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Bydureon - side effects or something else?

C

CinnamonGirl

Newbie
Messages
1
Location
Surrey, UK
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
Six weeks ago I started taking Bydureon along with an adjusted dose of Gliclazide, which I had been taking for a while.

The first week I was too nauseous to eat much so I didn't take the Glic -my readings were between 4.00 - 5.00 but I really didn't eat, so wasn't expecting much in the way of bowel movements.

I was less nauseous by the middle of the 2nd week and as I was eating a bit more, I added in the Glic. As soon as I started eating, it was about 3 days until I got get really painful constipation cramps. By the middle of the 3rd week, I felt like my abdomen was about to implode and I had bad headaches and I just couldn't concentrate- it was like I had brain fog. My pharmacist suggested Fybogel to help with the constipation...by the end of the week it had only helped a little, but I carried on with it during week 4.

By the time I got to week 5, I started to feel more like I might be getting the flu and I was too ill to go to work - and the constipation turned into diarrhea. I couldn't eat again, so I stopped the Glic, but had 2 hypos anyhow (which is weird, as I didn't think Bydureon would drive your levels down if it didn't have food to act upon?) I have also had extreme fatigue - could sleep most of the day and not feel any more rested or better for it. Oh -and since week 1, the back of the roof of my mouth felt "bumpy" and it and my ear canals have been itching.

I am supposed to take my weekly Bydureon today (week 6) but I really feel unwell. I have no idea if it is due to the medicine, not being able to eat, or if I have picked up some bug, an unlucky combination of all three, or something else going on (my finger nails have all started to split, and my personal thermostat is all over the place too.)

I think I may delay this week's dose of Bydureon and try to speak with my Doctor or DNS on Monday - but has anyone else experienced anything like this on Bydureon? My bs has consistently been the lowest I've seen it, but if these are all side effects, I don't see how I can carry on taking it. Mind you, considering how little I've eaten, I suppose my bs would be good...but I haven't lost any weight - my abdomen looks like I am 6 months pregnant.

Thanks in advance for any help!

Cinnamon Girl
 
Hi and welcome to the forum. What a nightmare you've been having since starting Bydureon. Yes, I think it's a good idea to discuss this with a HCP asap. Here is some information about Bydureon and related drugs, with links to scientific studies:
http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/18538438.php

Have you tried to reduce your blood sugar by reducing the carbs you eat? @daisy1 has some info she posts for people new to the forum, about diabetes management, that you may find interesting.
 
CatLadyNZ said:
Have you tried to reduce your blood sugar by reducing the carbs you eat? @daisy1 has some info she posts for people new to the forum, about diabetes management, that you may find interesting.
Click to expand...

@CinnamonGirl

Hello and welcome to the forum Here is the information which we give to new members mentioned above by CatLady that may be helpful to you. I hope you will get some replies from Bydureon users soon.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you’ll find over 150,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

  • Reduce your carbohydrate intake
  • Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates

Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
  • Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

  • structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
  • self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to bloodglucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
 
I can empathise with your tummy dysfunction, I have bben on Bydureon for 7 months now.
 
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