What is liraglutide?
Liraglutide is a diabetes medicine that helps control blood sugar levels.
Liraglutide is used to treat type 2 diabetes.
This medication is not for treating type 1 diabetes.
Liraglutide may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What is the most important information I should know about liraglutide?
You should not use liraglutide if you are allergic to it, or if you have multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (tumors in your glands), a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer, insulin-dependent diabetes, or if you are in a state of diabetic ketoacidosis (call your doctor for treatment with insulin)
Before using liraglutide, tell your doctor if you have stomach problems causing slow digestion, kidney or liver disease, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, or if you have ever had pancreatitis, gallstones, or alcoholism.
You should not breast-feed while using liraglutide.
Never share an injection pen with another person. Sharing injection pens can allow disease such as hepatitis or HIV to pass from one person to another.
Call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as swelling or a lump in your throat area, hoarse voice, trouble swallowing, feeling short of breath, severe pain in your upper stomach spreading to your back, nausea and vomiting, or signs of infection such as fever, chills, sore throat, flu symptoms, mouth sores, or easy bruising or bleeding.
Liraglutide is only part of a complete program of treatment that may also include diet, exercise, weight control, foot care, eye care, dental care, and testing your blood sugar.
What should I discuss with my health care provider before using liraglutide?
You should not use liraglutide if you are allergic to it, or if you have:
multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (tumors in your glands);
a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer;
type 1 diabetes; or
if you are in a state of diabetic ketoacidosis (call your doctor for treatment with insulin).
To make sure you can safely use liraglutide, tell your doctor if you have any of these other conditions:
stomach problems causing slow digestion;
kidney or liver disease;
a thyroid disorder;
high blood pressure;
high triglyceride levels in your blood;
a history of pancreatitis;
a history of gallstones; or
a history of alcoholism.
FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether liraglutide will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using this medication..
In animal studies, liraglutide caused the development of thyroid tumors. However, very high doses are used in animal studies. It is not known whether these effects would occur in people using doses recommended for human use. Ask your doctor about your personal risk.
It is not known whether liraglutide passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. You should not breast-feed while using liraglutide.