Description

Trulicity: Uses, Benefits, Side Effects & Safety Guide

What does Trulicity do?

Trulicity (dulaglutide) is a prescription drug that Doctors use it to treat blood sugar in adults and in some children aged 10 years and older with type 2 diabetes. It is a type of medicine called a GLP-1 receptor agonist.

This medicine mimics a natural hormone in your body, known as GLP-1. This medication thus helps the body to secrete insulin when blood sugar levels rise. It also reduces the sugar released by the liver and slows stomach emptying.

It is given in a pre-filled injection pen that you (or your caregiver) inject once a week, as instructed by your healthcare professional. But it does not replace healthy eating, regular physical activity, and routine diabetes care.

What is Trulicity used to treat?

It is mainly used for type 2 diabetes. It helps patients manage their blood glucose levels with the help of a proper diet and exercise plan.

Doctors can also prescribe it to reduce the risk of some serious cardiovascular events, like heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular death, in adults with type 2 diabetes with established cardiovascular disease or multiple cardiovascular risk factors.

But it is not for people with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. Patients should discuss their medical condition with their healthcare professional to determine if this medicine is right for them.

How Trulicity Works?

It also helps the pancreas release insulin when blood sugar rises. It then inhibits glucagon secretion when needed and so limits the amount of glucose released by the liver.

This medicine also slows how quickly the stomach empties, especially after you eat. This can help reduce blood sugar spikes after meals, and it can also impact appetite.

Results, however, are individual. Patients should continue to monitor their blood sugar as recommended and attend regular medical appointments.

Common Side Effects of Trulicity

As with other prescription medicines, Trulicity can cause side effects. The digestive system is the most frequently affected.

These may be:

• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Nausea and vomiting
• Pain in the abdomen.
• loss of appetite
• Constipation 1.

These symptoms are often more pronounced when a patient starts treatment or when the prescribed dose is increased. Many of them get better over time. But patients should contact their health care professional if symptoms persist, become severe, or interfere with eating and drinking.

Warnings and Serious Side Effects

Serious reactions are possible but unlikely. If you have severe stomach pain that lasts a long time, especially if it spreads to your back or you are vomiting, seek medical help immediately. This could be a sign of pancreatitis.

Trulicity also has a boxed warning about thyroid C-cell tumors seen in animal studies. It is contraindicated in people with a personal history of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or with multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2)

Other serious risks are serious allergic reactions, kidney problems caused by dehydration, gallbladder disease, and low blood sugar when used with insulin or certain other diabetes medicines.

How to Use Trulicity?

Patients should take Trulicity exactly as prescribed by the healthcare professional. The injection is usually given under the skin of the abdomen, thigh, or upper arm. A healthcare professional or pharmacist can show you how to inject correctly.

Patients must also follow the instructions that come with their medication and use a new, prepared pen as directed. They should not share injection pens with other people even if they change the needle.

If you miss a dose, follow the instructions in the product or ask your pharmacist or prescriber for guidance. Do not take extra doses to make up for missed injections.

Common Trulicity Questions

1) What is the purpose of Trulicity?

It helps control blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. It may also lower some cardiovascular risks for eligible adults.

2. How often do patients take Trulicity?

Typically, patients inject it once a week, per their prescription and the instructions that accompany the product.

3. Will Trulicity help me lose weight?

Some people who use Trulicity lose weight. But it’s a diabetes drug, not a cleared weight-loss medicine.

4. What are the side effects of Trulicity?

The common side effects are nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, constipation and loss of appetite.

5. Do patients need a prescription to use Trulicity?

No. Trulicity is a prescription medication and should be prescribed by a qualified healthcare professional.

6. Can Trulicity be used in place of diet and exercise?

No. Patients should combine prescribed treatment with a suitable diet, physical activity and regular diabetes care.

Summary

Trulicity is a prescription medicine used to help control blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes and may reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems in patients who are eligible. It can be convenient to treat with its once-weekly injection schedule. But it can cause unpleasant side effects in the digestive system, and it has important safety warnings.