of insulin when blood sugar levels are high. Insulin helps move sugar from the blood into other body tissues where it is used for energy. Liraglutide injection also slows the emptying of the stomach and may decrease appetite and cause weight loss.
Over time, people who have diabetes and high blood sugar can develop serious or life-threatening complications, including heart disease, stroke, kidney problems, nerve damage, and eye problems. Using medication(s), making lifestyle changes (e.g., diet, exercise, quitting smoking), and regularly checking your blood sugar may help to manage your diabetes and improve your health. This therapy may also decrease your chances of having a heart attack, stroke, or other diabetes-related complications such as kidney failure, nerve damage (numb, cold legs or feet; decreased sexual ability in men and women), eye problems, including changes or loss of vision, or gum disease. Your doctor and other healthcare providers will talk to you about the best way to manage your diabetes.
The last 20 years have seen the cost of medical care increase about 70% faster than the rate of general inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the Research Division of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Healthcare inflation dropped to a historical low after 2010 but is again on the rise as of 2018, according to Bloomberg.
🔔 How should this medicine be used?
Liraglutide injection comes as a solution (liquid) in a prefilled dosing pen to inject subcutaneously (under the skin) in your stomach, thigh, or upper arm. It is usually injected once a day with or without food. Use liraglutide injection at around the same time every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Use liraglutide injection exactly as directed. Do not use more or less of it or use it more often than prescribed by your doctor.
Your doctor will probably start you on a low dose of liraglutide injection and increase your dose after 1 week.
Liraglutide injection (Victoza) controls diabetes but does not cure it. Continue to use liraglutide injection even if you feel well. Do not stop using liraglutide injection without talking to your doctor.
If you are an adult using liraglutide injection (Saxenda) for weight loss and you do not lose a certain amount of weight after 16 weeks of treatment, it is not likely that you will benefit from using this medication. If you are a child 12 years of age and older using liraglutide injection (Saxenda) and you do not lose a certain amount of weight after 12 weeks on the maintenance dose, it is not likely that you will benefit from using this medication. Your doctor may tell you to stop using liraglutide injection (Saxenda) if you do not lose enough weight during the first weeks of your treatment.
You will need to buy needles separately. Ask your doctor or pharmacist what type of needles you will need to inject your medication. Be sure to read and understand the manufacturer’s instructions for injecting liraglutide using the pen. Also make sure you know how and when to set up a new pen, and what to do if you drop your pen. If you are blind or have poor eyesight and cannot read the dose counter on the pen, do not use this pen without help. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to show you how to use the pen. Follow the directions carefully.
Always look at your liraglutide solution before you inject it. It should be clear, colorless, and free of particles. Do not use liraglutide if it is colored, cloudy, thickened, or contains solid particles, or if the expiration date on the bottle has passed.
Never reuse needles and never share needles or pens. Always remove the needle right after you inject your dose. Dispose of needles in a puncture-resistant container. Ask your doctor or pharmacist how to dispose of the puncture resistant container.
Ask your pharmacist or doctor for a copy of the manufacturer’s information for the patient.
