BYETTA

[cugila]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi Iain.

Great results.

As for the 'wind'.....thought you would be used to that in Scotland. Seriously, I can't say that I have come across too many people with that as a side effect ? However, I note you are on Metformin which does sometimes have 'unfortunate' effects. The other thing is that if you have radically altered your diret then some of that may also be to blame.

Byetta definitely works better if you give it a helping hand by a diet change.

 

[piglet2406]

Anyone use Byetta?

Hi there

Just found this forum today, and found it very informative.

I have been on Byetta for two weeks now. My BG has gone down considerably but has now started to fluctuate up and down a little - has anybody else had this? I was very sick the first four days, but now it has settled and I am fine - I am expecting to get it again when I go up to the 10 dose, but if its only a few days again I can cope with that.

I am delighted with the weight loss - I have lost a stone in 2 weeks - but then I have an awful lot of weight to lose, so I suppose it goes quickly to begin with. I wondered if there are any statistics anywhere of the BG lowering and weight loss averages of Byetta users that we can look at?

Anyway, nice to "meet" you all

Lorna

 

[cugila]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi piglet.
Welcome to the forum. Not many statistics to hand here, however there is this from the website.

What can you expect from Byetta.
•Improved blood glucose levels, as soon as day one
◦Clinical studies have shown that with the 10-microgram (mcg) dose, up to 4 times as many people taking BYETTA with certain diabetes pills reached their blood glucose targets compared to those not on BYETTA.
•A chance to lose some weight
◦On average, patients who used BYETTA with certain diabetes pills lost 5 pounds over 30 weeks with the 10-mcg dose (BYETTA is not a weight-loss product).

Hope that helps.

As for the fluctuating levels, depends on how much and if it is related to your food intake etc. It does take a little while to settle down anyway.

 

[Heather Eyles]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi everyone

Day 2 on Byetta, 4 injections done and prior to my evening meal tonight my bs was 6.8, the lowest its been for a long long time!!

Just wanted to know though, I know you cant take byetta after eating but how long after can you take it? Eg, if I had a mid afternoon snack (3pm ish) how long would I have to wait before injecting prior to my evening meal?

Cheers

Heather x

 

[sugarless sue]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi Heather, you inject with your two main meals of the day and these have to be at least 6 hours apart. A snack does not count as a meal as long as it is not the equivalent of a meal!

 

[Heather Eyles]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Thanks Sue for such a prompt reply .

Going on holiday tomorrow so just wanted to make sure that if I had a little nibble in the afternoon that I would be ok injecting byetta a couple of hours later when I had my evening meal.

Lizard spit rules!!!

Heather x

 

[piglet2406]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Thanks Culigula

I suppose I was being a bit impatient expecting my bg to be regulated immediately - coming down from 17 ish to 12ish in such a short time is excellent really. I only test once a day as instructed by my nurse - I'm going to see her for my first follow up on Monday so I can have a chat with her about it anyway.

It's good to read back on here and follow people's progress on Byetta, and I will look forward to keeping up to date with everybody, and letting you all know how my journey is progressing.

After 3 years of struggling to get in control of my diabetes I am feeling so much more positive with the Byetta.

Lorna

 

[cugila]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi Lorna.

You are only testing ONCE a day !! :shock:

How on earth can you tell what is happening when you have had your Byetta ? When exactly were you told to test ? That, frankly is ludicrous.

You need to test on waking, before a meal and then at the 2 hr post meal mark. We do not subscribe to the HCP's ideas about testing at all. WE like to know what is happening. You only need to do the intensive testing for a few weeks together with a food diary and you will then clearly see just what certain foods do to your Bg levels.

Culigula.....I'll be getting a bad reputation...... :lol:

 

[Iain77]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi


Cugila - I was told to check 7/8 times a day for the first week of byetta .I phoned in my sugar readings to my diabetic nurse and i have been told to check once a day ,varying the time off day i check.

Is this wrong should i be checking more often ,i used to check 3/4 times a day.

Iain

 

[cugila]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi Iain.

Well my answer would be the same to you as well. At the very least you need to do a 2hr post meal check, otherwise you have no idea what is happening. Byetta is a hypo inducing drug especially if used with a sulphonylurea. Once a day is useless, I have had hypo's and when driving long distances I have to check regularly with Byetta. A must !

The reason they don't want you testing much is that the cost of test strips to them comes out of the PCT budgets. COST. Health and your Bg control is not their priority funnily enough.

So, test, test, test. Ignore the rubbish they spout about it making people anxious....I get anxious when I don't know my Bg levels. Oh, and as for it hurting your fingers.....don't tempt me. :twisted:

 

[piglet2406]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Oops, should really wear my glasses or get a bigger screen, sorry Cugila!

It was the Diabetic Nurse who put me on Byetta who told me just to test once a day, first thing in the morning. I get the strips from the gp and not from the hospital where I get the Byetta so the cost shouldnt affect her.

I did think it was strange since the book that comes with it has so many spaces for testing before and after meals/injections. I will talk to her about it at my follow up appointment on Monday, but to be honest I will probably do all the tests in the book for at least a week anyway whatever she says, because it would put my mind at rest.

Thank you for your advice

Lorna

 

[thedame]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi

Couple of things: re the testing - whilst I do believe it is the users who know best, I do also think it is worth speaking to your HCP about when and how often to test - let them explain why they say what they say - is it because YOU need to do this or is it policy? I say this as advice seems to vary so much and in some cases very careful and frequent monitoring could be vital but for others it can become obsessive and the HCP may feel that a particular patient should stop testing so much for good reasons.

Second thing is to say i have coped well with the second and higher dose of Byetta, started nearly 2 weeks back - minor side effects but felt sick as the proverbial dog yesterday and realized to day I was "hatching" a cold So, so we think that begin off colour so to speak could throw things out a bit - like they do with life generally? Not so sick today but coughing, sneezing and feeling very sorry for myself :wink:

 

[tabnoakes]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

hi everyone,
i am still on byetta 5 and now on my 2nd week of pen 2 still feeling sick at times but find low cal ginger ale is a real help, i have a question does anyone take a multi vitamin with byetta i find it really hard to eat at the best of times and don't get a balanced diet as i really don't fancy eating alot, any suggestions please and ideas of things you eat as a treat? that might tempt me.

 

[thedame]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

hi everyone,
i am still on byetta 5 and now on my 2nd week of pen 2 still feeling sick at times but find low cal ginger ale is a real help, i have a question does anyone take a multi vitamin with byetta i find it really hard to eat at the best of times and don't get a balanced diet as i really don't fancy eating alot, any suggestions please and ideas of things you eat as a treat? that might tempt me.

Sorry to hear you ares till feeling sick tabnoakes - I am about a week ahead of you and was congratulating myself on few side effects with the 2nd pen until last weekend when I felt really sick for a couple of days. I thought I had a cold coming - had a cough, was sneezing etc then come yesterday, I felt fine. How very odd! Anyway, as far as food is concerned, sometimes, especially at dinner time, I can go right off the idea of food and I am pretty unexcited by the thought of lunch - but isn't that what we wanted - not the sickness but smaller appetites? :wink: If I cook anyway - after all, the rest of the family still have to eat - then sometimes I take a nibble and actually find I can eat more and enjoy it. With me I think it is hunger which can make me feel sick at dinner time. Much of the time though I have toast if I feel off my food- sometimes with scrambled egg or sardines- depends on my tastes at the time. I also find that I fancy fruit when I feel sick - I sort of crave that clean feeling in my mouth so I think that it is best to go with the flow for a few weeks while we adjust to the new medication and, in my case, a change in lifestyle and diet. If things don't settle down by the time you next see you HCP, then a chat with them about nutrition geared to your personal requirements might be in order?

With all the wonderful success stories on here, it is easy to get impatient for results but remember that some of our friends have be at it a lot longer than we have and have settled into a Byetta life! I know I mentioned it before but for me, keeping a journal helps as I can see how I am progressing and it could help with your HCP later too. Best of luck

 

[Trulee]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi Guys
Am wondering if anyone has any suggestions. Am now a month and a half into Byetta - now on 10mg and about halfway through the first pen - am feeling a bit 'queasy' from time to time but not exactly 'sick'.

I do have a problem however that I think is being caused by the Metformin and the fact that I have a hiatus hernia. I have a terrible problem with bloating and pain and 'ickiness' caused by that - I seem to remember having it many years ago when I first started Metformin but cant remember how I settled it or how long it lasted.

It is really making me feel unwell and I'm almost to the point of giving up - any ideas anyone?

thanks
Trulee

 

[cugila]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi Guys
Am wondering if anyone has any suggestions. Am now a month and a half into Byetta - now on 10mg and about halfway through the first pen - am feeling a bit 'queasy' from time to time but not exactly 'sick'.

I do have a problem however that I think is being caused by the Metformin and the fact that I have a hiatus hernia. I have a terrible problem with bloating and pain and 'ickiness' caused by that - I seem to remember having it many years ago when I first started Metformin but cant remember how I settled it or how long it lasted.

It is really making me feel unwell and I'm almost to the point of giving up - any ideas anyone?

thanks
Trulee

Hi Trulee.

No experience of this one at all. The only advice I can give you is to discuss it with your GP, especially as the complications of Byetta/Metformin/Hiatus Hernia all complicate any advice from here.

 

[Trulee]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi Guys
Am wondering if anyone has any suggestions. Am now a month and a half into Byetta - now on 10mg and about halfway through the first pen - am feeling a bit 'queasy' from time to time but not exactly 'sick'.

I do have a problem however that I think is being caused by the Metformin and the fact that I have a hiatus hernia. I have a terrible problem with bloating and pain and 'ickiness' caused by that - I seem to remember having it many years ago when I first started Metformin but cant remember how I settled it or how long it lasted.

It is really making me feel unwell and I'm almost to the point of giving up - any ideas anyone?

thanks
Trulee

Hi Trulee.

No experience of this one at all. The only advice I can give you is to discuss it with your GP, especially as the complications of Byetta/Metformin/Hiatus Hernia all complicate any advice from here.

thanks Cugila - GP is about as helpful as a glass eye as usual :?

someone else did suggest maybe trying travel sickness pills, but not sure about that either - might try and have a word with friendly neighbourhood pharmacist and see what she thinks :?

 

[FordPrefect]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

My GP for the time being has refused to increase my dosage to 10micrograms as my levels when doing readings are generally low, infact I am now regularly going below 5 mmo/L and tbh when I do I feel frigging awful find it a real struggle to force myself to eat something when this happens. Also still having some abdominal pains. Over the last few days tho I just feel ill, warm but cold at same time, that awful feeling in your stomach not that you are nessecarily going to be sick if you know what I mean. What I have noticed in general is my readings are lower but all over the place. Dont know if anyone else has noticed this?

 

[RWJ]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hiya

Soz to hear you haven't been too good. I have been on Byetta now for two weeks and have felt slight sickness but quite well. My readings have been a bit up and down between 10 and 5 but they never came down to 5 before taking Byetta so am quite pleased to see that.

I am back at the clinic on 1st December so will see whether they are going to put my dose up.

Good luck.

 

[cugila]

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

My GP for the time being has refused to increase my dosage to 10micrograms as my levels when doing readings are generally low, infact I am now regularly going below 5 mmo/L and tbh when I do I feel frigging awful find it a real struggle to force myself to eat something when this happens. Also still having some abdominal pains. Over the last few days tho I just feel ill, warm but cold at same time, that awful feeling in your stomach not that you are nessecarily going to be sick if you know what I mean. What I have noticed in general is my readings are lower but all over the place. Dont know if anyone else has noticed this?

Hi FP.
What you are probably experiencing is some hypo awareness. This is when your body starts to tell you that you are going low and sends out the warning signs which I agree, make you feel cr*p ! What you need to do is to take something fast acting such as a glucotab or some Lucozade etc. Not too much then have a small carby snack just to keep the levels away from the 'zone.'

Are you on Gliclazide and if so what doseage ?

With regard to the sickness, and other symptoms you mention I think you might need to go back to your GP and discuss. Some people on Byetta have had problems with it and any abdominal pains should be investigated properly.