BYETTA

[petefifer]

hi all i`m pete just had lastest diabetes check up and just been told that i might need to onto this byetta its either that or go on gilipzide twice a day but due my job they have decided with the byetta i just cant get my sugar count downfar enough.

pete


hi again all i`m class 1 lorry driver (artic) so if i go on gilipzide twice a day i could lose my licence

 

[cugila]

hi all i`m pete just had lastest diabetes check up and just been told that i might need to onto this byetta its either that or go on gilipzide twice a day but due my job they have decided with the byetta i just cant get my sugar count downfar enough.
pete

Hi Pete.
Welcome to the Forum. I was intrigued by your comment which I have highlighted in Red.

What sort of job are we talking about and how does anybody know how far you can get your Bg levels down without first trying it ???

 

[vivkaroo]

hi ken vivkaroo here was not getting much better was losing feeling in legs and feet anyway got a camera down in 2 weeks into my stomache dont think or hopefully there will be nothing wrong but my dn arranged an appointment with my specialist as an emergency i couldnt walk pain and throbbing in my legs and feet was horrendous saw specialist last thursday apparently i have peripheral neuropathy and i am sure you will know what that is but for others that dont it is caused by diabetus its not having control of your blood sugars it causes nerve end damage so i have all this pain in the whole of my body more in my lower half and legs and feet so the nerve endings are aggitated in my stomache so only started when i came off the byetta constant itching from my nerve endings he has given me obviously some amitryptaline very mild 20mg to calm everything down and so now i have 4 x 500 glucophage i x 80mg glicklazide and this new tablet to take at night :cry: feeling very upset after 2yrs nearly of byetta but he did say he didnt think it was the byetta and if i got feeling better i could still have another try at byetta again if i wanted god knows i dont give up i am going on the course for living with diabetus apparently it is very good about carbs etc you know what ken i am a fighter i will get this right thanks for letting me bend your ear ken and will keep in touch xx
hope you all had lovely valentine day if you have loved one xx
especially u jude hunny x

 

[vivkaroo]

hi ken JUST GOT BACK FROM DOCTORS PICKED UP PRESCRIPTION THE SPECIALIST HAS GIVEN ME NORTRIPTYLINE 25MG SAID THEY WILL CALM MY NERVE ENDINGS DOWN WITH THIS NUROPATHY I AM SO SCARED TO TAKE THEM( SORRY ABOUT BIG PRINT ) anyway got them one a night very scared to take about 20yrs ago i was on diazepam for 2yrs due to my marriage breakdown anyway i got off them so as you see dont like the idea of these tablets scared of addiction but i am usually very active and feel as though i am falling apart with everything gone on with my diabetus just wanted your opinion ken because of being ill lately i know they are for the neuropathy but thats your nerves isnt it once i start them you just cant stop without weaning off :? and they seem to have an horrendous massive list of side effects appreciate you thought on this
luv vivkaroo xxxx

 

[cugila]

hi ken JUST GOT BACK FROM DOCTORS PICKED UP PRESCRIPTION THE SPECIALIST HAS GIVEN ME NORTRIPTYLINE 25MG SAID THEY WILL CALM MY NERVE ENDINGS DOWN WITH THIS NUROPATHY I AM SO SCARED TO TAKE THEM( SORRY ABOUT BIG PRINT ) anyway got them one a night very scared to take about 20yrs ago i was on diazepam for 2yrs due to my marriage breakdown anyway i got off them so as you see dont like the idea of these tablets scared of addiction but i am usually very active and feel as though i am falling apart with everything gone on with my diabetus just wanted your opinion ken because of being ill lately i know they are for the neuropathy but thats your nerves isnt it once i start them you just cant stop without weaning off :? and they seem to have an horrendous massive list of side effects appreciate you thought on this
luv vivkaroo xxxx

Hi Viv.
Sorry I haven't answered you before, I did a long reply last night and then when I posted it just vanished......Grrr !!! Mouse and keyboard nearly went through the screen !!! :shock:

I have been out having my own daily treatment and only just got back Personally I would advise you to go with it. I think what you have been given is very effective. Forget about the list of side effects, they are not all compulsory. Just bear them in mind that's all. Try them and give them a few weeks, see how you go. If you start to feel bad or things get worse then get straight back on to the GP/Consultant and voice your concerns.

From what you have said you have to have something for this. I think this is probably the best regime for you at the moment. I know you are concerned about taking them, I can understand that. Many years ago I was forced to take similar tabs, well I fought against taking them, but eventually took them and began to get better. Yes, I did also have to wean myself off the stuff they gave me.
It wasn't too difficult though.

You need help with this Viv, from whatever source. My advice for what it is worth is go for it. Try not to worry too much and hopefully things will settle down. That has to be better than what you are going through now. If you are worried, come back here and ask for advice.

Ken. x

 

[Jude]

Hi Vivkaroo

So sorry to hear about your recent developments with the peripheral neuropathy. My mum is not diabetic but has the peripheral neuropathy and her GP put her on Amitriptyline some years ago and her legs are definitely much better than they were. Do not worry about the Nortriptyline I think it is from the same group as Amitriptyline and is not addictive in the same way as diazepam and tranquillisers. Amitrip can help with IBS but am not sure about Nortrip!! - am actually on Amitrip myself.
How long have you been diagnosed with diabetes? - as I said my mum is not diabetic so it may not be caused by the high sugars - if it is then I will be developing it soon!!! Mum has lots of arthritis - both hips replaced - but dont know if that is what has caused it.
keep in touch, love Jude xx

 

[Ladypink]

Type 2 on Byetta

Help, sorry am new to this site and new to the forum. I was diagnosed with Type 2 just over a year ago. Was advised to test bloods at first by DN then was told not to bother because too much was made of testing.. anyway i have done this periodically and bloods are a bit erratic but not what i would call high, occassionally 8. I was on Metformin tablets then SR tablets but they did not agree with me at all. Have been on Byetta for the past month and this last week have felt awful on and off ie getting the jitters (side effect i know) and really bad blurred vision and faintness also I could scratch myself to death through itching. Tested my bloods and was shocked to see them up to 15! Went to my GP tonight and he said he thought it was more the condition rather than the drug. Surely the drug is supposed to stop the raised bloods or am I totally stupid. Has anyone else had problems with Byetta?

 

[pleonism]

Hi All,

I am in the Usa and have been using byetta for about 1.5 years....

Here is my experience.

Great product!!!

upside: is I feel less hungry and my bg is down 1.1 on my A1C. I have less cravings for sweets.
next upside weight loss...... I was averaging 1pound of weight loss per 1.5 weeks. 3 to 4 pounds a month with no effort on my part at all! I know of 4 people who use this and all have had this good results.

downside: for the first month and a half you will get nausius ( sorry no spell check) and feel sick. But I am not talking about puking....no even close. for the diabetics out there who have had quick low blood sugars and felt light headed. ok.. On a scale of 1-10 and that is a 6 the byetta nausia is a 3. and for me it was about 10 minutes after the injections for about 20 minutes.

I needed to add glipizide about a year ago to my pills and that has a side effect on me of weight gain which counter acts the byetta weightloss.

So for you cousins across the pond... I would try Byetta but you must give it aleast 3 months to see the affect with your BG and weightloss (if you are lucky to get that side effect).

Good luck and if you can't afford byetta then look for a clinical trial for it. I just got off a week long version of byetta which is great but less weightloss but better BG readings...

cheers!!!

 

[cugila]

Good luck and if you can't afford byetta then look for a clinical trial for it. I just got off a week long version of byetta which is great but less weightloss but better BG readings...

cheers!!!

Hi.
Welcome to the Byetta club, and the Forum. Have a good look around and if you have any questions or contributions to make just fire away.

We get Byetta on the NHS here so nobody should have to pay for it. It has been prescribed here for a number of years and is readily available, but there are strict prescribing guidelines. So nobody should have to look for any trials, they have all been concluded a while ago.

I too have been on it 14 months and have hade great success with it. I have lost over 5 stone in that time and Bg levels were 98% on target until a recent illness decimated that. Once my treatment finishes hopefully that will get back to normal. We have many successful users here.

One thing I would ask as you no doubt use mg/dl blood readings, can you convert the numvbers before posting to mmol/l, the UK standard. The conversion is to divide by 18. To convert the other way then multiply by 18. This makes it easier for all the members and ourselves as most here are not familiar with mg/dl numbers. Helps us to help you.

 

[river-rat-sam]

Phew! 99 pages! it's taken me a few days, do I get a gold medal?

Well after TWO YEARS of fighting with my GP who would only offer me Gliclazide or Insulin, I have finally been told I can start on the old Lizard Spit :mrgreen:

My GP told me that Glic and Insulin were the ONLY options they could give me. Both of them seem to have weight gain as a side effect and I've lost weight and have more to lose so certainly didn't want to put it back on again. So we have been at checkmate for two years.

Recently saw an out of hours doctor for yet another urine infection and she said to ask to see Mr W at the hospital as he was a really nice guy.

And yes he was, albeit he was about 12 :roll: and he has said I am to go on Byetta. I asked what would happen if my GP refuses it on cost grounds and he says I can get it from him directly at the hospital (gosh that sounds like a drug dealer loitering round the back of a portacabin!)

So he now writes to my GP, saw him last Thursday, would that be snailmail? and not sure what happens next. Am really hoping the byetta helps with my extreme tiredness. I'm a mum of two sets of twins under 8 and I need more stamina

Currently bg 14 to 16 on waking, drops during the day and back to around 16 in the evening.

Thankyou ALL for all your wonderful advice on here. Guess you'll have to put up with me from now on. My concern now is that somewhere along the line my GP will refuse as I doubt she's a happy bunny I have gone behind her back and the only thing I am taking so far is 2 x 500 metformin SR.

How long from seeing consultant have people started the spit? I'm off to Africa at the end of March and don't want to be feeling sicky out there.

Anyway hello to all

Lindax


Hi Linda.
Well done for persevering........Gold Star for you....... Hope it all goes well.
cugila

 

[cugila]

Hi Linda.

How long from seeing consultant have people started the spit?

When I was prescribed Byetta by my Consultant, I had the scrip there and then and got it from the Hospital Pharmacy, started the same day. Never looked back since !

 

[vivkaroo]

hi ken thanks for your reply i will bear what you said in mind and thanks for your advice it is always welcome as ever will see how it goes i have spoke to my dn today she said it is the only way forward at the moment but they are keeping a close eye on me love as always ken vivkaroo ps will stay in touch on here xxx vivkaroo

 

[vivkaroo]

hi jude lovely to hear will get a post off to you tommorrow as i am struggling to type so write you one in morn wont forget bye jude hunny speak soon x vivkaroo

 

[mandapanda2601]

Hiya

I use byetta and have since Nov 2008. I have to say my overall health has improved greatly, i've lost 2.5st, my bloods are better and i still top up with my Novomix.

I started off on 5mg twice daily & now i take 10mg Twice Daily.

It changed me and i havent looked back.

Mandie

 

[pleonism]

Hey Manda,

I have also been taking byetta and added novo 70/30 and the weight loss has stopped and reversed.

my med: morning 2ish evening
metformin 1000 mg 500 1000
byetta 10 10
novo30 100units (which I am thinking of splitting into the evening)
Glipizide 10mg 10 10

when glipizide was added the weight loss became minimal and now with novo30 I am up 1.5 stones in about 1.5 months..... I am thinking about taking the glipizide out and seeing if this helps the weight issue.

Does anyone have any thoughts or advise?

fyi... in the last 1.5 weeks my bg has been great in the 8 range with a 5.8 this morning, which is very unusual for me in the morning.

thx for your thoughts and this great site i just discovered,

pleo

 

[cugila]

Hi Pleo.
My first thought regarding your weight gain etc is what does your diet consist of ?

I found that Byetta needs to have some serious dietary adjustments to make it work properly, and keep it working.

Insulin in itself can cause weight gain, so if that can be decreased that should help to reduce weight. Combine the two, diet and Meds adjustment you may well find things start to go the opposite way for you.

 

[pleonism]

Cugila,

thx for the thoughts... I am somewhat experimenting with byetta and insulin...the 2 together are a new thing for me. i am considering byetta, small novo30, metformin, and the atkins. (like I said in past posts I am finding it harder to get into ketosis these days....)

I find it weird that when my bg goes up and I pee out the sugars that I loose weight. almost like my body is trying to straighten out my bg/weight issue by it self??? just an odd thought

As for my diet, I try to stay away from carbs. as much a can. but i definitely could be better... 2 or3 pieces of whole wheat toast in the am and in the evening maybe a 1/4 cup of pasta if that is what is on the plate..... I usually miss atleast 1 meal a day 3 to 4 days a week.

Sorry, I am rampling.... I am really am trying to find the right fit for me carb. wise. I am also considering the lap band for the weight and better control of my bg.


pleo

 

[cugila]

Hi Pleo.
I am not a low carber so I can't help you out much here.

You do seem to be eating a lot of carby stuff and going without meals is not a good idea, little and often or just three meals a day, two main and a light lunch.

What I do is reduce carb and eat low GI/Low GL together with low fat,low salt etc. Works fine for me and have lost over 5 stone (70+ lbs) since Jan 2009. No real effort and Bg numbers all were perfect, 98% on target.

There is an info sheet we dish out to newbies, which explains a few things. I will copy it here, just sort out the stuff you do know from the don't knows....it may be useful.

Here is the advice we usually give to newly diagnosed type 2 diabetics.This forum doesn't always follow the recommended dietary advice, you have to work out what works for you as we are all different .

It's not just 'sugars' you need to avoid, diabetes is an inability to process glucose properly. Carbohydrate converts, in the body, to glucose. So it makes sense to reduce the amount of carbohydrate that you eat which includes sugars.

The main carbs to avoid or reduce are the complex or starchy carbohydrates such a bread, potatoes, pasta and rice also any flour based products. The starchy carbs all convert 100% to glucose in the body and raise the blood sugar levels significantly.

The way to find out how different foods affect you is to do regular daily testing and keep a food diary for a couple of weeks. If you test just before eating then two hours after eating you will see the effect of certain foods on your blood glucose levels.

Buy yourself a carb counter book (you can get these on-line) and you will be able to work out how much carbs you are eating, when you test, the reading two hours after should be roughly the same as the before eating reading, if it is then that meal was fine, if it isn’t then you need to check what you have eaten and think about reducing the portion size of carbs.

When you are buying products check the total carbohydrate content, this includes the sugar content. Do not just go by the amount of sugar on the packaging as this is misleading to a diabetic.

As for a tester, try asking the nurse/doctor and explain that you want to be proactive in managing your own diabetes and therefore need to test so that you can see just how foods affect your blood sugar levels. Hopefully this will work ! Sometimes they are not keen to give Type 2’s the strips on prescription, (in the UK) but you can but try !!

As a Type 2 the latest 2010 NICE guidelines for Bg levels are as follows:
Fasting (waking).......between 4 - 7 mmol/l.
2 hrs after meals......no more than 8.5 mmol/l.
If you are able to keep the post meal numbers lower, so much the better.

It also helps if you can do 30 minutes moderate exercise a day. It doesn't have to be strenuous.

 

[pleonism]

Cugila,

Yes... I like most diabetics, like my carbs and deny that I eat too many...lol. I have a good understanding of what foods hit me hardest and complex carbs are my nemesis. oddly enough simple carbs effect me less than complex.

You have some great info. here. I can't wait to pull all that stuff out and find what info. I can use or what I don't know or what I think I know but have wrong...


Thx,

pleo

 

[hellsbells]

I'm T2 diagnosed 2 years ago. I've been on Byetta for 2 months. I had almost no side effects other than a little nausea in the first few days. My morning time bg is down from 10 to 6, and is considerably lower throughout the day. I have lost a little weight (around 6lb) but I think this is mainly down to diet and exercise rather than the medication. I take the byetta alongside 2000mg a day. In general I feel a whole lot better. I'm one of the lucky ones, both my PCT (Liverpool) and my GP are happy to prescribe byetta, regardless of the cost.