Lyxumia - side effects

[Spoon]

Hello everyone! I have started on Lyxumia on the initial dose (green pen) and feeling pretty rubbish. It’s day 5. Side effects are getting worse each day but am holding out for it starting to improve. Anyone out there got some good news for me?
Thanks!

 

[mikeyB]

Hi @Spoon.

It rather depends on which side effects you are getting, could you clarify what they are? The reason I ask is that many side effects when you start any medication tend to disappear as your body gets used to the medication, and some don't.

 

[Spoon]

Hi ‍♀️ they are nausea and dizzy spells all morning, followed by diarrhoea all afternoon. This evening is the first time in 5 days I’ve been hungry though, so that’s a development? It’s not having much impact on my blood glucose at the moment either. Also I feel totally drained all the time. Can’t drive at the moment due to dizziness, so hoping it wears off soon.

 

[mikeyB]

Interestingly, those feelings of nausea and dizziness, followed by diarrhoea are often symptoms when you first start smoking. It may well be that as your body adapts, they will settle.

As far as BG levels are concerned, the drug is designed to stimulate the Beta cells in the pancreas to produce more insulin. If you don't notice any benefit from the medication, it is possible that a higher dose may work, but don't think about moving on to that until the side effects settle down.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Sorry to hear you are experiencing nasty symptoms from your new meds.

Hope they settle in time. It might be worth skim-reading the patient information leaflet to see what effects are listed there and how common or rare they tend to be.

It would be worth contacting your GP too for some follow-up to let them know how you are getting on.

 

[Spoon]

Thanks - they are common side effects so in some way to be expected. Am on the initial dose which is for 2 weeks and will be put on a higher maintenance dose afterwards. Have already had a call from my pharmacy and I told them the side effects and have another with the pharmacist at my GP on the 7th. So will see what they say. I don’t understand the timing instructions - it says to take it in the hour before a meal. Does that mean take it, wait and hour and then eat or just that you need to take it before you eat? I’ve done both and it doesn’t seem to make any difference. In fact, not eating at all delays the nausea. Anyone out there using lyxumia?

 

[rebrascora]

I haven't heard of this particular medication being mentioned on the forum before but it sounds similar to Ozempic which causes similar side effects. There is a current thread where a member is documenting their experience with it here...

Ozempic | Diabetes UK

Perhaps that might be helpful for you to compare notes

 

[Spoon]

I haven't heard of this particular medication being mentioned on the forum before but it sounds similar to Ozempic which causes similar side effects. There is a current thread where a member is documenting their experience with it here...

Ozempic | Diabetes UK

Perhaps that might be helpful for you to compare notes

Thanks, I have added a comment on there but will start documenting my experience here for anyone else wondering and searching the same subject!

 

[Spoon]

I am now on Day 7 of taking the initial dose of 10mcg injection, one hour before eating. This regime lasts for 14 days before upping to 20mcg daily. I also take 25mg Alogliptin and 180mg Gliclazide.
Yesterday I felt terrible (day 6) sick and dizzy all morning and diarrhea all afternoon (still ate my breakfast and lunch!), but then I 'came to' in the evening and was very hungry! I am really hungry today. Lyxumia / Lixisenatide is supposed to decrease appetite and cause weightloss. It definitely reduced my appetite initially but that has worn off. I am always hungry anyway, and this isn't helped by the gliclazide. I have not lost weight and it is having no effect on my BG; infact my BG has been higher (in the 20s before bed) since I started the jab. This is a pattern with my diabetes (my HBA1C has raised with every new drug) so I am not surprised. It's early days though, so lets see how it goes. I am very tired however.

 

[trophywench]

Well tiredness is a symptom of far too high BG, same as nausea and dizziness are too anyway. Are you able to test for ketones.

I've looked back since you started participating on the forum, but haven't found any info about you or your diabetes such as age, when you were diagnosed or why you're on this cocktail of drugs - do you want to expand that a bit so we can try and understand what you're trying to deal with a bit better?

 

[Spoon]

Hi - I am in my early 40s and was diagnosed about 5 years ago with Type 2 by my GP. I was told to control with diet which worked for a year or so, then I was put onto metformin, increased to maximum dose and the slow release one, and a LCHF diet (did an Excel course through my GP). My HBA1C continued to rise and I also had a bad reaction to metformin (swelling, thyroid problems, severe gastro issues) so was put on Jardiance which didn't work and gave me permanent thrush. Then the gliclazide, HBA1C continued to rise so they added Alogliptin. HBA1C continued to go up despite my best efforts - latest result in the 90s. I have been referred to my local hospital to see the endocrinologist but have been advised by them its a 13+ week wait, likely much longer due to COVID-19. I haven't even been accepted onto the consultant's list yet so I don't have much hope of that materialising any time soon. In the meantime my GP has prescribed Lyxumia to trya nd get my readings down from the 20s whilst I wait for the endo. GP said they can't put me on insulin - has to come from an endocrinologist. I weigh over 20 stone, losing weight throughout this has been impossible. I have tried everything going and all it has done apart from not work, is fuel a long standing eating disorder I've had since childhood. Have been consistently weight shamed by all institutions since childhood and have deep seated trauma around the treatment I've received because I'm fat, so I don't take diet and exercise advice very well, as I know everything there is to know about diet and nutrition and am very good at not eating. Still fat though. I have always been active but currently stymied by a significant leg injury. I have keto strips and the tests I've done detect no ketones.

 

[trophywench]

Leg injury will affect your BG - any illness or trauma always does.

Your GP could do a C-peptide blood test though to try and ensure without possible doubt you aren't LADA - look that one up and ask him about it!

 

[Spoon]

Leg injury will affect your BG - any illness or trauma always does.

Your GP could do a C-peptide blood test though to try and ensure without possible doubt you aren't LADA - look that one up and ask him about it!

I will ask, I have a review coming up. Just looked LADA up and it says people with it are a 'normal' weight and I'm not that!! However I do get big weight swings but inevitably pop back up to around 21 stone.

 

[grovesy]

I will ask, I have a review coming up. Just looked LADA up and it says people with it are a 'normal' weight and I'm not that!! However I do get big weight swings but inevitably pop back up to around 21 stone.

We have a member who rarely posts, who was initial treated Type 2, and was overweight but was eventually diagnosed as either Type 1 or LADA I can't remember now.

 

[grovesy]

We have a member who rarely posts, who was initial treated Type 2, and was overweight but was eventually diagnosed as either Type 1 or LADA I can't remember now.

I have just searched she is actually a LADA.

 

[trophywench]

It simply strikes me that however many cysts you have on your ovaries and whatever weight you are and indeed you could well be T2 - but that simply can't be assumed and should be tested properly because if the only thing that's going to help you really is injecting insulin it's just ridiculous keep trying all the different T2 drugs and telling you Oooh no, we can't prescribe that until a hospital consultant has rubber stamped it.

 

[Spoon]

I agree with you!

 

[Lucyr]

Thanks, I have added a comment on there but will start documenting my experience here for anyone else wondering and searching the same subject!

sorry i've only just seen this thread, i'll stop asking you questions on the ozempic thread and follow here instead

 

[Spoon]

sorry i've only just seen this thread, i'll stop asking you questions on the ozempic thread and follow here instead

It’s ok :-D

 

[Spoon]

Hello - I am now on Day 10 of the Lyxumia and I have just had my medication review with the Pharmacist. Yesterday I was OK - a bit dizzy and tachycardic and also ravenous, but it was bearable. Today I am very dizzy and nauseous and feel pretty rough, though my heart rate is normal. I do feel like I'm going to faint though. BG has had little effect - was 16.3 this morning and 14.9 just now. Pharmacist is going to get back to me to see if they're going to try me with the full dose after this week. I've continued taking it despite feeling rough, as I really want to give it a full try. No affect on weight and 'healthy eating' is a challenge as I feel so sick all the time, so just want to nibble on bland things. Will keep you all posted!