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Type 2 Diabetes and the drug Victoza

Posted , 4 users are following.

LadyPink
LadyPink

Hi everyone, My husband is 61 and was diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes three years ago. He is 5'10 and weighs around 260 pounds or just over 18 stones. He takes Metformin just once a day, each morning and visits the diabetes nurse every six months at our local doctors'. He tells me they are happy with him and that everything is okay....

However, I am concerned that despite being asked to try and lose weight he doesn't seem to be able to. I have tried to cut down on the quantity of food I serve him at mealtimes and have also tried to offer healthy meals, but he seems us satisfied and will eat other things to satiate his hunger. I don't want to be a nag, (as we are virtually newly weds) and dont want to jeopardise our relationship if I keep on about his food intake, but I think he could be a prime candidate for a heart attack or stroke. He eats twice the amount of anyone I have previously known and seems to get hungry within three hours following a meal. I'm wondering if he has an addiction to food? 

My husband has next to no exercise, has a stressful job, works mainly long, unsociable hours behind a desk or is stuck behind the wheel of his car travelling around the country.

Today on television we heard mention of a drug called Victoza being used with diabetes and that this also has appetite suppressant properties. Has anyone on this forum ever tried this drug and if so, was it successful in helping to cut down on food intake?  Are there any side effects? And, does anyone know if Victoza is available in the UK on the NHS? Many thanks. 

LadyPink

 

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • suzanne30809
    suzanne30809 LadyPink

    Posted

    I have never heard of this drug, could it be American? Try googling the drug name and see what it tells you about it. 

    Have you ever been with him to one of his diabetic clinic appointments? the nurse may listen to your concerns, or even try telling your husband that you are scared he will have a heart attack because of his eating habits.

    • LadyPink
      LadyPink suzanne30809

      Posted

      Hi Suzanne, thanks for your reply. Yes I Googled the name earlier but couldn't remember it when I did my posting!! I've looked again and it's called Liraglutide here in UK apparently. 

      I have been on a couple of occasions to see the diabetes nurse with my husband and she just checks his feet, blood pressure etc and advises him to try and lose weight when I mentioned my concerns. Then we leave. It's always the same. The nurse doesn't seem bothered. And yes, I have discussed this with my (new) husband on quite a few occasions and he tells me not to nag because it will not do any good as he hates nagging women! How can I tell him I am not nagging just expressing my concern because I love him. So, I just worry quietly to myself until the next time. The first time I ever met him 27 yrs ago, he was a big guy (heavy) then. so his excuse is that he has always been overweight since he was a kid. 

      Help!!! LadyPink

  • suzanne30809
    suzanne30809 LadyPink

    Posted

    Hi, by the sound of it I don't think your husband thinks he is overweight or as overweight  as you say he is, because of this I don't think you'll win with him. The only other thing I can think off is don't buy biscuits etc and stock your cupboards and fridge with only low calorie items. There is another option there is a course for Diabetics called Desmond which shows diabetics how to keep their blood sugars low by diet and medication, this may also encourage him to lose weight. Might be worth a try. Good luck.

    suzanne 

  • ee601
    ee601 LadyPink

    Posted

    Hi.  For what it's worth, I've been on Victoza for over a year now, since it became approved by NICE, and for me at least it's been absolutely brilliant.  Makes a major difference to blood sugars, helps keep the weight down, and the side effects (upset stomach, muscle apaches etc) seem to reduce with time to an acceptable level.

    i do know it's very expensive, so some doctors may not be keen to prescribe it, but it has been a good solution for me. I also take Metformin twice a day, to the maximum recommended dose, so that may be why I've been prescribed Victoza, I don't know.

    Wither way I'd say it's worth a go if you can.  Hope that's a help.

    ian

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