BYETTA

[humph]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi Humph

That sounds like good news - so is the reason he is keeping you on the 5 pen because of the amalyse numbers? or does he think that the 5 pen is doing a good enough job??

Are you on any other medications for the diabetes? My morning numbers are still staying high (ever since I was dignosed this has been the case) but my numbers during the day are much better than they used to be. Just wondering what your morning numbers are and whether there is any correlation(thinks that is the right word!) between those and the HBAIC? Going back a while when my HBAIC was down to 7.9 my fasting levels were still 9-10.

Jude

A mixture of both, he believes my HbA1c will improve and he wants to see what happens to the amalyse numbers. I also had a week without Byetta during this 3 month period, my own stupid fault.

I am getting a waking reading of around 7. Other medication for diabetes is Metformin, 3 g.

I found the better numbers just kicked in during the second month.

Aiming for my next HbA1c to be below 6.

 

[Smudger]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi everybody, I've been type 2 Diabetic for 12 years or so and on a mixture of slow release Metformine and Gliclazide, I started on Byetta yeaterday and am slowly getting used to it - I never fancied injecting but to be fair, it's a lot wosrs in the mind than it is in reality!

Touch wood, I have no side effects as yet, but my BS hasn't dropped either - then again it's only 36 hours since my first dose.

How long does it take berfore you begin to notice/get the side effects?
Great forum btw
Smudger

 

[Jude]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi Humph

I notice you are taking 3g Metformin - is this the regular Metformin or the SR? I am on the SR but understood that the top dose was 2g. Jude

 

[Dennis]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi Jude,

The maximum permitted dose of standard metformin is 3g per day. The maximum for the SR version is 2g per day. The SR version has a lower dose because it remains in the system for longer.

 

[Dennis]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi Smudger and welcome to the forum.

Don't expect too much too quickly. Byetta is very good but it doesn't perform miracles! You might see a little weight loss and a small reduction in blood sugar levels within the first couple of weeks, but both can take a month or more before you see any real changes.

Good to hear you are missing out on the dreaded nausea side effects, but if you do start to feel queasy just read back over the last couple of months postings in this thread and you will find quite a lot of advice on how to reduce the symptoms.

 

[humph]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi Humph

I notice you are taking 3g Metformin - is this the regular Metformin or the SR? I am on the SR but understood that the top dose was 2g. Jude

I am on regular Metformin, my GP wasn't happy about my consultant increasing it to 3g. The NHS seem to operate a ceiling of 2g.

 

[vivkaroo]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

hi jude sorry i have not been on for a while been bit busy sorry to hear you having probs but happy to hear your ibs is settled hey what a relief when you get a break from ibs since i have been back on byetta my ibs is great if you remember i said to you it would help as you know i had 9 months on byetta previosly and was so ill for 3 months i took 4 sr metformin when cut to 2 a day i was fine and went back on the byetta this time no sickness to write about just very very occasionally lost 9 lb up to now in the 2 months back on but are you sure it is not the metformin with the specialist orders i took no metformin for 2 days my blood sugars went up a bit but i felt great i had to be very carefull what i ate for 2days then the specialist rang me at home i said i felt amazing he said just take 2 aday instead of 4 and i started the byetta again and been fine up to now fingers crossed but in a morning my reading is always around 9 by 2hrs later it has dropped to 6 as the day goes on it stays low but is always high in morning bearing in mind i am on the 10mg now i have stopped having carbs for breakfast only have between 80 and 100 carbs a day just trying to give you some idea of what i do dont take metformin till after breakfast but about half hour after. giving byetta chance to settle a bit and it works for me when i go swimming after it my read is around 4.9 but i eat and it goes to aroung 6 just to give you idea nice to talk sorry its bit long take care hun hope it works for you

luv vivkaroo xxx

 

[cugila]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi Humph

I notice you are taking 3g Metformin - is this the regular Metformin or the SR? I am on the SR but understood that the top dose was 2g. Jude

I am on regular Metformin, my GP wasn't happy about my consultant increasing it to 3g. The NHS seem to operate a ceiling of 2g.

I was on 3g Met daily for a long time before it was reduced after the Byetta started to take effect.
I remember every time I saw the Prctice Nurse (Diabetic) she kept insisting my Met dose was too high ? I used to tell her to discuss it with my Endo. He was the one telling me what and when to take it. She never did do that.

Ken

 

[tizzzzy]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi, this is my first post, though I have been 'lurking' for a while now. I have been on Byetta since 31st March 2009, working up though the 5 to the 10, sailed through the 5, but suffered a fair bit with nausea with the 10, with help from this board I seemed to get this under control until this week when on two occassions I have gone a step further and actually vomited, the first time was on a prawn salad so I thought I may have had a dodgy prawn, but last night I only had two small frankfurters in a dry roll and I was once again ill. (On each occassion my husband also ate these) I don't want to give the Byetta up as I have had a brilliant weight loss, 27½lb, my appetite is really small and I am only eating twice a day most days but ocassionally three, whereas before if it didn't move I ate it, it was nothing for me to eat three big meals a day and snack continuously between. I am also taking 3g metformin, though I do have trouble working out how to take this when I only eat twice, do you think I should take this in two doses or take the third without food, I don't think this has any affect on the vomiting though, because yesterday i did eat three times, breakfast - musili, lunch - apple & 2 satsumas, dinner - aforementioned hotdog. My sugars are reading 6.5 during the day, though higher first thing in the morning.
Any advice would be welcome.
Tizzzzy

 

[candyog]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

hi well im on my third week of byetta 5 pen my diabetic nurse is talking about putting me on to 10 as she is very pleased with my weight loss 10 pounds but not so happy with my sugar levels varying from 15 to 20,s i only seldom feel nauseaus now but i am very nervous about going on to the 10 pen after my bad side effects for the first 2 weeks on 5 is there anyone that had bad side effects on 5 pen but have gone on to 10 if so what were the side effects like on 10 ive still got very little appetite which is a good thing

 

[Dennis]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi Tizzzzy and welcome to you.

Hi, this is my first post, though I have been 'lurking' for a while now. I have been on Byetta since 31st March 2009, working up though the 5 to the 10, sailed through the 5, but suffered a fair bit with nausea with the 10, with help from this board I seemed to get this under control until this week when on two occassions I have gone a step further and actually vomited, the first time was on a prawn salad so I thought I may have had a dodgy prawn, but last night I only had two small frankfurters in a dry roll and I was once again ill.

All I can suggest to help you is to make sure that you have as short a time interval as possible between your injection and your meal as this helps to reduce the nausea. Also try to eat or drink something ginger flavoured, again this seems to suppress nausea. Until you are completely acclicatised to the 10mcg dose, keep your food as bland as possible. Many people have bad reactions to prawns, and frankfurters can sometimes be a bit spicy.

I am also taking 3g metformin, though I do have trouble working out how to take this when I only eat twice, do you think I should take this in two doses or take the third without food, I don't think this has any affect on the vomiting though

As you are on 3g this must be standard metformin. This lasts in your system for up to 6 hours, so it is best yo take it in 3 doses if you can. Unfortunately many people find metformin gives them bad stomach problems if they have them without food, but you could try this and see if you can get away with it.

yesterday i did eat three times, breakfast - musili, lunch - apple & 2 satsumas, dinner - aforementioned hotdog. My sugars are reading 6.5 during the day, though higher first thing in the morning.

I hope that isn't a typical day's diet Tizzzzy because I'm afraid that is a pretty unhealthy food intake. It's nearly all carbohydrate or sugar (the meusli, fruit and bread), a tiny amount of protein (the frankfurter - much of which is ground oatmeal, so more carbs), no fat and very little vitamins or minerals. You need to eat more salad and green veg, with more protein. How about chicken salad, easier to digest and less spicy than frankfurters so should help with the nausea.

 

[Dennis]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi Candydog,

If you feel you are not fully acclimatised to the 5mcg pen yet then ask your nurse to keep you on it for a further month. If you switch to the higher dose soon after the nausea has worn off from the lower dose, you will almost certainly become very sick, not just nauseous. In the UK we tend to push patients on to the higher dose much too quickly, before the system has fully adjusted to it. It isn't a race to see how quickly your BS can be reduced!

You could help to reduce your BS levels quite easily yourself by just reducing some of the starchy carbohydrate in your diet. You don't have to switch to a low-carb diet, just have smaller portions of breakfast cereals, bread, pasta, rice and root vegetables, particularly potatoes. Substitute with more green veg or protein. If you can reduce these starchy carbs by 25% you will soon see a good reduction in your BS levels.

 

[candyog]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

thanks dennis for that advice i will ask my nurse if i could have another month on 5 pen i didnt think about root veg ive been having baked potatoes i,ll cut down on them a bit the last week or so ive gone off white bread so ive been having 1 slice brown toast for breakfast cannot eat cereals in the morn at the moment i do need to think more about what i eat re carbs this is the time to do it while my appetite is still poor also i have been sipping fruit drinks too much to help with the sickness

 

[Jude]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi Candyog

I am into my 7th week on the 5 pen and unfortunately still suffering with nausea so I do not know yet whether I will be going up to the 10 pen next week or whether Iwill have to do another 4 weeks on the 5. There is someone else on this board who I think is into his 3rd month on the 5 pen (think it is Humph) so not everyone goes straight on to the 10 pen after 4 weeks. I will need to phone my DSN this week to find out as I will need to order a new pen. I want to go up to the higher dose because I need my numbers to come down more!

Jude

 

[candyog]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

hi jude good to hear that someone else still on 5 its just after having so much sickness ive a real fear of going up to 10 i still feel sick mainly 1 hour after morning dose my blood sugars are high 15 to 20,s even though im not eating halve as much as i used to do you mind me asking what your blood sugars are now i was wandering if the 5 pen and cutting down on carbs as advised by dennis would eventually do the trick with my blood sugars

 

[tizzzzy]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Thank you for taking the time to help me. Sorry I haven't responded before but basically made the same mistakes eating wise and have spent most of the day with upset stomach, (through the eye of a needle comes to mind ). For some reason I crave fruit and I suppose after years of dieting I tend to think of this as a 'good' food and probably go over the top. (How much fruit do you think I can allow myself?) Right now I feel fine, but I haven't eaten yet nor taken Byetta. Seem to have loads of food in the house but nothing to eat, feel afraid to actually try. In the past as long as I've avoided the obvious sugars (sweets, chocolate, cakes etc) with medication I have been able to keep my readings reasonable, so although I've been a diabetic for 20 years I really don't know how to measure carbs etc, I've generally counted calories as attempt to keep my weight down and become something of a yoyo dieter. For the first time I'm not continually hungry and if i can get my diet right I believe that I have a chance of losing weight and keeping it off. Can anyone recommend some literature that can help me with understanding carbs. None of the books I've had from the doctor etc go into any real detail. Sorry to sound so dense, but I am really struggling
Many thanks
Tizzzzy

 

[Jude]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi Candyog

I am also on Metformin 2g SR which I take with breakfast and evening meal and I am still on Lantus (am gradually reducing that). To try and help the side effects I take the byetta immediately before I eat but I am still getting the nausea/unwell feeling usually until late afternoon. My fasting numbers are between 8-10, but the figures during the day before meals etc are between 6-9 probably averaging around 7. I have been diagnosed 4 years now and my fasting levels have always been high although they have come down somewhat now. The thing is I am learning that you cannot really compare yourself to someone else because we are all different. As I suffer with irritable bowel I have not gone low-carb so cannot give you advice on that - I try to be moderate carb and to always bear it in mind.

Have you actually been sick? Jude

 

[candyog]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

hi jude i am also on metformin 3 times a day but for 2 yrs i was on nova rapid and levemur 3 times daily which was stopped when i went on to byetta i am going to have to be careful with low carb not that i know a lot about it i have had a twisted bowel a few years ago and various problems since yes the first week on byetta i was sick very bad nearly every day the third day on it i just spent in bed just getting up to be sick and have drinks my nurse did ask me if i wanted to come off byetta but i got determined to stick at it but i do wonder if i went onto 10 if i would stick at it again if it was so bad again the one good thing about all this is all the weight ive lost

 

[humph]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

I am into my fourth month on the 5 mcg pen and will only go onto the 10 mcg at the six month point if my Hb1AC hasn't improved some more. I am not under the NHS for my diabetes, so that may explain the difference.

I would suggest anyone who had bad side effect or no change to their bs, try and get their DN to keep them on 5 mcg for a second month. My bs didn't come down till the sixth week.

 

[candyog]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

hi humph t hanks for that i think i was wanting to hear that not everybodys bs did not go down straight away because i feel dissapointed about my high bs i will be asking to stay on 5 pen at least another month