So today, October 20, 2011, I started on the type 2 drug Victoza. Even though I am a type 1 diabetic my doctor feels that this drug will help regulate the spikes and drops in my sugars, reduce my insulin intake, and even help me lose weight. She has the resources to provide me with a two month supply of Victoza and we'll evaluate at the end of those two months to see if it is worth fighting for the insurance to cover it for me.

My Endo takes a longer than normal approach to starting Victoza. She has found that if you start with 5 clicks, .3 units, for three days, then move up to 10 clicks, .6 units, for a week it helps to reduce the nausea that is typically reported with Victoza. That then continues to 15 clicks, .9 units, for 3 more days, and then 20 clicks, 1.2 units for a week. She has decided that she wants me on the highest dosage so I'll go through one more increase of 25 clicks, 1.5 units, for 3 days, and then the full 30 clicks, 1.8 units, until I come off of Victoza. If during any of the increases I start to feel serious nausea I am to go back to the previous dosage for a couple more days.

Victoza is a once daily injection that should be given around the same time every day. My most consistent time is lunch, always at noon, so I chose to do my Victoza injections just before lunch. Today I started with the 5 click, .3 unit, injection at 11:55pm. By 12:15 I was noticing a slight headache/disorientation and eating definitely felt different. One of the effects of Victoza is to restore feelings hunger and satiety so this was not surprising. The only surprise I had was how fast I was feeling an effect. None of the symptoms at this time (12:55) have been major and they are all easily worked through.

My Endo had warned me that people on Victoza needed much less insulin than they had previously. She recommended that I cut everything back by 50%. I, however, am perhaps a bad patient. Since 11am my basal dose has been reduced by 25% and when my pump recommended 8 units for the bowl of chicken noodle soup and stick of string cheese I had with lunch I cut it back to 6 units. I started lunch with a blood glucose of about 86 and right now, my Dexcom is reading 110 and steady now, about a half hour after I finished lunch. I did bolus for lunch about 15 minutes prior to eating but am still seeing sugars lower than I would expect given the reduced insulin intake.

I hope to update this blog daily with my experience with Victoza. Most will find it horribly boring to read but if any other type 1's are considering going on Victoza this will give them a glimpse of my experience with it.