Liraglutide for weight loss: how to take tablets, doses of the drug, cheaper analogues

Liraglutide helps not only to lose weight, but also to normalize blood sugar levels, that is, to comprehensively improve health. Read the article and find out how to use the drug correctly and lose weight faster.

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Author: Kristina Lobanovskaya, doctor, practicing nutritionist Article updated: 11/10/2020

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Liraglutide, marketed in the United States under the name Victoza, is by no means a new drug - it has been used since 2009 to treat type 2 diabetes. This hypoglycemic agent is administered by injection and is approved for use in the USA, Russia and some other countries in the form of Victoza from the Danish manufacturer Novo Nordisk. Since 2015, Liraglutide has also been marketed under the trade name Saxenda and is positioned as a medicine for the treatment of obesity in adults.

Simply put, the same active substance under different trade names is used both for the effective treatment of diabetes and for getting rid of excess body weight.

Indications for use of Liraglutide

The drug Liraglutide has been used in medicine since 2006 and was initially intended exclusively for maintenance therapy for type 2 diabetes mellitus. The product is available in two pharmacological forms - solution for injection (subcutaneous) and tablets.

During the use of the tablet form of the drug, it was noted that the patients not only stabilized their blood sugar levels, but also lost weight - up to 10% of the initial body weight was lost within a month and a half.

Since 2015, tablets in which the main active ingredient is liraglutide have been actively used against obesity - they really have the desired effect and speed up the process of losing extra pounds.

But doctors warn that it is impossible to take such drugs for weight loss without a special prescription - the tablets have a powerful therapeutic effect and in certain situations can lead to irreversible processes , the development of pathologies of internal organs and systems. There is a list of clear indications for the use of Liraglutide in diet pills:

obesity degree 2 or more;
disturbance in the process of lipoprotein metabolism;
type 2 diabetes mellitus;
glycemic index 30 kg/m2 - only if there is no history of any internal pathologies;
glycemic index 27 kg/m2, if the condition is accompanied by hypertension (persistently high blood pressure), too high cholesterol levels.

Even if such diagnoses are indicated in a person’s medical record, this is not a reason for taking diet pills on your own! Only a doctor can make such prescriptions.

We recommend reading the article about the drug Metformin for weight loss. From it you will learn about the properties and main uses of the medicine, indications and contraindications, how to take diet pills correctly, as well as the expected results. And here is more information about anorectics for weight loss.

How the medicine works

Liraglutide is included in the RLS (Russian Medicines Register) under the trade names Victoza and Saxenda. The medicine contains the base component liraglutide, supplemented with the following ingredients: sodium hydrogen phosphate dihydrate, phenol, sodium hydroxide, water and propylene glycol.

Liraglutide is essentially a synthetic copy of the glucagon-like peptide GLP-1, which is 97% similar to its human counterpart. This similarity leads to the body not recognizing the foreign enzyme.

Just like natural GLP-2, liraglutide comes into contact with receptors, stimulating the production of insulin and glucagon. The mechanisms of endogenous insulin synthesis are gradually normalized. This mechanism allows you to completely normalize glycemia.

The medication controls the growth of fat deposits using mechanisms that block hunger and energy consumption. A weight reduction of up to 3 kg was recorded during clinical trials when using Saxenda in combination with metformin. The higher the BMI was initially, the faster the patients lost excess weight.

With monotherapy over the course of a year, waist circumference was reduced by 3-3.6 cm, and weight decreased to varying degrees, but in all patients, regardless of the presence of undesirable consequences. After normalizing the glycemic profile, liraglutide stops the growth of beta cells responsible for the synthesis of their own insulin.

After injection, the drug is absorbed gradually. The peak of its concentration is observed after 8-12 hours. For the pharmacokinetics of a drug, age, gender or ethnic differences do not play a special role, as do liver and kidney pathologies.

Most often, the medicine penetrates the bloodstream by injection, increasing the number of peptides and restoring the functioning of the pancreas. Food is digested better, and symptoms of type 2 diabetes appear less frequently.

Clinical trials of the drug were carried out over a year, and there is no clear answer to the question about the duration of the course of treatment. The FDA recommends that patients be assessed every 4 months to adjust the regimen.

If during this time the weight loss is less than 4%, it means that the medicine is not suitable for this patient, and a replacement must be looked for.

Contraindications to tablets

Liraglutide and drugs containing this substance are strictly prohibited for use when:

pathologies of the kidneys and urinary tract occurring in any form and severity;
endocrine neoplasia;
liver diseases;
problems in the digestive system;
inflammation of the pancreas, regardless of the form of the disease (acute/chronic pancreatitis);
depressive states and emerging suicidal thoughts;
type 1 diabetes mellitus;
heart failure;
any thyroid disease.

Thyroid diseases are a contraindication to taking Liraglutide.
There are also conditional contraindications - these are conditions that can be corrected and, after waiting for complete restoration of health, start taking diet pills:

periods of pregnancy and breastfeeding;
not taking insulin regularly;
use of hormonal medications;
taking any other means that promote weight loss.

In addition, tablets are not prescribed for people under 18 years of age and after 75 years of age. In the first case, they can lead to irreversible processes in the pancreas and disrupt insulin synthesis; in the second, they do not show their effectiveness.

Liraglutide - a medicine for the treatment of type 2 diabetes: instructions and reviews

Liraglutide is a medicine for people with type 2 diabetes mellitus that does not have a negative effect on the heart and blood vessels, does not cause hypoglycemia and weight gain. This is an improved synthetic analogue of its own hormone, glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1). Liraglutide is included in the drugs Victoza and Saxenda.

They are used subcutaneously only once a day, allowing maximum preservation of pancreatic β-cells and the production of their own insulin, delaying its use in the form of daily injections.

Liraglutide is an improved analogue of its own hormone, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which is produced in the gastrointestinal tract in response to food intake and causes the synthesis of insulin.

Natural GLP-1 is destroyed in the body in a couple of minutes, the synthetic one differs from it by only 2 amino acid substitutions in the chemical composition.

Unlike human (native) GLP-1, liraglutide maintains a stable concentration throughout the day, which allows it to be administered only once every 24 hours.

Available in the form of a clear solution, used for subcutaneous injections in a dosage of 6 mg/ml (a total of 18 mg of the substance in the entire volume). The first manufacturing company was the Danish company Novo Nordisk. The drug is supplied to pharmacies in the form of a cartridge packaged in a syringe pen, with which daily injections are made. Each container holds 3 ml of solution, in a package there are 2 or 5 pieces.

Pharmacological action of the drug

Under the influence of the active substance - liraglutide, stimulated reproduction of its own insulin occurs, and the function of β-cells improves. At the same time, excessive synthesis of the glucose-dependent hormone glucagon is suppressed.

This means that with increased blood sugar, the production of your own insulin increases and the secretion of glucagon is suppressed. In the opposite situation, when the glucose concentration is low, insulin secretion decreases, but glucagon synthesis remains at the same level.

The pleasant effect of liraglutide is weight loss and reduction of adipose tissue, which is directly related to the mechanism that dulls the feeling of hunger and reduces energy expenditure.

Studies outside the body have shown that the drug can have a powerful effect on β-cells, increasing their number.

Indications for use

Liraglutide is only for people over 18 years of age living with type 2 diabetes. A prerequisite is good nutrition and physical activity.

Can be used as:

The only drug for the treatment of type 2 diabetes (main therapy).
In combination with tablet forms (metformin, etc.) in cases where a person is unable to achieve the desired glycemic control with other drugs.
In combination with insulin, when the combination of liraglutide and metformin did not give the desired result.

Instructions for use

Liraglutide is administered only under the skin. It is forbidden to use it intramuscularly and especially intravenously! The solution is used at the same time of day once, regardless of food. Preferred injection sites are the upper arm, thigh, and abdomen.

The minimum starting dose is 0.6 mg per day, it should be injected for at least a week, after which the dosage can be increased to 1.2 mg. To achieve the best result, the drug can be prescribed at a dose of 1.8 mg. The maximum effective dosage is 1.8 mg (in the case of Victoza). If Saxenda is used, the maximum dosage is 3 mg per day.

If you miss a regular dose, you should administer the medicine as soon as possible within the next 12 hours. If more than this time has passed, the dose is skipped and the usual dose is administered the next day. Introducing a double dose does not give a positive result.

The active substance is in a special cartridge, which is built into the syringe pen. Before use, make sure that the solution is clear and colorless. To administer the medicine, it is better to use needles less than 8 mm long and up to 32G thick.

Liraglutide must not be frozen! Should be stored in the refrigerator if the pen is new. After the first use, it can be stored at temperatures up to 30°C, but can also be left in the refrigerator. The cartridge must be used within a month after opening.

Interactions with drugs

The GLP-1 analogue has a very low ability to interact with other drugs, which is explained by its special metabolism in the liver and binding to plasma proteins.

Due to delayed gastric emptying, some oral forms of drugs are absorbed with a delay, but dosage adjustment is not required in this case.

Liraglutide reduces the maximum concentration of some drugs, but dosage adjustments are also not necessary.

Liraglutide during pregnancy

No special studies have been conducted on this group of patients, so the drug is prohibited for use. Experiments on laboratory animals have shown that the substance is toxic to the fetus.

When using the medicine, a woman must use adequate contraception, and if she is planning a pregnancy, she must inform her doctor about this decision so that he can switch her to a safer therapy.

Official drug study

The effectiveness of the active substance was studied by the LEAD clinical trial program. 4,000 people with type 2 diabetes made their invaluable contribution to it. The results showed that the drug is effective and safe both as primary therapy and in combination with other tableted hypoglycemic agents.

It was noted that people receiving liraglutide for a long time had a decrease in body weight and blood pressure. The incidence of hypoglycemia decreased by 6 times compared to glimepiride (Amaril).

The results of the program showed that glycated hemoglobin levels and body weight were reduced more effectively by liraglutide than by insulin glargine in combination with metformin and glimepiride. It has been recorded that blood pressure figures decrease after just 1 week of using the drug, which is in no way dependent on weight loss.

Final research results:

Advantages and disadvantages of application

Positive properties:

Able to dull appetite and reduce body weight.
Reduces the possible threat of developing serious complications associated with cardiovascular disease.
Apply once a day.
Preserves β-cell function for as long as possible.
Promotes the synthesis of insulin.

Negative:

Subcutaneous application.
People with poor vision may experience some discomfort when using a pen.
Large list of contraindications.
Cannot be used by pregnant women, nursing mothers and children under 18 years of age.
High cost of drugs.

Are there any analogues?

Drugs containing only liraglutide:

A combined drug that includes it and insulin degludec is Sultofay.

What can replace Liraglutide?

Name	Active substance	Pharmacotherapeutic group
Forxiga	Dapagliflozin	Hypoglycemic drugs (treatment of type 2 diabetes)
Lyxumia	Lixisenatide
New norm	Repaglinide
Glucophage	Metformin
Xenical, Orsoten	Orlistat	Drugs for the treatment of obesity
Goldline	Sibutramine	Appetite regulators (obesity treatment)

review of medications for weight loss

Guide to choosing medications. Anti-obesity pills. Health. (12/18/2016)

Price

Trade name	Cost, rub.
Victoza (2 pens per pack)	9 600
Saxenda (5 syringe pens)	27 000

Considering the drugs Victoza and Saxenda from an economic point of view, we can conclude that the first drug will cost less.

And the point is not that it itself costs less, but that the maximum daily dosage is only 1.8 mg, while the other drug has 3 mg. This means that 1 cartridge of Victoza will last for 10 days, and Saxenda – for 6, if you take the maximum doses of administration.

How to take Liraglutide for weight loss

Tablets are taken according to a certain scheme:

for the first 7-10 days per day, you need to take such an amount of the drug that 0.4 mg of the active substance enters the body - usually 1 tablet per day before meals;
the following days are an increase in dosage to 1 mg, which should proceed gradually and with mandatory monitoring of the condition.

The specific regimen for using the drug is selected by the doctor, because to calculate the daily dosage, it is necessary to take into account the patient’s general health, the presence/absence of concomitant diseases, his glycemic index, and age . Even in the official instructions for Liraglutide there are no specific figures regarding the number of tablets per day.

How to take Liraglutide diet pills

Pharmacological action of the drug

The pleasant effect of liraglutide is weight loss and reduction of adipose tissue, which is directly related to the mechanism that dulls the feeling of hunger and reduces energy expenditure.

Studies outside the body have shown that the drug can have a powerful effect on β-cells, increasing their number.

Possible complications from taking

Why is it dangerous to take Liraglutide on your own – without a doctor’s prescription and in a “free” dosage? This drug, even if used extremely correctly, in 90% of cases causes powerful side effects:

allergy to the main active ingredient, up to rapidly developing Quincke's edema;
general weakness, quickly occurring fatigue, increased drowsiness, attacks of depression;
headaches - first periodic, then constant and accompanied by photophobia, acute negative reaction to noise (migraine);
dysfunction of the digestive system - vomiting, bloating, uncontrollable diarrhea, unpleasant/smelly belching, heartburn with a splash of stomach contents;
hypoglycemia;
dehydration of the body;
problems in the functioning of the respiratory system, including infection of the respiratory tract;
arrhythmia.

Arrhythmia is one of the side effects after using Liraglutide.
In most cases, complaints from patients first come from headaches and problems in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, but this quickly goes away with the continuation of the course of therapy. Some patients only feel a worsening of their condition and then all other side effects develop.

Doctors warn that if side effects persist for 3 weeks from the start of taking the pills, then you need to seek help from the specialist who gave the prescription - most likely, the therapy will be canceled.

Using a pen syringe

If the patient has not previously encountered such a device as a syringe pen, then he may have some difficulties using it. Before using any medication, you must check the suitability of the drug. Then remove the cap from the syringe. The solution inside the syringe is colorless and transparent. If cloudiness or any impurities are observed, it should not be used.

Remove the protection from the disposable needle, put the needle on the tip of the syringe, fixing it tightly. The inner cap is removed and discarded, but the outer cap must be kept. Lightly press the start button until a drop of solution appears on the tip of the needle. If not the entire dose is administered, then with the next injection a new needle is used, which should not have any defects or damage.

To check the flow of the injection solution, turn the roller at the end until the dosage indicator is compared with the letters vvw. You need to point the needle up and press the start button repeatedly until the 0 mark appears on the dispenser. At the same time, a droplet should form at the end of the needle. If this does not happen, you need to repeat the procedure several times. If there are no changes, the syringe is considered unfit for use and is replaced with another.

Before administration, be sure to set the desired dose on the syringe. Before each administration, it is necessary to check the counter and dispenser to see how much solution has been collected. The scale indicates the remaining injection fluid in the syringe.

After all the verification and preparatory manipulations, you can proceed directly to the injection.

Inject the drug under the skin without touching the dispenser, otherwise the supply of the solution may be interrupted.
You need to press start until 0 appears in the counter window, then count to 6 and remove the needle.
If drops of blood appear, you need to apply a cotton pad with alcohol; massaging the injection site is prohibited.

Look at the same topic: Modern drug Liraglutide, created to help people with obesity

After the procedure, you need to put the protective cap on the table and, without touching it, carefully insert the needle inside until it stops, then disconnect and dispose of the used needle. Put a guard on the syringe so that the liquid is protected from light.

Cost of weight loss medication

Liraglutide is very expensive - ranging from 10-27 thousand rubles per package. And it’s only enough for 30 days of use! It turns out that for a minimum course of 52 days you will need to purchase the drug in the amount of at least 18,000 rubles.

On the other hand, the high price is an indicator of the originality of the drug. Many people counterfeit pills, offering them at a low cost, but such manufacturers do not guarantee not only the effectiveness, but also the safety of such therapy.

Price

The cost of liraglutide is determined by the dosage of the active substance.

“Victoza” solution for subcutaneous administration 6 mg/ml, 3 ml, N2 (Novo Nordisk, Denmark) - from 10,000 rubles.
"Victoza" cartridges with syringe pen 6 mg/ml, 3 ml, 2 pcs. (Novo Nordisk, Denmark) - from 9.5 thousand rubles.
"Victoza", 18 mg/3 ml syringe pen, 2 pcs. (Novo Nordisk, Denmark) - from 9 thousand rubles.
"Saxenda" solution for subcutaneous administration 6 mg/ml, cartridge in syringe pen 3 ml, 5 pcs. (Novo Nordisk, Denmark) - 27,000 rubles.

Cheaper analogues

Liraglutide analogues can be purchased in pharmacy chains - they are much cheaper, but no less effective.

Diaglinide

The price ranges from 200 rubles, the drug is available without a prescription.

Orsoten

Capsules cost 600 rubles, you can take 120 mg of the drug per day, it is sold strictly with a prescription from a doctor.

NovoNorm

The price of 160 rubles is considered the lowest among analogues; the dosage is calculated individually.

Reduxin

The average cost is 1600 rubles, has many contraindications, causes powerful side effects and is sold strictly according to a prescription.

How it helps you lose weight

Unlike bioactive products containing herbal “fat burners” such as guarana, garcinia, senna, preparations with liraglutide have been repeatedly tested and proven effective in losing weight. When taking the drug:

Blood sugar normalizes
The body is quickly saturated with complete absorption of all nutritional components,
Appetite is suppressed, which reduces daily calorie intake,
The number of peptides increases, which helps restore pancreatic functions,
The brain promptly receives and sends a signal of saturation.

Thanks to a similar mechanism of action, more than 80% of patients taking liraglutide drugs managed to lose weight, which is confirmed by numerous reviews from real people.

Doctors' opinion about Liraglutide for weight loss

This weight loss product has certain “advantages”:

its effectiveness has been proven based on scientific research - most patients lost 10 - 30 kg of excess weight in the first month of taking the pills;
is not a dietary supplement, belongs to the class of medicinal products;
promotes the treatment of pathologies that accompany obesity.

Before and after using Liraglutide
A, the disadvantages include:

the price is too high;
the need for constant monitoring of health by a doctor;
too large list of contraindications;
pronounced side effects.

Unfortunately, an anti-obesity pill has not yet been invented that would “work” without any effort on the part of a person. And the drug in question is no exception - you will need to follow a low-calorie diet and provide the body with physical activity.

Whether it is worth the risk and taking medications in addition to these measures must be decided on an individual basis . But nutritionists claim that compliance with two conditions for weight loss will already give a positive result - in 4 weeks a person will be able to get rid of 3-5 extra pounds, which is considered the optimal rate of weight loss.

We recommend reading the article about drugs for the treatment of obesity. From it you will learn about indications for use, selection of medications, their mechanism of action, and possible side effects. And here is more information about the drug Saxenda for weight loss.

Liraglutide helps in weight loss, but at the same time causes significant harm to health. It can be taken only after prescription from a doctor and be prepared for unpleasant side effects. The result is almost impossible to predict, since it depends on several factors and can differ among people with the same “set” of diseases and weight.

How effective is the drug for losing weight?

Medicines based on the active ingredient liraglutide help reduce body weight by reducing the rate of absorption of food in the stomach. This helps reduce appetite by 15-20%.

To get maximum effectiveness from liraglutide for the treatment of obesity, it is important to combine the medication with a hypocaloric diet. It is impossible to achieve an ideal figure with injections alone. You will have to reconsider your bad habits and perform a set of physical exercises that are appropriate to your health and age.

With such an integrated approach to the problem, 50% of all healthy people who completed the full course, and a quarter of diabetics, lose weight. In the first category, weight loss was recorded by an average of 5%, in the second - by 10%.

Positive dynamics are generally observed in 80% of those losing weight with liraglutide at a dosage of 3 mg/day.

Useful video

Watch the video about anti-obesity drugs:

Advantages and disadvantages of application

Positive properties:

Able to dull appetite and reduce body weight.
Reduces the possible threat of developing serious complications associated with cardiovascular disease.
Apply once a day.
Preserves β-cell function for as long as possible.
Promotes the synthesis of insulin.

Negative:

Subcutaneous application.
People with poor vision may experience some discomfort when using a pen.
Large list of contraindications.
Cannot be used by pregnant women, nursing mothers and children under 18 years of age.
High cost of drugs.

Reviews

Varvara, St. Petersburg “Took liraglutide (Victoza) for a month. She combined treatment with a low-calorie diet. As a result, in a month the plumb line is minus 9 kg, and also a pleasant bonus in the form of younger-looking facial skin.”

Ekaterina, Yekaterinburg “After the second birth, I gained almost 20 kg, and even developed diabetes. The doctor recommended liraglutide Saxenda. The drug is quite expensive, but I could afford it. I tolerated the injections easily, although there were some side effects. As a result, my sugar returned to normal, and in two months of therapy I became 8 kg lighter.”