BYETTA

[peecee]

Hi Jane22 I had the same thing happen to me (blood got back into the byetta pen) i was told by the pharmacist NOT to use it and throw it away, the diabetic clinic confirmed this was the right thing to do on a later visit. Try keeping the top pressed as you withdraw the needle and unscrew it this will stop any fluid in the needle being drawn back inside the pen

 

[susiewoosie]

Hi Jane sorry you are having problems with your pen. Peecee is totally right, you need to dispose of the pen. Hope your son manages to bring the new one to you. I cant see him having a problem because he's not carrying the needles also the pen will be in its original package.

Just read on another forum that they have banned Byetta in Turkey.

Hope that you start to feel better soon

 

[jane22]

Thanks all. I did as I usually do and kept the button in until I withdrew the injection and always have a new needle each time. However it really hurt and I bled quite a bit which has not happened to that extent before. Son is on his way now with the new pen and arrives during the night. Hubby activated it so that it could be carried at a slightly higher temp. He also got me another frio bag for son to carry it in so hopefully tomorrow am I'll be ok for the next jab. Not sure if it is actually banned in Turkey. A friend enquired about it for her husband but was told by the pharmacist that it isn't sold in Turkey as some people have died when using it! I think I will check with my local pharmacist here though just in case this info was incorrect. i spend a lot of time here often a month at a time so I could easily have this problem again. I know it will be expensive but comforting to know it would be possible.

 

[cugila]

Jane.
Don't believe all the stuff you hear anecdotally. Anybody that died probably had Pancreatitis which is a possible side effect of Byetta. It also turned out they had done nothing about the well documented warning signs as well.

If you check back through this thread or in the 'BYETTA INFORMATION' thread here you will see all the known side effects listed. There is also a warning in the PIL (Patient Information Leaflet) about the possible danger.

Glad to hear you are getting another pen, you had sound advice from peecee and others.
Hope you have a great time.........now relax !! :wink:

Ken

 

[jane22]

yes Ken and if it has been banned in Turkey because of this I think the Turkish authorities have over reacted (nothing new there). My consultant explained the very small risk of pancreatitis to me very well and also said that diabetics are more prone to this condition anyway so those who got it may have got it anyway with nothing to do with the drug. She also explained that some people were given the drug in USA who were not really suitable candidates. So I am not worried about the small risk at all and for me the fantastic results so far outweigh any risk. Anyway son is on his way with the precious cargo in his hand luggage. Husband has spent the morning quizzing pharmacists, 1 said it was ok for 24 hours and the rest said bin it. I shall have to be very careful in future. I reckon because this jab actually hurt a lot and I was trying to keep it in for 6 seconds maybe I did let go of the button too soon. Getting a frio bag proved to be a pain with hardly anyone having one in stock so I owe my hubby and son big time for this.
My holiday seems to have started with a couple of disasters, I also felt ill during the night and have got a really nasty boil and swollen glands. I am a bit prone to them and it seems it started after an infection picked up in the hospital after childbirth - 23 years ago!. Anyway I always carry penicillin so have started taking that. I'm amazed it has happened as BG is fantastic now and even with this infection is coming up around 4.8 before meals so that is comforting. The mediterranean diet really suits me.
Anyway I have had a lovely day swimming and lazing about. Off for a harbour side fish meal later with a crowd of girlfriends and my son and his 2 friends will arrive during the night.

 

[RUBYGIRL]

Can anybody tell me if the weight loss slows down as part of the Byetta process. I lost 1 stone in 2 weeks and for the last week I have lost nothing. I know I am being greedy ref the weight loss, but I did so want it to continue at the same rate. I am due to go onto 10mg on 12th August and wonder if this will kick start the weight loss again. For the first 2 weeks I ate the same food but much less of it, for the past week I have tried to go low cab - approx 80g per day - is that even low carbing?? but it seems to not be working for me.
Any advise gratefully received by this newbie

 

[susiewoosie]

Hey Ruby congratulations on the weight loss. My weight loss was and is very up and down. I think it varies from person to person. Sorry I can't help more.

 

[cugila]

Can anybody tell me if the weight loss slows down as part of the Byetta process. I lost 1 stone in 2 weeks and for the last week I have lost nothing. I know I am being greedy ref the weight loss, but I did so want it to continue at the same rate. I am due to go onto 10mg on 12th August and wonder if this will kick start the weight loss again. For the first 2 weeks I ate the same food but much less of it, for the past week I have tried to go low cab - approx 80g per day - is that even low carbing?? but it seems to not be working for me.
Any advise gratefully received by this newbie

I think in a way you have answered your own question. When I started the 5ug pen I started to lose weight and then seemed to stick.....a plateau. I was then upped to the 10ug pen and within a week I started a steady wieght loss which dropped 5 ½ stone. During that time my carfb intake at both main meals didn't go above 25-30g, the midday snack was usually around 15g carbs, a dialy total of around 75g.
Some days it was a little less, sometimes a little more. Now I can manage more carbs because my Insulin resistance has reduced........so much so that I have had to reduce my Byetta back down to a 5ug pen and only take 2 Metformin in the morning. That seems to be working very well for me.

So, stick with it. Don't expect too much too soon and keep motivated. Lose that and it doesn't matter what you do....you will fail. Keep doing what you are and just tweak things a little, maybe a little less carbs at those mealtimes. It does work for most people.....you only have to read back through this thread to see that.

Ken

 

[jane22]

My weight loss has been more or less 1kg a week. However my doc did say it wont work unless I help it. I really don't feel hungry which does make it easier. I find it hard to eat many carbs at all as I very quickly get that stuffed feeling but I try to make sure I have 30g of carbs per meal and if I can manage a snack in the afternoon it is usually a piece of fruit. I have also tried to up the exercise and usually manage 30 mins of something every day.

 

[RUBYGIRL]

Hello All, been back to the consultant today. When he weighed me, he said 'can that be right?' I have lost 7.5kg in 4 weeks. Hurrah. I also took a copy of my blood results from 2 days ago. He said that it is too soon for byetta to have had any effect yet, then said wow, my bg is already sooooo improved. 7.9 at the moment. colesterol 3.1. I have my new pen and start on the higher dose on Saturday. Beside being very tired for the first 2 weeks I have felt great. I am looking forward to more of the same.

 

[cugila]

RubyG
What a fantastic result so far ! Well done.

Ken

 

[jane22]

Brilliant Rubygirl. I bet you are so chuffed. I too feel so much better on Byetta and feel so lucky to have been given this chance. As far as I'm concerned it has changed my life. It is so nice to be a bit thinner. I have noticed now I can get out of chairs easily, turn over in bed without too much effort, get up off the floor without a struggle and easily do up aeroplane seat belts and I was also delighted when I found I could put the tray table right down!!!

 

[Vintagemalt]

Greetings to you all,
I have just trailed through most of the posts on this thread.
I was diagnosed type 2 in August 2000. I started on diets, progressing to metformin and for the last two years I was on 4 x Metformin, 6mg Glimepride & also pioglitizone.
My consultant decided to put me on Byetta about a month ago. This was after quite high BG levels for the previous year. Averaging in the high teens. I Have now been on 5µg twice a day along with the 4 metformin and just 4mg glimepride for nearly a month, I am fortunate enough to have had very few negative side effects. I have lost about 7lbs in weight and my BG readings are amazingly constant and within a good range for the first time in well over a year.
I am now moving to 10µg twice a day and cutting out the glimepride altogether.
I will post again when I see how this change effects things.
Stephen

 

[Sue Elizabeth]

Hi, I am new to this site and have just heard about Byetta, which is an injection which helps you lose weight as well as keeping down sugar levels. Has anyone had any experience with this? My sugar levels have mostly been very good, but I lack the willpower to keep my weight down. :?:

 

[Sue Elizabeth]

What a great response, thanks everyone. I'm just going online to make an appointment at my doctors, she can only say no, but she might say yes. Will let you know how I get on.

 

[susiewoosie]

Good luck with the docs

 

[jane22]

Hi Sue Elizabeth, I have only just spotted your post. Good luck with the Byetta. I have had fantastic results with it durinbg the last 2 and a half months. I think you have to fit certain criteria to get it. I think you have to be unable to control blood sugar with any other method and be over weight. May be doctors prescribing vary in this, I don't know.

 

[Good Grief!]

Hi- Ive just been prescribed Byetta so hoping for good results-Taking Novomix insulin and metformin at the moment, hoping I'm going to loose some weight and reduce BG

 

[jane22]

Good luck Good Grief. I really love Byetta despite a few bouts of rather nasty nausea early on. I'm fine now and continue to loose weight and acheive good BG levels. I feel as though it has given me my life back. My biggest tip for a newby would be to persevere with it if you feel a bit rough to begin with as hopefully it will pass.

 

[Vintagemalt]

Greetings

Well after a month of 5µg Byetta twice a day along with my other medication I have now been on 10µg twice a day for just over a week.
For the 1st month i had no problems at all it all seemed to be doing just what it says on the packet, very good results. But this last week has been quite different. Really grotty nausea when i eat anything, I hope I get over it because it is horrid. Having said that I have noticably lost weight - thats because it is best to eat as little as possible to avoid the nausea.