Barry2 

I'm 55yrs old, 6'1", and never really been in control of my type II numbers.
Weight has been as high as 280+ but in recent years below 230.


05/01/2019 weight 226lb
A1C now peaked into double digits. Not good!
Got sent to Endo specialist. Endo offered me several options, she suggested "Trulicity" a once a week injection using an automated pen. OK, I'll try. Online reviews of the drug are terrible. Side effects among users appear quite common.
Warning I was given was "pay attention to the appetite suppression of the drug, don't overeat".

06/01/2019 weight 218lb
4 weeks in and lost 2 pounds a week and my numbers are fantastic and in control for my first time ever.
Then I screwed up and over ate..... It put me in bed sick for 4 days. I would have abandoned the drug due to the severe nature of the sickness side effect, but given the four weeks of great numbers, I stuck with it.
Two weeks later I poked the bear again (over ate) and wound up sick in bed for 2 days. Still great numbers... I sure I can learn NOT to poke the bear.

fast forward
9/24/2019
Weight 203lb
No more days in bed. I've learnt not to poke the bear, or ELSE! Numbers are really good. A1C should be good, I'll find out later this week. Weight reduction is now averaging 0.5lb/week but I hope to speed that up once I get back on my bike.

MORAL
If your doc offers you Trulicity, don't be put off by the terrible reviews that can be found online.
DO pay attention to what you eat. For me the food intake enforcement seems to kick in BEFORE the appetite suppression.
So there is a 24-48 hour period where I feel like I can eat whatever I'd like, but if I do the bear will get me.
The drug is expensive, but I've good coverage and it runs $25/month.

I post my personal experience in the hope others will make the correct informed decision for themselves.
I'm a computer nerd and have no afilliation to the drug or the medial business in general.


"Don't believe everything you read on the internet"
-- Abraham Lincoln


All the best

Barry

EDIT: 10/22/19 - As of today....... 199.5 lbs.
All the best
Barry


BE SURE TO READ POST #16 IN THIS THREAD FOR THE END OF THIS TAIL.

MattTheHat 

Twenty pounds of weight loss is great. Glad to hear it's working for you.

Can you expound on the effects of poking the bear? When you got sick, what where your symptoms?

Barry2 

You had to ask....

dagray

I tried Trulicity, but it slowed my GI tract down enough that I had a massive gas bubble in my chest around the Zyphoid Process and diarrhea.

My numbers are really not great as my A1C has been sitting up around an 8 give or take for about two years now.

When I went on Insulin in December 2012 I ballooned from 340 up to 406 pounds in less than six months, and that was at 80 units of Lantis (24 hour long lasting) insulin. I have cut my insulin down to 40 units, but my fasting numbers are right around 200-250 depending on what I eat the night before.

I have been lucky to get 10 miles per week on the bike the last couple weeks (didn't get any this week due to a saddle sore).

MattTheHat 

That doesn’t sound terribly pleasant.

cyclist2000

I take Trulicity and have over eaten but haven't had those severe symptoms. No vomiting nor diarrhea. I guess it depends on the person.

Barry2 

So do you consider your use a success?
Did you lose any weight?

The TV ad's claim a loss of 6 lbs is common.... I laugh every time they say that.

Mind you, I have changed the way I eat.

Doc asked me "Have you changed the way you eat?"
I replied "I ate 3 salads last week!"
Doc asked "is that unusual for you?"
I replied "I ate 3 salads last year!"

I'm excited... I get my new A1C today.

All the best

Barry

rseeker

I don't understand .. is the intended effect of Trulicity that it makes you sick when you overeat? Like that drug that made people nauseous if they had alcohol? Or is that just the side-effect?

Anyway, glad to hear about your weight loss and most especially for you feeling better. I dropped 45lbs, and it ain't easy. Well done.

bobwysiwyg

Got a kick out of this.

cyclist2000

I consider it a success, my goal wasn't to lose weight but to reduce the amount of insulin that I used and stablize my blood sugars.
My latest A1C was 6.8 and 7.0, previously they had been up around 8.
My long acting insulin dosage has been reduced from 78 units to 60 units on the days that I get my normal exercise (minimum of 25 miles riding) and when I am traveling it increases to 72 units.

Bottom line: I have a lower A1C, I use less long acting insulin, I'm not losing much weight, I ride around 25 miles a day

Oh, I retired about 1.5 years ago and started riding a lot more than before. I was about 235-240 lbs when I retired. I have only lost around 20 lbs.

I was just mentioning that I do use Trulicity and don't have the severe reactions as mentioned above.

cyclist2000

I think that Trulicity is supposed to reduce the amount of insulin that you need to use on a daily basis by having your body produce more insulin naturally. The ad on TV seems to indicate that weight loss may occur.

That is my understanding based on watching the ads on TV.

Barry2 

My understanding is that Trulicity forces more sugar into the urine reducing the sugar in the blood.
It also suppresses appetite, hence the possibility of weight loss I guess. The sickness is an unintentional side effect, BUT it sure does get your attention.

I’m not on insulin, just the usual mix of pills.
Found out today that my A1C has changed in 3 months from 11+ to 5.6
Time to rebalance the pills and bring it up closer to 6

YMMV - but it’s working for me

A Very Happy

Barry

dagray

Trulicity is supposed to help your body's insulin response by making your body use insulin more efficiently. It also slows your GI tract down so you aren't as hungry.

Trulicity isn't as aggressive as Victoza, but I can't take either due to the GI tract slowdown.

Invokana and Farxiga are the medications that force more sugar into the urine stream and block the kidneys from reabsorbing glucose.

kq2dc7

But I'm on Ozempic. If I over eat I am miserable but I'm learning. I lost close to 60 pounds in one year and my a1c has dropped from 11 to 6.1 on my last check up.

I ride 50+ miles a week year round a combination of road bike, hybrid and mountain bike. I want to live long enough to get back all the money I paid into retirement and social security.
I'm retired at 56 and love it.

Barry2 

Retired at 56 ............. must be nice!

60lbs, I’m catching up

all the best

Barry

Barry2 

An update.

03/2019------------->----------10/2019---------------->----------04/2020----------->----------10/2020-------------->-------------12/30/2020
Start Trulicity.......................Weight loss stops..................I'm not getting faster................Intervals limited success.............. Again Limited success
& lose weight .....................I start cycling ........................I start intervals .......................I hire a Pro Coach .........................I stop taking Trulicity (Dr. blessed this)


01/28/2021
Turns out that my diabetic miracle drug, Trulicity, has likely been suppressing my glycogen stores.
If you live a sedentary life (I did) and don't really use the muscles, it matters not.
But if you are training on a bike... well, that'll be quite the issue.
I got my Dr. Endo's blessing to come off the drug, I continued training for the four weeks Trulicity takes to leave my system, and......
5,4,3,2,1 Houston We have lift off. In just 4 weeks my LT test shows a marked increase in Lactic Threshold.
My prior rides are faster and easier, to the point I can feel it & Strava shows it.
EDIT: After having my power mostly static for months, now, for the same HR, my power increased 40% in 5weeks.

Just my observations from my 1 data point, your mileage may vary.

Just to be clear... My doctor blessed this change, but only on the understanding that I have to control my glucose levels within given limits.
So now, not only am I now monitoring more closely, but I'm also running monthly home A1c tests. I have no intent of trading cycling performance for eyesight.

All the best
I am not a health professional - I don't even play one on TV.
TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR

Barry

Still 6'1" but now 192 lb (I hope I'm still allowed to post here)