BYETTA

Silvercat

Well-Known Member
Messages
95
I am due to go to the hospital this week where I know the doc wants to put me on Byetta.I have many reservations about this medication having read up on it. I dont think I can go through all the nausea problems. I read tiredness could be a side effect and as I get very tired anyway I dont know if I could cope. However my main worry is I don't think I am going to be able to inject myself. So what do they do with people like me? Is there an alternative oral medication?
Help please!!!!
 

Dennis

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,506
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
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People who join web forums to be agressive and cause trouble
Hi Silvercat,

Unfortunately there is no oral alternative to Byetta. The nearest equivalent is Januvia (sitagliptin) but it works in a slightly different way.

The most common side effect of byetta is feeling nauseaous, but this generally wears off after the first few days. Although tiredness is stated as a possible side effect, I am in touch with dozens of users in the States, where it has been available much longer, and nobody has ever mentioned this.

Before Byetta I had a phobia about needles and would pass out at the sight of an injection. I couldn't believe how quickly I overcame that and injecting doesn't bother me at all now. At some point further down the diabetes road you may have to move onto insulin. How will you manage then?

I think you are over-worrying about this and looking for obstacles. There isn't a diabetes treatment available that doesn't have some side effects.
 

Buachaille

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139
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Ash

With the Hba1c you quote why on earth do you want to move to injecting Byetta? I take the same dose of Metformin but I was overweight. In 8 months the pounds have disappeared and the fasting Hba1c is below 6 - less than half of where I was when diagnosed. I would not contemplate a change unless the situation got significantly worse and I was not capable of controlling it by less drastic means.
 

Silvercat

Well-Known Member
Messages
95
No Dennis I am not looking for obstacles just for an alternative. Having watched a pen tutorial from a link my doc gave me I know I can't stick that needle into myself. I struggle enough when I have to have blood taken and its not me using the needle.I dont know how they helped you overcome your fear but I would like to know how they can overcome mine.
What are the differences in effectiveness of sitagliptin and Byetta?
I want to be well prepared for Friday esp as the doc seems to have presented me with a letter inferring that Bayetta is a fait accompli.
 

Dennis

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,506
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
Dislikes
People who join web forums to be agressive and cause trouble
Hi Silvercat,

I don't have personal experience of Januvia but before I was started on Byetta my consultant explained to me the actions and relative merits of the two. His advice was that, although Januvia is effective, Byetta is a more powerful treatment so will give better results.

Below is a link to info on Januvia.
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/100005128.html

When you eat your body produces two incretins (a type of hormone) that tell your pancreas to start producing insulin. There is also a substance called DPP4 which is an antibody produced by your autoimmune system. The main difference in the way Byetta and Januvia works is that Januvia stops DPP4 from killing the GLP-1 and GIP incretins. Alternatively Byetta leaves the DPP4 to attack the incretins that your body is producing and instead provides a high dose of extra GLP-1 which will work on your pancreas while the DPP4 is busy elsewhere!

My consultant's diabetes nurse showed me how easy (and painless) it was to inject. I just followed her advice and have never had a problem. I have found there is a huge difference between watching a procedure and doing it yourself. You are concentrating so much on getting it right that you don't have time to feel queasy about it!
 

Silvercat

Well-Known Member
Messages
95
Well I went to the hospitql this morning and have agreed to give it a try and I go on Tues to be taught how. The nurse tells me she has never had a failure yet.
The one thing that does confuse me is that they are still saying I do not need to take any blood sugar readings myself still...I never have done this at my doctor's advice. Is this the norm?
Thanks.
 

Silvercat

Well-Known Member
Messages
95
Well I started my Byetta on Weds morning and so far so good. No nausea. I wasnt easy to teach how to do it and still feel sick every time I inject...I have the feeling I will never get used to it. The one thing I have found odd tho is that I do not get the feeling that I dont need to eat as the nurse suggested I would...I actually have felt very hungry and wanted to eat more.
 

Dennis

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,506
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
Dislikes
People who join web forums to be agressive and cause trouble
Hi Silvercat,

I think the loss of appetite thing is spamulative. I've heard a lot of people say they didn't really notice this for a week or two. It doesn't just suddenly happen - it tends to creep up until you start to realise that you haven't been snacking between meals like before because you haven't felt the need to.
 

clivey

Newbie
Messages
1
been on it a week feel sick all the time.:(just had the worst nights work ever, yes i know should not do night work, but i enjoy my work:)
 

Silvercat

Well-Known Member
Messages
95
I am meeting a friend at the shopping centre tonight for a little shopping then a meal. The problem is I do not know what to do about taking my Byetta....I will be leaving home more than an hour before we eat so where do I go to take it? I am certainly not going into a public toilet to do it. Is it frowned upon to do it discreetly in public?
 

Richard50

Newbie
Messages
2
Hi Silvercat,
I regularly inject my Byetta while out. Think the best way is to sit at a table,in restaurant or coffee place, lift up bottom of your jumper or shirt and do it! Nobody has ever noticed.
Good luck
 

Dennis

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,506
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
Dislikes
People who join web forums to be agressive and cause trouble
Hi Silvercat,

If I am eating in a restaurant then my personal choice is to take the pack to the toilet and inject there. Usually restaurants have pretty decent toilets, and if you find their toilet looks like a public convenience, then I would say that reflects on their standards of hygiene and do you really want to eat in somewhere like that!

I guess I would be a little embarrassed to inject in public, but as well as that, before I started on Byetta I was very queasy about needles and injections, to the point where I had been known to pass out at the sight of an injection. Whenever I had needed one, for tetanus or whatever, I have always had to look the other way. There must be others out there like me and I wouldn't want to inflict that on them.
 

Silvercat

Well-Known Member
Messages
95
Well I managed to do it discreetly at the table. The lady i was with was fine with it. Its a bit like breast feeding isnt it...why should we all be relegated to toilets?
By the way still not feeling any different about food...still hungry lol.
 

Richard50

Newbie
Messages
2
I gave byettta 3 months-nearly stopped using.Even my Consultant wanted to stop. However at the begining of month 4, slow weight loss, reduction in appetite, snd, more importantly,a reduction in long term blood sugar levels, happened.
Good stuff
 

shavals

Active Member
Messages
37
Dennis

Had my first check up at the D. Clinic on Thursday last, all is going very well so have now been put onto 10 Byetta.

She was very pleased that I had lost 4cm of my waist, now under "obese" size and 2lbs in weight.

Don't have to go back now for 2 months but have to have all the blood tests by end of this month.

Really feeling well.

Have a nice day, what date is the birthday?

So looking forward to a cooked breakfast at Crufts on Saturday but doubt if I will be able to eat too much the Byetta has certainly curtailed by appetite.

Regards

Pauline Jones
 

shavals

Active Member
Messages
37
Dennis

For anyones interest I forgot to say that my blood glucose readings are now under 6.00 every day no matter what time or what I have eaten, on quite a few occasions its been down in the 4's.

Pauline

Pauline Jones
 

Dennis

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,506
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
Dislikes
People who join web forums to be agressive and cause trouble
Hi Pauline,

That's really good news and well done - the lizard spit seems to suit you!. Just watch out for those low readings - 4 is where hypos usually start!

Birthday is on 8th, when I think you will be at Crufts.
 

shavals

Active Member
Messages
37
Hi Dennis

Happy birthday for Saturday.

We finish work tonight as we are travelling to a Travel Lodge just 4 miles from the NEC tomorrow so that Dave and the corgi (Melody) are rested.

Will keep my eye on the 4's


Pauline

Pauline Jones