Liraglutide dosage and reconstitution
The daily GLP-1. About 8% of body weight in a year in trials, proven and approved; the weekly shots now beat it on results and hassle.
These do not stop working, and weight tends to come back when you stop, so they are run continuously, not in cycles. If you come off, step the dose down rather than stopping cold.
Staying safe
Things people sometimes notice
- Nausea for two to four days after each step up, worse with greasy or large meals
- Constipation, or the opposite, in the first weeks
- Burping, reflux, and feeling full after a few bites
- A small bruise or bump where you inject
- Tiredness and a mild headache in the first week or two
Stop and get help if (trouble breathing or swelling: call 911)
- Severe, constant belly pain, sometimes spreading to your back, with or without vomiting; that is a pancreatitis check, today
- A lump in your neck, trouble swallowing, or a hoarse voice that does not clear
- Vomiting you cannot keep ahead of, or signs of dehydration: dizziness, dark urine, a racing heart
- Sweating, shakiness, and confusion if you also take insulin or a sulfonylurea; that is a low, and your doses need changing
- Hives, swelling of the face or lips, or trouble breathing
Talk to your doctor first, especially if
- You or a family member have had medullary thyroid cancer or MEN 2; this is a boxed-warning contraindication, not a judgment call
- You have had pancreatitis or gallbladder disease; both are more likely on a GLP-1 and during fast weight loss
- You take insulin or a sulfonylurea; those doses usually need to come down to avoid lows
- You take a medicine with a narrow window, like warfarin or thyroid replacement; slower stomach emptying changes absorption
- You are pregnant, nursing, or trying to conceive; stop at least two months before trying
Mixing it
Approved liraglutide comes in a prefilled pen, so there is no mixing involved. If you are reconstituting a research vial of powder, mix with bacteriostatic water and use the calculator for your exact vial size and target dose.
If using a prefilled pen, follow the device instructions, no mixing needed.
If reconstituting a vial, bring it to room temperature and wipe the top.
Add bacteriostatic water per your vial size and swirl gently until dissolved.
Start low (0.6 mg) and step up weekly to limit nausea.
Store in the fridge and inject at roughly the same time each day.