Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogues are a group of medicines that can raise the amount of insulin in the blood. They also lower how much glucose the liver makes and slow down digestion of food in the stomach. These actions help drop blood sugar levels.
GLP-1 analogues are injected medicines. A health professional can show you how to give these injections. The number of injections is different for the different medicines.
GLP-1 analogue medicines have active ingredients like:
- dulaglutide (one injection each week)
- exenatide (two injections every day – one in the morning and one in the evening)
- liraglutide (one injection each day)
- semaglutide (one injection each week).
People take these medicines when metformin or sulfonylureas are not enough.
What else should I know?
GLP-1 analogues are a newer group of medicines for diabetes. Research is still learning about their helpful results and side effects. Using these medicines may help:
- lower the chance of heart problems in some people
- weight loss in some people.
People who take GLP-1 analogues may have a higher chance of some side effects like:
- feeling like throwing up
- having trouble going to the toilet (runny poo or unable to poo)
- having an upset stomach.
It can be helpful to start with smaller amounts of these medicines and increase how much you take over time. This can sometimes stop the side effects from happening.
Taking GLP-1 analogues with some other diabetes medicines can raise the chance of having hypoglycaemia. This is when blood sugar levels go very low. You need to take care of hypoglycaemia quickly. It can cause problems like falls, feeling confused and fainting.
Some very rare side effects are:
- allergic reactions
- swelling of the pancreas
- kidney problems.