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Byetta or more insulin

A

Angela72

Member
Messages
13
Hi, just been to see diabetic nurse today as blood sugars out of control again and always quite high and not feeling too good with it. I'm on insulin, 60 units twice a day and this doesn't seem to work however much its increased lately (beginning to think I'm insulin resistant). Nurse wants me to either go onto 4 insulin injections a day or start taking Byetta injections with insulin also. Not sure what to do as read about sickness side effects from byetta. (I find it very hard to tollerate metformin due to toilet problems.) Any thoughts from anyone. I'm new to the forum and just wanting some advice. Thanks. By the way type 2 since jan 05 and on insulin since sept 07.
 
Hello, don't do insulin, but Type 2 myself. I'm sure someone else will be along shortly/in the morning who can advise...

However, I'm pretty sure that they will ask about you BS numbers, eating patterns (when and what) and the timing of injections... Have a look at some of the other posts.

Hope you get what you need here
 
Hi Angela

Just wondering about the Metformin - have you tried the slow release tablets? Despite having chronic irritable bowel I have managed to tolerate them and then my GP put me on the SR. I was put on Lantus last November, got up to 70 units at night but glucose was still high so am reducing that now (currently at 20 units) and started on the Byetta 5 weeks ago. The nausea has been very persistent but I am determined to give it my best shot and so have not gone on to the 10 dose yet because of the persistent nausea.

Jude
 
Thanks Jude.
Yep tried SR metformin and it was even worse. i've tried most forms of oral medication and finally put onto insulin in sept 07 but seems as if however much its increased, it doesnt help. My last hbca1 was 9.3 and feel like my diet is OK. Yeah I could do with losing about 3 stone so the attraction to byetta is there but frieghtened of the nausea after having mega trouble with the metformin etc.
Thanks
Angela
 
Angela, Hi it didnt seem to take you long to get onto insulin from Diagnosis. this would happen with poor control. It also nearly happened to me 1 year ago. I am T2 on Byetta 1yr + and Metformin. At the risk of waving a red rag, you dont say what you eat generally. Medication may solve some of the problem however you can help yourself a good deal by making some adjustmets to diet. A contentious area but valid none the less.

Dave P
 
Hi Angela
Dave beat me to it
I was going to suggest you look at your eating plan. there may be adjustments you can make which will bring D under control. Also, do you have weight issues?
If you are very insulin resistant, you are likely to have that problem. I know it's easy to say, but that too might be a point from which to work. Perhaps your nurse could get you a dietician appointment?
I hope that doesn't come across as rude. I just read what I wrote. It's meant to be helpful suggestions.
 
Re: Byetta

Dennis

my son stupidly left my fridge door slightly ajar for over an hour today, I run it at 20 degrees, would this have affected my Byetta 10 pen.

Pauline
 
Hi Angela,

An HBA1C of 9.3% equates to an average blood sugar level of 12.4mmol, which is extremely high. You may be happy with your diet, but your diet certainly isn't happy with you! As someone who has benefitted enormously from Byetta I would never try to put anyone off it, but as Dave and Hana have suggested you can make huge improvements by looking at your diet, rather than adding to the cocktail of meds.
 
Well thanks guys. This was the last place where I would have thought I would have been made to feel guilty about my weight. I do generally follow a good diet -the best I can and I have seen dieticians etc. I just wanted some advice on byetta. I have had weight issues for most of my adult life due to PSOs etc and think I've probably had diabetes for a long time before officially being diagnosed. I'm not too overweight but could do with losing about 3 stone but nothing seems to shift the weight. Hopefully with the help of byetta it may control my BS as well as lose a little weight. I spoke to my GP today who said if I've been offer Byetta by the hospital then I should give it a try and he sounded quite enthusiastic about it. So think he has made my mind up about it and I'll give it a try.

Angela
 
Hi Angela,

I am sure that none of us intended to upset you, but when a question is raised by someone who has a dangerously high BS level, then it is only natural that we would think of that as something needing more urgent attention than a little bit of extra weight.
 
Yep thats my concern first and foremost to reduce BS. And if a little weight is shifted in the process then thats great. I just felt it was the same old story that I'm diabetic coz "I'm fat " and stuff my face all day which is anything but true. I'm sorry to have got a little defensive but I'm just feeling a little defeated at present. Thanks
Angela
 
Angela ...... for what its worth when i said that a year ago i was nearly put on inslin, i was 3.5st heavier than now as i type this. The Byetta kicked it off and i simply determined it wasn going to stop there. I havnt looked back since.

Good luck to you
Dave P
 
WOW. You guys are sure some successes for this stuff byetta. Seems like it's one hell of a kick.
Pity more people can't get it. I'm not heavy enough.

D
 
dipsticky ...... The weigh loss i one of the key criteria for prescribing and many sing its praises. In my humble opinion 1 year down the road its single biggest advantag is that it dosnt flog your pancreas too hard and only pushes when there is a need to produce insulin, whereas the likes of Gliclazide stay and work on your system for up to 10hrs to pump out insulin whether you need it or not hence higher insulin levels and weight gain.

But im not complaining about the weigh loss either or the better BS control or just feeling gooder

Dave P
 
Angela72 said:
I do generally follow a good diet -the best I can and I have seen dieticians etc.
Click to expand...

That may be your problem - assuming they have put you on the standard High Carb Low Fat diet this will be responsible for sending your BG up AND causing the weight gain.

Try doing this

http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com/2009/ ... -test.html

it's a sure-fire way of optimising your diet.

Personally if you're offered the Byetta I'd go for it, the problem is going to be reducing your insulin dose the correct amount to offset the effect of the Byetta which will take some tweaking. In general it seems to be an excellent drug but like everything it doesn't work for everyone. Should it not work for you I'd go for the Basal/Bolus insulin as being much more controllable than what you're currently on.
 
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