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Use of Byetta

T

TJBURGE

Newbie
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1
I have been a diabetic for over 7 years I am on metformin and gliclazide twice daily 2 years ago I was put onto Insulatard which did not suit my needs at all. I am a large person but my weight bloated up to over 23 stone and my legs became ulcerated. I had an oppurtunity to go to a PCT clinic in Camden where for the second time I met up with Dr Mark Vanderpump consultant at the Royal Free Hospital Hamstead. He advised that I should be treated with Byetta, still an injection twice a day in the tummy or top of leg. He explained that I would feel very sick with this treatment but if I could tolerate the initial dosage of 5 mcg for two weeks and go onto 10 mcg therafter all be would be well. After taking his advice I tolerated the treatment for two weeks very well this is nearly a year ago and I have not looked back. I was slowly weaned off the Insulatarde and my oral medication has been reduced with excellent records of blood sugars reducing significantly. The GP's at my surgery are very pleased with my treatment and are currently writing a paper on my results. I was also told that out of the whole population there was only two persons on Byetta, this has since risen to 10 persons. I hope people read this and start to ask questions about the use of Byetta which incidentaly has reduced my weight considerably as well as reduced my blood sugars. I am very grateful to Dr Mark Vanderpump.

TJB
 
My GP practice won't prescribe it, because it costs too much. I think it's actually what I need. I think I could get more weight off.( I've lost over 2 stone already, but been stalled 2 months)) and get off all medication.
 
Hi TJB, always nice to welcome another Byetta success story to the forum.

I'm not sure where those statistics came from because there are thousands of patients in the UK on Byetta - still small by comparison with the number who would benefit from it and who should be on it, but its a start. I was one of the first 60 in the country to be put on it in July 2007, a month after it was approved by NICE (I was told by my consultant that I was number 55 in the UK). Have a look in the forum on the Diabetes Discussions thread where you will find a topic "Anyone use Byetta" that has been running since last August.

As Hana said, the biggest factor that governs whether you can get it prescribed is cost rather than need, to the eternal shame of every PCT that gets away with denying patients their right to appropriate medication on entirely non-medical grounds.
 
Hi all,
I am new to the forum, but would like to post about Byetta. I had been on diet control for two years, then a trial of Metformin. I battle my weight constantly, but had lost 2.5 stones in the last ten months. My diabetic nurse, who has been a total gem, has managed to get me onto Byetta, as I was so depressed about how my weight loss just stalls, no matter how little I eat. She explained the faulty mechanism that turns most of what we eat into fat and stores it.

I started the 5mg dose on Thursday last week (this is my fifth day). I have not experienced any nausea, but diarrhoea has been a little troublesome. I fully expect this to settle.

I notice my appetite is not brilliant, and I get full very quickly when I eat, but that suits me fine. My diabetic nurse says she has one patient who lost 12 KG in a month, although this lady's food intake was much greater than mine.

I hope this helps, and I am happy to feed back as the weeks go by, if that helps anyone. I will commence the 10mg dose in just over 3 weeks

Good luck and good health to everyone
Janet x :wink:
 
Hi Janet and welcome to the forum. Your input would be very welcome, but there is already a Byetta topic called "Anyone use Byetta?" in the Diabetes Discussions thread, which is a better place to post your experiences in as it will be seen by more people.
 
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