SeaConquest Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 I know that there are at least a few of us on the board who have PCOS and/or insulin resistance/pre-diabetes. After my second pregnancy with gestational diabetes, I am having a difficult time getting my A1C down and the baby weight off. After talking to my endo, we decided to give Victoza a try, as Metformin alone was not cutting it anymore. Victoza has been used to good effect with PCOS patients: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24362411 It does have a black box warning for thyroid tumors and pancreatitis, so it is contraindicated if you have a family history of thyroid or pancreatic cancer. However, amid some controversy over the drug, the FDA and its European equivalent recently reaffirmed the safety of the med. For me, the possible benefits outweigh the risks. The same med, at a higher dose, was also recently approved as a treatment for obesity. It has been used off-label for obesity for years, but finally won approval for this specific use. http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/11/novonordisk-obesity-fda-idUSL1N0RC2GT20140911 I started the first injection last night and feel ok so far. No nausea yet, which is good. I will update if others are interested. I know that many others are struggling with these same issues, so I thought I would share. Fingers crossed. Some reviews of the med by others, if you are interested: http://www.drugs.com/comments/liraglutide/victoza-for-diabetes-mellitus-type-ii.html 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Best of luck to you, and I look forward to your updates. I am a PCOSer as well (lucky us!). No weight issues, but metformin (with LCing and exercise) helped normalize my cycles over the last 10 years. It is so weird to have 30-35 day cycles for the first time in my life without BCP. 2 of my 3 kids were conceived with metformin and LC alone after doing injectable meds to have my first. I do like to follow what's going on in endocrinology though, so it will be interesting to read about your experience if you update. Thanks for sharing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aiden Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 I'm with you--I'd love to hear updates as to how this works for you. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melmichigan Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 nm- best of luck to you! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 I haven't heard of that one. Definitely let us know how it works. :) I recently started taking 2g of myo-inositol a day along with magnesium and b-complex for my PCOS. I only started a couple of weeks ago, but I've already lost three pounds, so hopefully it will help. I have nasty side effects from the standard meds, so I'm trying supplements now. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 I haven't heard of that one. Definitely let us know how it works. :) I recently started taking 2g of myo-inositol a day along with magnesium and b-complex for my PCOS. I only started a couple of weeks ago, but I've already lost three pounds, so hopefully it will help. I have nasty side effects from the standard meds, so I'm trying supplements now. I remember maybe 11-12 years ago when they were doing trials with d-chiro inositol, and it was working well for many people, including those who were not responsive to fertility meds or metformin (depending on what PCOS symptoms they were trying to address). I have seen some literature on this in the last few years, but I haven't followed it like I did in the beginning of my PCOS journey. I would love to hear more about your experience as well. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaConquest Posted January 31, 2015 Author Share Posted January 31, 2015 I've read the studies on inositol, and took about the same dose. Unfortunately, it didn't help me. It's 3:30 pst and I've had zero appetite all day. Even passed on cupcakes at a bday party. Amazing. It's so freeing to not obsess about food. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaConquest Posted February 7, 2015 Author Share Posted February 7, 2015 I am one week into it and I have had zero nausea. My appetite has been cut in half. Incredible! I am upping my dose from the 0.6 mg. starting dose to 1.2 mg. tonight, so we will see how I feel tomorrow. I haven't seen any weight loss yet, but I am always a slow loser. I'm starting back up at the gym next week, which should help. Anyway, thus far, I am impressed. ETA: I have never taken any med by injection, and was a bit nervous about it. The needle is so tiny, it is a non-issue. No pain or other issues with the daily injections. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaConquest Posted March 3, 2015 Author Share Posted March 3, 2015 Updating: I am one month in, and currently on the 1.8 mg. dose. I have lost 6 pounds in the last month, purely because of diet (only made it to the gym once). What was impossible before Victoza is finally possible. I have no idea how long the weight loss will continue, but I am thrilled that something is finally making a difference. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Updating: I am one month in, and currently on the 1.8 mg. dose. I have lost 6 pounds in the last month, purely because of diet (only made it to the gym once). What was impossible before Victoza is finally possible. I have no idea how long the weight loss will continue, but I am thrilled that something is finally making a difference. Great update! It sounds like you are having a very positive experience. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaConquest Posted March 31, 2015 Author Share Posted March 31, 2015 2 month update: I lost 2 pounds this month, for a total of 8 pounds. Weight loss is very slooooow and frustrating. This is from diet alone. Hoping to up the exercise in the summer months, when we will take a break from school. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 Slowly decreasing is still better than gaining ... I am currently asymptomatic (except for the hair) but I have PCOS -- exercise was tremendously beneficial as far as stabilizing my blood sugars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Withlovefrommelis Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 Hey there! Just found this board. Pcos here and on 1000mg Metformin. No weight loss from it. Starting Victoza tomorrow. Anymore updates Sea Conquest? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 I remember maybe 11-12 years ago when they were doing trials with d-chiro inositol, and it was working well for many people, including those who were not responsive to fertility meds or metformin (depending on what PCOS symptoms they were trying to address). I have seen some literature on this in the last few years, but I haven't followed it like I did in the beginning of my PCOS journey. I would love to hear more about your experience as well. I'm having much better luck with Metformin than I did with inositol. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaConquest Posted July 17, 2015 Author Share Posted July 17, 2015 Hey there! Just found this board. Pcos here and on 1000mg Metformin. No weight loss from it. Starting Victoza tomorrow. Anymore updates Sea Conquest? Hi! I lost 10 pounds, and then it just sort of petered out. My appetite is still much less, which I have been using as an opportunity to eat a more plant-based diet. I feel really good about my diet, but that hasn't translated into weight loss. Granted, I haven't been doing much physically (my 2 year old pretty much wears me out every day), and my body is always very resistant to weight loss, but I had hoped to see better results. On the plus side, my mood has been dramatically improved (I have bipolar disorder) -- so much so that my psychiatrist and I have been talking about decreasing my meds. I don't know what the exact mechanism is, but, for me, there has always been a direct correlation between my mood issues and obesity/insulin resistance. I don't have an updated A1C yet -- I go back to the doctor in a couple of weeks -- but I imagine that it too has been improved. My doctor may also have some other ideas about how to kick start weight loss again. Anyway, I hope that is helpful. I have nothing but positive things to say about Victoza. It's been great for me. ETA: I have been maintaining the 10 pound loss for several months now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaConquest Posted July 30, 2015 Author Share Posted July 30, 2015 Followup appointment with the endocrinologist today. A1C dropped to 5.3!! Down 10 lbs. and am no longer pre-diabetic!! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umsami Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 Good luck. My endocrinologist seemed very excited about its potential, but right now Metformin ER is working for me, so no need to switch. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 My A1C is excellent but something about my current treatments is giving me major weight gain issues and cravings. I'm seriously considering asking for Metformin or Victoza, but we cash pay and I think the latter is painfully pricy. Would either of these be helpful in counteracting insulin issues due to factors other than diabetes? Any thoughts? I can't keep gaining five to ten pounds a month :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umsami Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 My A1C is excellent but something about my current treatments is giving me major weight gain issues and cravings. I'm seriously considering asking for Metformin or Victoza, but we cash pay and I think the latter is painfully pricy. Would either of these be helpful in counteracting insulin issues due to factors other than diabetes? Any thoughts? I can't keep gaining five to ten pounds a month :( Metformin is usually cheap as a generic. If you do try it, I recommend the extended release because less issues with bathroom/diarrhea. It has been shown to give a slight BMI drop. Victoza is new and $$$$. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaConquest Posted July 30, 2015 Author Share Posted July 30, 2015 My A1C is excellent but something about my current treatments is giving me major weight gain issues and cravings. I'm seriously considering asking for Metformin or Victoza, but we cash pay and I think the latter is painfully pricy. Would either of these be helpful in counteracting insulin issues due to factors other than diabetes? Any thoughts? I can't keep gaining five to ten pounds a month :( Definitely. I took both meds for PCOS, which is (for most people) essentially insulin resistance. My A1C had always been fine as well, but was trending up after my last pregnancy. Victoza is indeed incredibly pricey, but most insurance plans do cover it, and Novo Nordisk has a generous patient assistance plan for low income folks. Check their website to see if you qualify and milk the drug rep samples from your doctor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 I'll ask. We are in a sucky position of having a nice income on paper, but even with our dependents we are above most assistance lines. Asking can't hurt, though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaConquest Posted April 14, 2016 Author Share Posted April 14, 2016 Update: I am down 17 pounds since I started Victoza in February 2015. I stalled out for awhile, but my doctor added phentermine to help with the Victoza afternoon drowsiness and kick start things. It seems to be helping, and I feel good. Slow and steady. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.