BYETTA

hiya ken vivkaroo here just thought i would give yuo an update this is how it is at moment :lol: right got 4 glucoghage a day to take 1 glicklazide feeling real good got some tablets for night time for my neuropathy got feelings back in legs and feet bloods have come right down between 5+8 went to bed last night had 7.1 after evening meal good dont you agree.

Had camera into stomache last week everything a1 specialist said liver ok stomache ok pancreus a1 tell you i have bounced back was on byetta as you know 10 months came off 3 months this is just for other people as you know this ken went back on byetta for 10 months had to come back off went in hospital with stomache had camera down as i just said all clear had dn constantly in touch helping back to specialist next week who says might consider going back again on byetta i wonder what you think ken had hepatitus ,liver blood tests ct scans everything was normal so wondered what you think

I would like your opinion if next week he says i can go back on it i dont know if i would fancy the 1 a day injections if they did offer me them i think maybe better the one you know :lol: i will say you right ken i seem to bounce back thank god thinking of now going back to gym and doing diabetes healthy living course anyone wants to do it your doctor can recommend yuo very very good my daughterin law has done it only 1 morn twice you learn a lot about carbs keep smiling eveyone and have a lovely weekend bye ken

love to you jude hope you ok and have a lovely mothers day weekend
lots love vivkaroo xxx

Hi Viv.
My feeling is that 'if it 'aint broke don't fix it.'

Your numbers etc all seem to be good at the moment, therefore why add Byetta, especially as you had so much trouble with it before. Keep the option open for the future Viv. If you start to get numbers that worsen, then by all means give it another go. at least now you know there is nothing else wrong, that the Neuropathy is starting to improve.

As you feel better in yourself I am sure that you will improve all round. I do hope so. You deserve to after all you have been through. Stay positive Viv. It's the only way.........

Ken. xx

Hello Vivkaroo

So glad you are feeling better - do hope your family will be treating you on Sunday. We are going for lunch with our eldest son & his fiance so we are really looking forward to that. I do think of you often and wonder how you are getting on. I am still struggling but maybe that is just me! Am due to have annual check at the end of March - with practice nurse - so will know then how bad my numbers are!! Have chased hospital up and I cannot se the consultant until July 14th!!

Keep in more regular touch if you can - so sad that we live so far apart, we could have supported each other more. love Jude xx

Wow managed to lose 6lb this week. Morning bg still not changing

Hi Susie.
Weight loss is excellent. Well done.

As regards the Bg numbers is that waking (Fasting) or post meal times you mean ?

Ken

Its the one just before breakfast. It goes up overnight which I think is something to do with the liver (stupid liver!!!) but I don't know what to do about it. All the other reading have gone down and in some cases drastically. My before dinners were between 18 and 22, they are now under 10.

Susie.
A few things I need to know.
1. Do you test immediately before bedtime ?
2. What are the levels ?
3. Do you test immediately on waking ?
4. What is the level ?

What the levels are at bedtime has a bearing on your morning fasting levels. It also makes a difference as to when you eat in the evening, what time and what foods. Any late night snacks/drinks ? All can have an effect.

The process regarding the Liver is called the 'Dawn Phenomenon.' This previous post of mine explains that process.

DAWN PHENOMENON
Everyone, diabetic or not, exhibits some Dawn Phenomenon. It is a natural part of our bodies' circadian rhythms. Some have said it is the way our ancestors had the strength to rise and slay a wooly behemoth for breakfast.

Since most of us fast while sleeping, with teenagers a possible exception, our bodies use stored energy during sleep. The body uses all three macro-nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) to store energy.

The most easily used is the storage medium of carbohydrates, called glycogen. Glycogen is made from glucose, and is stored in the liver and muscles. Since it is basically nothing more than a complex matrix of glucose, it is easy for the body to store and use, something the body does all day long. The technical term for the act of creating and storing glycogen is glycogenesis. When the body calls for the conversion of glycogen back to glucose it is called glycogenolysis.

Another macro-nutrient that is available to be converted to glucose is protein. Most of us think of our protein as being stored in muscle, but the body has protective mechanisms to make muscle wasting its last choice. One of the most useful and readily available sources of protein storage is in blood components, i.e., albumin (plasma). The body uses a process performed in the liver to convert amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, into glucose. The name for this process is gluconeogenesis, literally "the creation of new glucose".

So, what does all this have to do with a high fasting BG? Overnight, usually between 4am and 11am, your body releases some hormones. These are Growth Hormone (GH) from the anterior pituitary gland, cortisol from the adrenal cortex, glucagon from your pancreatic alpha-cells, and epinephrine (adrenalin). These hormones cause an increase in insulin resistance, raising your BG. In addition, these hormones trigger glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis, adding stored or new glucose to your bloodstream.

Click to expand...

Ken.

1. Do you test immediately before bedtime ?
Yes
2. What are the levels ?
10.9 and 9.7
3. Do you test immediately on waking ?
No just before I have breakfast
4. What is the level ?
13.1 13.9 (night was 10.7) 9.4 (night was 9.7) 11.1

Todays reading was the 11.1 and last night was the only night that I had an evening snack. I had tuna, sweetcorn and extra low fat mayonnaise with scan bran. Scan bran is a cardboard like low carb slimming world crispbread thing.

Does that help at all? I think I'm panicking because the nurse has said if my sugar levels don't come down then I wont be able to stay on it. I'm not sure how long they give you.

Hi again Susie.
Right. More questions.......
1. What meals are you eating in the evening ?
2. How long between waking and testing ?
3. Are you doing anything such as exercising, housework etc in that time prior to breakfast ?

As regards you panicking.....DON'T ! You have to be given a suitable length of time for the medication and your lifestyle changes to take effect. This doesn't happen overnight, or in the first weeks. In my case I was given 3 months to see how I fared wih the Byetta, that was a minimum period which was discussed with my Endo and DSN. You should not be put under any pressure by the Nurse etc, that will only add to your stress.....which will also increase your Bg levels.....
You need to ask how long you are being given and if not in accordance with what happened to me, argue the point.......it's your health after all, your treatment.

Ken.

I'm will say right away I'm not a low carber sorry.

I'm eating things like homemade tomato sauce with pasta. Although there is a marked difference in the amount. I've also made burgers with lean mince. Today will be pork casserole with veg.

I normally get up have my injection then about 10 minutes later I take my glicazide. So normally between 30 - 40 minutes before taking my blood.

Don't do anything before breakfast.

I will admit I'm prone to panic attacks so that is probably why I'm worrying. My DN is really nice. She visits me in the home because I suffer from agoraphobia.

Hi Susie.
First of all neither am I a low carber, what I do is REDUCE carbs. There is a subtle difference.

Without some changes to dietary intake, particularly of carbohydrates, Byetta is fighting a losing battle. You have to adjust your whole lifestyle to allow the Byetta to work more efficiently.

Reducing carbohydrate intake is one of the best and most effective things you can do whilst taking Byetta. You can still eat low fat etc as I do with great success. My diet is mainly low GI/GL with reduction of carbs. Portion control is everything to me, that allows me to eat most things a low carber would shy away from. I am able to eat them without too much hassle.

Please test immediately on waking, and also try not leaving such a large gap between waking and breakfast. This can cause the DP effect to kick in elevating your Bg levels.

Let me know how you get on.
Ken

Thanks Ken. I guess in a way I am reducing carbs because I'm not eating as much or does it not work that way. I will try and have breakfast earlier and I will test when I wake. It really is confusing when you get told one thing by the "experts" and another by the people who know lol

Hi Susie.
It's not just the quantity......it is the type of foods.....high carb foods. They need to be reduced.

In my main meals where I inject Byetta I have between 30-40g carbs total per meal. My total daily carb intake would be no more than around 80 - 100g carbs per day.

You need to calculate your own present daily intake aand see if you have room to reduce even further. As for the advice, it works for me and I know of many others who it also works for. The standard dietary advice nearly killed me over a period of 10 -12 years until I saw the light ! Since then, great numbers, over 5 stone weight loss and much more healthy.......except for Cancer which I can't blame on the Diabetes or my lifestyle......

Ken

Thanks will need to educate myself on carbs. Unfortunately my cupboards consist of mainly pasta and rice.

Susie.
Pasta and Rice......OK in VERY small portions for me. I needed to test 2,3, and 4 hrs to make sure it was safe for me. With Byetta the reason to test after 3 and 4 hrs is because Byetta slows down the passage of food through the intestine, so the glucose gets absorbed more slowly. Frequent testing before and after meals is a must in the early stages. There are many foods which can have a detrimental effect on levels.

Get yourself a Carb Counter book and read those labels on packaging....TOTAL carbs is what you need to look out for as they include sugars. Keep a food diary for a couple of weeks together with Bg levels then you will be able to relate foods to high or low Bg levels. There is a guide for newbies which Sue and I post frequently which lists all the relevant things you need to do. Here is a link, it may be helpful.
viewtopic.php?f=25&t=11917&p=110946#p110946

Ken.

Thanks Ken. I would be lost without you and this group.

Hi,
I've been using Byetta for five years (I'm from the US). Was one of the first users. At first it worked perfectly, brought my sugar under complete control even with no other antidiabetic drug. After about 1.5 years, it lost its ability to help me lose weight (I lost about 8 lbs), and it became more and more ineffective after its 2.5 or so hour -- guess that is a half-life. I am now trying to switch to Victoza, hoping to have continuous coverage. I'd like to hear from Victoza users. Pat

Pat_fromNY said:

Hi,
I've been using Byetta for five years (I'm from the US). Was one of the first users. At first it worked perfectly, brought my sugar under complete control even with no other antidiabetic drug. After about 1.5 years, it lost its ability to help me lose weight (I lost about 8 lbs), and it became more and more ineffective after its 2.5 or so hour -- guess that is a half-life. I am now trying to switch to Victoza, hoping to have continuous coverage. I'd like to hear from Victoza users. Pat

Click to expand...

Pat.
We have a growing thread here about VICTOZA, that would probably be the best place to get responses as this thread is solely about Byetta.

Here is the link to the latest VICTOZA post.
viewtopic.php?f=26&t=9281&p=125531#p125531

Ken

Soosiewoosie - I hope you're having some luck with your Byetta. Cugilla's right - it's the amount of starchy carbs that can push your blood sugar up. I now have 1 oz of pasta shells - that's about 25 pieces - which makes 2oz of cooked pasta. I find that this amount keeps my blood sugars in control. I'm following the GL diet. It advises that we eat 1 portion of protein each meal, and 2 portions of low carb vegs. 1 portion is however much you can fit in the palm of your hand. I've found this a great way to measure things. And I DON"T mean a mountain in the palm of the hand, just whatever fits comfortably. Try it, it works for me.....which of course means it won't work for everyone :lol: