Adlyxin

Adlyxin is a prescription medication that is used along with diet and exercise to treat type 2 diabetes. Adlyxin belongs to a group of medications called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. It works by helping the pancreas to secrete insulin when blood sugar levels are high, decreases the amount of sugar the liver produces, and it slows the emptying of the stomach.

Adlyxin comes in an injectable form to be given just under the skin, once daily within one hour before the first meal of the day.

Common side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and low blood sugar.

Adlyxin is an injectable prescription medicine that may improve blood sugar (glucose) control in adults with type 2 diabetes, when used with a diet and exercise program. 

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Serious side effects have been reported with Adlyxin. See "Drug Precautions" section.

The most common side effects with Adlyxin include:

• nausea. Nausea most commonly happens when first starting Adlyxin, but may become less over time.
• vomiting
• diarrhea or constipation
• dizziness
• headache
• feeling jittery
• acid stomach or indigestion
• low blood sugar

This is not a complete list of Adlyxin side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Adlyxin slows stomach emptying and can affect medicines that need to pass through the stomach quickly. Adlyxin may affect the way some medicines work and some other medicines may affect the way Adlyxin works.

Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• insulin, or any other anti-diabetes medicines
• birth control pills that are taken by mouth (oral contraceptives). Adlyxin may lower the amount of the medicine in your blood from your birth control pills and they may not work as well to prevent pregnancy. Take your birth control pills at least one hour before your injection of Adlyxin. If you must take your birth control pills with food, take it with a meal or snack where you do not also take Adlyxin.
• an antibiotic or acetaminophen, a pain reliever. Take these medicines at least one hour before taking Adlyxin. If you must take these medicines, take them with a meal or snack. You should not take these medicines at the same time you take Adlyxin.

This is not a complete list of Adlyxin drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Serious side effects may occur including:

Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Your risk for getting low blood sugar is higher if you take Adlyxin with another medicine that can cause low blood sugar, such as a sulfonylurea. The dose of your sulfonylurea medicine may need to be lowered while you use Adlyxin. Signs and symptoms of low blood sugar may include:

• headache
• drowsiness
• weakness
• dizziness
• confusion
• irritability
• hunger
• fast heart beat
• sweating
• feeling jittery

Talk with your healthcare provider about how to treat low blood sugar.

Kidney problems. Adlyxin may cause new or worse problems with kidney function, including kidney failure. Dialysis or kidney transplant may be needed. While taking Adlyxin: Call your healthcare provider right away if you have:

• nausea
• vomiting
• diarrhea that will not go away
• or if you cannot take liquids by mouth. You may be at increased risk for kidney problems.

Severe allergic reactions can happen with Adlyxin. Stop taking Adlyxin, and get medical help right away if you have any symptom of a severe allergic reaction. Do not use Adlyxin if you have had an allergic reaction to Adlyxin or any of the other ingredients in it.

Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction with Adlyxin may include:

• swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat
• problems breathing or swallowing
• severe rash or itching
• fainting or feeling dizzy
• very rapid heartbeat

Pancreatitis. Adlyxin may cause inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis), a potentially life-threatening condition. Tell your doctor right away if you have severe stomach pain and vomiting.

Medicines can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Adlyxin there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this medication.

Before injecting Adlyxin, tell your healthcare provider if you:

• have or have had pancreatitis, stones in your gallbladder, or a history of alcoholism.
• have or have had kidney problems.
• have severe problems with your stomach, such as delayed emptying of your stomach (gastroparesis) or problems with digesting food.
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if Adlyxin will harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using Adlyxin.
• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if Adlyxin passes into your breast milk. Talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby while you use Adlyxin. 

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Adlyxin slows stomach emptying and can affect medicines that need to pass through the stomach quickly. 

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

In animal studies, pregnant animals were given this medication and had some babies born with problems. No well-controlled studies have been done in humans, though. Therefore, this medication may be used if the potential benefits to the mother outweigh the potential risks to the unborn child.

It is not known if Adlyxin crosses into human milk.

Because many medications can cross into human milk and because of the possibility for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants with use of this medication, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or stop the use of this medication. Your doctor and you will decide if the benefits outweigh the risk of using Adlyxin.

• Use Adlyxin exactly as prescribed by your healthcare provider. Your dose should be increased after using Adlyxin for two weeks.
• Adlyxin is injected once daily within one hour before the first meal of the day.
• Adlyxin comes in a prefilled pen.
• Your healthcare provider must teach you how to inject Adlyxin before you use it for the first time. If you have questions or do not understand the instructions, talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist. 
• Pen needles are not included. You may need a prescription to get pen needles from your pharmacist. Ask your healthcare provider which needle size is best for you.
• Inject your dose of Adlyxin under the skin (subcutaneous injection) in your stomach area (abdomen), upper leg (thigh), or upper arm, as instructed by your healthcare provider. Do not inject into a vein or muscle.
• If you also give yourself insulin injections in addition to Adlyxin, never mix insulin and Adlyxin together. Give yourself 2 separate injections. You may give both injections in the same body area (for example, your stomach area), but you should not give the injections right next to each other.
• If you take too much Adlyxin, call your healthcare provider right away. Too much Adlyxin may cause severe nausea and vomiting.
• If you miss your daily dose of Adlyxin, use Adlyxin as soon as you remember. Then take your next daily dose as usual on the following day. Do not take an extra dose of Adlyxin or increase your dose on the following day to make up for your missed dose. If you miss your dose of Adlyxin for 3 days or more, call your healthcare provider to talk about how to restart your treatment.
• Follow your healthcare provider’s instructions for diet, exercise, how often to test your blood sugar, and when to get your HbA1c checked. If you stop using Adlyxin your blood sugar levels may increase. First talk to your healthcare provider if you want to stop taking Adlyxin.
• Your dose of diabetes medicines may need to be changed if your body is under certain types of stress. Tell your healthcare provider if you:
  • have a fever
  • have trauma
  • have an infection
  • plan to have or have had surgery

• Never share your Adlyxin pen or needles with another person. You may give an infection to them, or get an infection from them.

Take Adlyxin exactly as prescribed by your healthcare provider. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.

Adlyxin should be initiated at 10 mcg once daily for 14 days. The 10 mcg dose is a starting dose intended to reduce gastrointestinal symptoms during initial titration, and is not effective for glycemic control. On Day 15, increase dosage to 20 mcg. 

If you take too much Adlyxin, call your healthcare provider right away. Too much Adlyxin may cause severe nausea and vomiting.

Before use:

• Store your new, unused Adlyxin pen in the refrigerator at 36ºF to 46ºF (2ºC to 8ºC).
• Do not freeze Adlyxin or use Adlyxin if it has been frozen. Do not store Adlyxin near the refrigerator cooling element.

Pen in use:

• Store your Adlyxin pen for 30 days either at 59ºF to 86ºF (15ºC to 30ºC), or in a refrigerator at 36ºF to 46ºF (2°C to 8°C).
• When carrying the pen away from home, store the pen at a temperature between 59ºF to 86ºF (15ºC to 30ºC) and keep it dry.
• If Adlyxin has been exposed to temperatures above 86ºF (30ºC), it should be thrown away.
• Protect your Adlyxin pen from heat and sunlight.
• Keep the pen cap on when your Adlyxin pen is not in use.
• Use your Adlyxin pen within 30 days after the first day it is stored outside the refrigerator. After these 30 days, throw away your Adlyxin pen even if some medicine is left in the pen.
• Do not use Adlyxin after the expiration date printed on the carton.

Do not store the Adlyxin pen with the needle attached. Always safely remove and safely throw away the needle after each injection. This may help prevent contamination, infection and leakage. It also helps to make sure that you get the correct dose of Victoza. 

Keep your Adlyxin pen, pen needles, and all medicines out of the reach of children.