Byetta disappointment

[Lil Norm]

Hi everyone, I haven't been on the forum for a couple of weeks so I'm not sure if this has been discussed before - point me in the right direction if it has!!

I've been 5mcg byetta for a month but it hasn't lowered my hba1c (9.1 on day 1, 9 today). I'm going onto the 10mcg pen but I was wondering if anyone else had no luck with 5mcg and was good on 10mcg. I was so disappointed today - I ought to have known as I am still losing a lot of weight and that only happens if my bg are high.

Any thoughts would be gratefully appreciated!

Norma

 

[Dennis]

Hi Norma,

Byetta isn't an instant cure, it takes time and the higher dose should certainly help you. What other meds are you on?

In my case the weight started to reduce very well, but the blood sugars weren't responding. My consultant added Amaryl (a sulphonylurea that encourages the pancreas to produce insulin) - initially 4mg, then 2, then 1 and now down to 0.5mg. In a month or so I hope to be able to drop it completely so will then be on just metformin and byetta.

I also found for myself that my diet had too much carbohydrate, so have halved the carbs and increased the protein. That made the biggest difference to my BGs. When I started on Byetta my HBA1C was 8.6, then 8.4, then 8.3, currently 7.9. I am due another in a few weeks which I am confident will be below 7.5.

 

[Lil Norm]

Dennis. Thanks for your post. I find it quite confusing, this Byetta business. When I first start my levels go down and I get all pleased. then after a couple of days back up they go.

I'm also on metformin (850x3). My nurse did say that perhaps I need to go back onto gliclazide and apparently if you have it with the byetta your weight doesn't increase - at only 4.11" that is quite important for me as I am already overly plump!

Anyway, I go back in June so they can't be too worried otherwise they would have called me back sooner.

Norma

 

[Dennis]

Hi Norma,

Just a couple of points for you about byetta. The 5mcg pen is the starter dose - some people with already fairly well managed blood glucose can manage on just the 5 pen. Most people need the 10mcg pen and you are usually moved up from the 5 to the 10 after a month on the 5 dose. The reason they don't start people on the 10mcg dose straight away is because its worst side effect is nausea, so by starting people on the half strength dose it allows them to gradually acclimatise to it.

You will probably not notice any significant difference in your BGs until you have been on the 10mcg pen for a few weeks. Even then it is not a miracle drug - you also need to help it by making adjustments to your diet - in particular by reducing your carbohydrate intake. Its a case of striking a balance between your medication and what you eat.

Your weight certainly won't increase while you are on byetta, whether or not you take gliclazide with it. Gliclazide will help in reducing your BG because it forces your pancreas to produce more insulin. One of the main properties that byetta has is weight reduction. Byetta is so good at this that in the US some doctors prescribe it to non-diabetic patients just as a weight-loss aid. You mentioned in another post that you have recently lost a stone in weight and a good portion of that loss could be due to the byetta doing what it is supposed to do - encouraging weight loss.