Liraglutide: functions, dosage, side effects, how to use

What medicine is Liraglutide?

What is liraglutide for?

Liraglutide is a drug commonly used to treat type 2 diabetes.

These drugs help control blood sugar levels as well as prevent diabetes complications. Such as kidney damage, blindness, nervous disorders, loss of limbs, and problems with sexual function. This drug can also be used to prevent heart attacks or strokes in adults who have type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Basically, this drug is similar to a natural hormone in the body called incretin. That is why this drug belongs to the class of mimetic incretin drugs, which work by stimulating the release of insulin when blood sugar is high, especially after eating. This drug also works to lower the levels of blood sugar produced by the liver.

It should be understood that this drug cannot replace insulin function if you need insulin therapy. This drug should also not be used for people with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis.

Usually doctors will prescribe this drug if a variety of other diabetes medicines do not show good results. Doctors may prescribe this drug alone or in combination with other medicines. Use this medication as directed by your doctor. Do not attempt to increase or decrease the dose of the drug as this can increase the risk of side effects.

How is liraglutide used?

Liraglutide is a diabetes drug that is injectable. Inject this medication under the skin on your thigh, stomach, or upper arm as directed by your doctor. This medicine is given once a day, can be used before or after meals. Ask your doctor when is the right time for you to use this medication.

Before using it, check the medicine carefully. You should not use this drug if there are solid particles or the liquid has changed color to become more cloudy. If you are also taking insulin, give insulin and liraglutade in different injections. Do not mix the two in the same syringe or insulin pump.

Use this medication at the same dosage as your doctor recommends. Generally doctors will start with a low dose first to avoid side effects on the stomach. When needed, the doctor will increase the dose gradually. Basically, this dose is adjusted to the health condition and the patient's response to treatment.

You can inject this drug in the same area of ​​the body, but not in an exact area next to it. In essence, inject this drug at a different point. This is done to avoid problems under the skin.

In order for you to get the best benefit, use this medicine regularly. To help you remember, inject the medicine at the same time each day. Clean the injection point with an alcohol wipe each time you finish using it. Make sure the area is dry when you inject the drug.

You also should not give this medicine to other people, even if they have changed the needle. Using the syringe interchangeably can increase the risk of spreading serious illness or infection.

Learn how to safely store and dispose of needles and medical supplies. Consult the pharmacist for more details. You should also tell your doctor right away if your condition does not improve or if it gets worse (for example, your blood sugar level remains high or continues to rise).

How is liraglutide stored?

This medication is best stored at room temperature, away from direct light and damp places. Don't keep it in the bathroom. Don't freeze it. Other brands of this drug may have different storage rules. Observe the storage instructions on the product package or ask your pharmacist. Keep all medicines away from children and pets.

Do not flush medicines down the toilet or down the drain unless instructed to do so. Discard this product when it has expired or when it is no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company about how to safely dispose of your product.

Liraglutide dosage

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting treatment.

What is the liraglutide dosage for adults?

To control blood sugar, a safe starting dose is 0.6 milligram (mg) injected once per day. The dose can be increased to 1.2 mg after 1 week of use. The maximum dose that can be given is 1.8 mg per day.

Actually, the dosage is adjusted to the health condition and the patient's response to treatment. Therefore, the dose of medicine for each person may be different. Don't hesitate to ask your doctor directly to make sure a dosage is safe for you.

What is the liraglutide dosage for children?

The dosage for children has not been determined. Even so, the dosage of drugs for children depends on their weight, health conditions, and their response to treatment. Please consult a doctor for more information.

In what dosage is liraglutide available?

This drug is available in liquid form at a strength of 6 mg / mL.

Liraglutide side effects

What side effects can I experience due to liraglutide?

This drug has the potential to cause side effects from mild to severe. The side effects that are milder that people often complain about after using them include:

• Headache
• Dizzy
• Stomach ache
• Decreased appetite
• Nausea
• Gag
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Cold symptoms such as nasal congestion, sneezing, sore throat, body aches
• The body is weak and not strong
• A mild rash appears
• Redness or swelling at the injection site

We recommend that you see a doctor immediately when you experience serious side effects such as:

• Swelling or lumps in the throat area
• Hoarseness
• Difficulty swallowing and breathing
• Difficulty urinating
• Dazed
• Often feel thirsty
• Irregular heartbeat and beat
• Short and chasing breath
• Signs of infection include fever, chills, sore throat, flu symptoms, easy bruising or bleeding (nosebleeds, bleeding gums), sore mouth, and unusual weakness.

It doesn't stop there. This medication can even cause a severe allergic reaction known as anaphylactic shock. When this happens, you will experience:

• Skin rash
• Itchy rash
• Difficulty breathing
• Swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat
• Consciousness was almost lost

Not everyone experiences this side effect. There may be some side effects not listed above. If you want to know about side effects, consult your doctor or pharmacist.

Liraglutide Drug Warnings and Cautions

What should be known before using liraglutide?

Before using liraglutide injections, tell your doctor (and pharmacist) if:

• You are allergic to liraglutide, other drugs, or to any of the ingredients in this drug injection. Ask the pharmacist or check the guide for a list of ingredients.
• You are currently or will regularly take prescription, non-prescription drugs, vitamins, supplements, and herbal products. In essence, tell your doctor about all medicines you are taking.
• You have or have had glandular tumors, kidney disease, heart disease, digestive disorders that cause the digestive process to slow down, and diabetes ketoacidosis.
• You are currently or have been addicted to alcohol.
• You are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding. If during pregnancy you routinely use injections of this drug, you should immediately contact the doctor
• You will have surgery, including dental surgery.
• pancreatitis, disease of the liver, gallstones, or high levels of fat in the blood, a history of psychiatric illness

This medicine is a drug that can cause lightheadedness, especially when you wake up too quickly from lying or sitting. This usually happens when you first drink it. So, to help avoid this problem, get out of bed slowly. Place your feet on the floor for a few minutes before standing up.

If while taking this medicine you experience diarrhea, vomiting, and sweating profusely, be careful. Because this condition can lower blood pressure to make you pass out. Tell your doctor if you have this problem or experience it during your treatment.

From trials conducted on mice, this drug is known to cause certain thyroid tumors. Although it is still limited to animals, the results of this study still need to be watched out for. Talk to your doctor about the benefits and risks that this medication may cause. Also, inform me if you have had a history of cancer or if any of your family members have had cancer.

While using this medicine, you may also experience vision problems, weakness, and drowsiness due to drastic changes in blood sugar levels. Try not to do activities that require high alertness, such as driving or operating large machinery until the effects of the drug are completely gone.

Is liraglutide safe for pregnant and lactating women?

There are no adequate studies regarding the risks of using this drug in pregnant or breastfeeding women. Always consult your doctor to weigh the potential benefits and risks before using this medication. This drug is included in the risk of pregnancy category C according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States, or the equivalent of the Food and Drug Administration (BPOM) in Indonesia.

The following references the pregnancy risk categories according to the FDA:

• A = Not at risk
• B = No risk in several studies
• C = May be risky
• D = There is positive evidence of risk
• X = Contraindicated,
• N = Unknown

Meanwhile, for breastfeeding mothers, there is no clear evidence whether this drug harms the baby or not. To avoid various negative possibilities, do not take this medicine carelessly or without the doctor's permission.

Liraglutide Drug Interactions

What medicines may interact with liraglutide?

Drug interactions may change how medications work or increase the risk of serious side effects. This document does not contain all possible drug interactions. Keep a list of all the products you use (including prescription / nonprescription drugs and herbal products) and share it with your doctor and pharmacist. Do not start, stop, or change your dose without your doctor's approval.

Liraglutide can make it harder for your body to absorb other medicines that you are taking. Tell your doctor about all medicines you take, especially:

• Amlodipine
• Aspirin
• Atorvastatin
• Insulin
• Invokana (canagliflozin)
• Janumet (metformin / sitagliptin)
• Januvia (sitagliptin)
• Insulin glargine
• Levemir (insulin detemir)
• Levothyroxine
• Lisinopril
• Losartan
• Metformin
• Omeprazole
• Simvastatin
• Tresiba (insulin degludec)
• Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol)

The list above is not a complete list of the products that may interact. Tell your doctor if you use the above products and all the products you consume, including prescription or nonprescription, vitamins, and herbal medicines.

Can food or alcohol interact with liraglutide?

Certain drugs cannot be used with meals or when eating certain foods because drug interactions can occur. Consuming alcohol or tobacco with certain drugs can also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with a healthcare professional about using drugs with food, alcohol, or cigarettes.

What health conditions can interact with liraglutide?

The presence of other drug problems may affect the use of this drug. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Alcohol abuse
• cholelithiasis (urinary stones)
• Angioedema (swelling of the face, lips, tongue, throat, arms, or legs)
• Chronic dehydration
• Gastroparesis (the stomach does not empty food normally)
• Kidney illness
• Pancreatitis
• Diabetic ketoacosis
• Type 1 diabetes
• Medullary thyroid carcinoma (thyroid cancer), family history
• Multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2)
• Depression
• Kidney failure
• Cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure

There may be many other health conditions that have not been mentioned. So, make it a habit to tell your doctor about the medical history you have. As trivial as it may sound, this information can help your doctor determine the best treatment for your condition.

Liraglutide overdose

What should I do in an emergency or overdose?

In case of an emergency or overdose, contact the local emergency services provider (119) or immediately to the nearest hospital emergency department.

When someone has an overdose, various symptoms that may arise are:

• Too low blood pressure (hypotension) which makes the head dizzy
• Fainting
• Fast and irregular heartbeat
• Slower than normal heart rate

What should I do if I miss a dose?

If you forget a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, when it is nearing the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose and return to the usual dosing schedule. Do not double your dose in one drink.