Byetta
This Discussion Forum is for discussion of Byetta, an injectible medication for the treatment of diabetes. This is the 21st Discussion Forum dedicated to Byetta, and was started on October 23, 2006, after what we call a "blogquake" happened -- namely, the software underlying this blog became unstable and shook everybody up!
Notice to our new readers:
The regular readers and writers at these Discussion Forums have developed all sorts of strange terms that you'll gradually come to know, including "lizard spit", "gillyspitkins", "lizard of Az", "yellow spit road", "little brother" and "big brother", "hug island", and lots more.
There is a listing of all the Byetta Discussion Forums at a separate webpage: List of Byetta Forums. By the way, you'll also find some information about Byetta at other Discussion Forums, including Traveling with diabetes, odds'n'ends and research about meds.
Also, you can still read the earlier comments (at the earlier weekly and monthly Byetta forums), and search for information throughout those forums, by using your webbrowser's FIND or SEARCH feature while at the earlier forums, or by searching at the advanced search feature that is at the Diabetes Monitor.
As of June 1, 2008, the ability to post new comments at the Discussion Forums at Diabetes.Blog.com has been disabled. The old comments will remain available for you to read.
Please go to Diabetes Discussions to see new comments and to add your thoughts!
Instructions for posting comments may be found at Getting Started.
Thanks.
Bill the diabetesdoc
info@diabetesmonitor.com
Have we found our way yet? Traveling down the "yellow spit road" has been quite a challange..more in finding our way through blog quake land than in dealing with the "Lizard of Az"! Are we there yet? (Comment this)
only a few more days on the 5, then it's on to the ten for me. what a quick month it's been, too.
although, like many others, my sugars are all over, they are, overall, so much better. my weight seems to be swinging as widely as my sugars. down 6, up 2...but down more often than up.
workin hard at staying alkaline. i think friday (payday) i'll try to order that book on line, (alkalize or die ). leah's list and tips have really helped, so i will persue that angle. most symptoms have faded away, only have developed more hives and rashes. they are fairly minimal, tho.
i thank you all deeply and sincerely for all the help and advice i have found here.
so i'm off, on this journey we are all taking together, to work! have a wonderful day, everyone! (Comment this)
It *definitely* was the pen... for whatever reason. I've been on the new pen since Friday, without any issues. A slight, *slight* itching at injection site--but then I might just be noticing that more.
I'm still also using ALL the suggestions for injecting, but I still think it was the pen.
I am down 8lbs alltogether from the high I saw just before starting Byetta, which averages 2lbs a week--which is perfect for me! I'm thrilled. Of course, much of that was water weight--but I'm still down 4lbs from the constant weight I was hovering at, and without feeling like I'm 'dieting.'
One thing that is wonderful, and I'm sure is helping, is that I can now eat fruit. Previously fruit would send me into a complete stall weightloss wise, and sometimes my BG's would be an issue with as little as an apple. Right now I can eat fruit as a meal or a snack, and the numbers are great. I think that's what's helping it to be more healthy weight loss too. Before I was eating about 80% protein/20% fiber/veggies (Atkins induction level) and stalled for 2 years or so. I liked to call it 'maintaining' to be positive... but... <shrugs> Now that trend is almost reversed--more like 80% fruit/veggies/fiber and 20% protein. I do have to remind myself to get some protein, but much of it is coming from veggie or whole grain sources. (Ezekiel bread every morning for brekkie has 6g! )
And I'm happy to report I am suddenly sleeping WONDERFULLY. I suspect it's getting the sugars really to level out without a spike or a dip at night. I've gotten at least 8 hours for the last 4 or 5 nights, and I feel like a new woman! Yay!
So lots and lots of good news for me. Still very, very occasional nausea, but NOTHING like the first week/10 days. Even after missing a day. Yay!
So hang in there anyone just starting... it DOES get better--and is SO worth it!
(PCOS, Type II; Byetta 10, 1000mg Glucophage 2x/day) (Comment this)
THANKS for the quick and seamless transition from the old blog to this new one. It's also nice to be starting at "1" again instead of finding ones place in the "4000's".
HINT for newbies on how to keep track of what you have read:
Add this page to your favorites list or bookmark it.
Then, when you get to a new page, do the same with the new page, but number it(my last page was 99-Diabetes,Blog) and then move it close to the top of your list and DELETE the old page. That way you will always open to the most recent page you have been reading.
I also keep a little notebook or 3X5 card nearby with the number of the last message I have read written down.
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If the byetta people say it's ok to not refrige the pen maybe I will take it to Europe with me. I guess the worst that could happen is that it won't do anything.
I go back to the Dr. the morning I leave. I will also start my 2nd 5pen at that time. I am guessing she will probably put me on 10 but it will have to wait til I finish the 5 pen b/c I already paid for it and I don't want to change it if it is not making me sick. I don't want to be sick on vacation.
My numbers aren't that great, FBS has been around 170 when I take it. Except today, it was 140.
So has anyone taken the shot then not eaten? I took it last night but was NOT hungry and nothing sounded good at all. I had about four almonds after taking it then went to bed. I know that's why it was not as high this morning, and other than a headache when I woke up, I felt fine. I took my morning shot and had some cereal an hour later. Feel a bit shaky but I am pretty sure it's the coffee my boss brought me.
(Comment this)
I am looking for other people who are trying to list for pancreas transplant alone. (i.e. insurance, medicare requirement (yes, medicare started paying for some in the spring.)
thank you
This is a neat blog board!
Andrea (Comment this)
My biggest result is that going off Actos has eliminated my water retention and joint pains. I am walking at least 1/2 mile between my morning shot and breakfast every morning. When I go for the paper, I just continue to the cul-de-dac 1/4 mile away and then climb the hill back home. I had not walked much for several years because of the joint pains which I thought was arthritis but turned out to be Actos.
I have never experienced nausia and I can eat anything without any bad results. Appetite is nil and my lunch today was yogurt (3 gr carbs). (Comment this)
1. Should tea or coffeE (both w/ milk)only be taken after 1st shot of day?
2. What about time delay for lunch, bevs (esp tea/coffee) and/or snacks AFTER first and BEFORE second shot? Any guidelines?
3. What about beer or wine B4 second shot (length of delay?) Also what about limits in amount of these bevs?(Label says limit, but no guidelines) (Comment this)
I went ahead with the 10 as scheduled, thinking I just needed a bigger dose. I did have some side effects, esp., the nausea, but that was quickly taken care of with ginger ale, a few ginger snaps or crystallized ginger. There was no effect, however, on my bg's or weight. I did notice an increased craving for sweets.
Now I don't have any nausea even without the ginger and no other effects, good or bad. I usually inject in my upper arm since I inject insulin in my abdomen, but I have tried changing the injection site to see what happens.
My A1c in June (last endo visit) was 6.5 (after being off Bye for 2 mos. I had another test last week and see my endo tomorrow to get the results. My meter readings have been all over the place, but usually over 160 in the morning and over 200 more times than I want to admit.
Anyone out there have any suggestions or thoughts for me. I don't know whether to give up on the Byetta and go another way, or be patient and try for another 3 months (through another prescription) and see what happens. I had really good results when I was on it before and I want those results again. I just wonder if I've become immune or something. Thanks.
Katherine (Comment this)
reference this quote: " I guess the worst that could happen is that it won't do anything."
One thing the Byetta helpline 'health counsellor' asked me MANY times about my hives was if the pen ever was exposed to high temps, or left out at room temp etc. Mine got to room temp or cooler 2x or so. Never developed white specks in the fluid that I could see, but an odd powder down by the 'collar' of the pen (the narrow part where the needle goes in, for lack of a better name.)
So I would NOT be so confident that 'at worst' it could just not work. Who knows, but my hives and skin reaction were pretty darn HUGE and almost incapacitating (could barely wear clothes!) so... be careful. I think you can probably have a wider range of cool, but... don't be blase about it.
MURRAY--just personal experience: I have had up to two beers (wheat microbrew or guiness stout) or one glass of red wine (sweetish) with supper AFTER taking my shot with absolutely no ill effect. In fact, it seemed to *help* the nausea in the beginning. I don't drink more than that, and I didn't have trouble with my BG with a beer or two before Byetta, which is why I tried it. One of those things there doesn't seem to be an 'offical' answer for anywhere... so anecdotal experience is all I've got for ya ;) IMO, you'd want to have it AFTER your shot because alcohol is so high in carbs. Granted, the body treats it differently, but I always have treated alcohol as a 'food' in that respect, and it's worked so far. (Comment this)
Murray - I am a drinker (hehe, meaning I drink socially frequently...but not an alcoholic). I often have wine with dinner and/or beer. I have drank both wine and beer before and after the shot and have not experienced any side effects or anything. I am not sure what it did (if anything) to my bg levels as I don't test as often as I should, but I felt fine.
Miki (Comment this)
I have been drinking my morning coffee(with cream or 1/2 & 1/2) before the shot for over a year now with no ill effects. On the few days I haven't had coffee I have seen no difference(I test very often). See what works for you because there are many different reactions to the spit. Do what works best for you! Good Luck! (Comment this)
Are you experiencing any appetite supression? Have you cut down your consumption of food at your meals and are you eating healthy or are you giving into the cravings for sweets? Also, you say you are on Insulin... When was your last c-peptide test? Are you doing anything to address the high dawn effect numbers you are having? Are those 200 and over readings with the spit on board or after lunch and snacks? Lot's of questions.. sorry. Mainly for you to ask yourself.. (Comment this)
I drink 1 cup of black tea per day first thing in the morning with no problems about 2 1/2 hrs before the morning injection of spit. Coffee is very acidic and could cause more problems with heartburn when combined with the spit so if you start having heartburn or acid reflux you might consider dropping the coffee. Everyone is different so you may be able to continue but test,test,test. Testing is the only way you will know how things are going to affect you. I've been fooled in the past thinking I'm ok when in reality my numbers are either too high or too low. Nausea can be caused by low bgs which I didn't really understand when I first started with this spit stuff and wondered why when I ate I felt so much better sometimes and other times it just made it worse. If I had known to test I could have saved myself from some nasty gastric upset. Now I test alot so I'm making good decisions instead of just guessing. I choose not to drink alcohol much at all but if you do, test to see how you're responding. The one drink I had with the spit in my system caused me to get very sick so I won't personally do that again, plus it didn't even taste good to me. (Comment this)
Miki (Comment this)
TO ALL OUR NEW MEMBERS TO THE GILLY CLUB"Byetta users" WELCOME ONE AND ALL (Comment this)
sad that the blog is messed up....
i see a lot of newbie questions here. being pretty new to this myself, (3 weeks) i have read many of the byetts blog pages. maybe i can give some answers.
geri-thanks, i will definately check the bookstore, and maybe the vitamin store.
murray- i also have my morning coffe or tea before the byetta. but snacks should be an hour or two (whatever works best for you) before the spit.
miki- please don't assume that nothing will happen if your meds are overexposed to the wrong temps. medicines can spoil just like foods. some things become unsafe to use, not just ineffective. please be careful.
wendy- i think many of us have had very erratic fbs in the beginning. i know i do! i have faith they will level off. as for splenda, i've read that all artificial sweeteners should be avoided, i think because of the acid/alkaline balance. but on a personal opinion note, i beleive splenda to be pure poison. it causes me the same type of muscle pain and fatigue as the statin family of cholesterol meds.
cathy-please do not self-medicate. i don't think there are many of us on this forum that know enough about this medicine to start playing games with it. over medicating with any drug can have serious consequences.
okay, have done my preachin for the day! lol
good night, all you lovely spitkins! (Comment this)
anon, i have seen this posted before, but with the blog messed up, i don't know if you'll be able to find it. try the search feature. i'm sure others have experienced insomnia, also waking early. others are sleeping better than ever.
personally, i'm waking early, but sleeping better overall. (Comment this)
Please be patient and let the spit have some time to do it's thing. I think it was Leahs dr who said it could take 5-6 mos. to get the spit totally up to speed. Also you may be suffering from Dawn Effect, which I suffer from. I can't eat a snack before bed and expect a lower fbg, you might not eat that bedtime snack. As far as splenda goes, I don't know as I don't use any artifical sweetners at all, manmade processed stuff I've cut out of my diet. You might want to reduce your use and see what happens.
SHERRY: If you don't eat within the hour of taking your shot you might as well not take the shot. Instead of waiting, which makes the effects stronger, you might eat 15 mins after taking the shot to reduce the nausea problem. I would go to byetta basics and read the basics and see if that helps you. Just go to the right blue box above the disclaimer and click on the questions and answers of the basics. I wish it was available when I first found this blog. (Comment this)
What other diabetes meds are you taking? Did your doctor explain to you that you would probably need to gradually reduce or eliminate some(or maybe all) of them? The class of D meds called SULFONYLUREAS are known from the original drug trials to cause lows. If you look up the names of your drugs on Google or your search engine, you can find out if you are taking one. I and others were told when we started Byetta to immediately cut our sulfonylurea dosage in half. Find out what class of meds you are taking and then discuss it with your doctor. Hope this helps. (Comment this)
I'll check in from time to time, but I'll probably be discontinuing Byetta after the 1st of November.
After a 75lb weight loss; A1c's dropping to around 6.0; going off Actos; discontinuing pump use; and an extreme diet/exercise/water regimen; I'll probably discontinue Byetta (temporarily anyway) after my next endo visit on Nov. 8th.
My BGs are very well controlled and if I can control it with diet/exercise, then I'll probably go without Byetta and see how I do. It was such a release to give up insulin injections and it will be the same with Byetta too.
I'll check back in and let you know how it went in 6 months or so.
Good luck and God Bless You!!!!
TimSlim (5'7", 290 lbs to 218 lbs, 44% body fat to 24% body fat, 44in to 32in waist, 8.6% A1C to 6.1%) (Comment this)
If you will notice, those of us who have been here a while have our drugs listed after our names. This helps people answer your questions. Here is how you do it: In the yellow box where you entered your name, just type in the names of your diabetes meds and when you started Byetta. It will only accept two lines worth, so you don't need to enter any other drugs except the ones for diabetes. (Comment this)
Wonderful news, congratulations! I am writing down the number of your comment(35), so that in the future I can direct newbies to your success story. Good Luck! (Comment this)
The next issue is that I have low BG's before bed so it's hard to take the 30 units of lantus w/o worring about an insulin reaction while sleeping. So I ate carbs before going to bed so I could take 20 units of lantus and had no reaction but Bg's this AM were 180 I had two pieces of low carb bread and felt good but post meal BG was 222. I shot 4 units of Humolog and now 3 hours later my BG is 163. Good for me as my BG's have beeen swinging from 56 last night after supper to the 300's at times.
So as long as I can continue to escape from the nausea I'll continue to use the spit.
beeb (Comment this)
Welcome all the newbies of this week! My goodness so many came on board at once! Welcome to the GILLY CLUB (Byetta users) as a gilly spitkin! Sounds like some of you are off to a good start. Remember to test your bg's often and remember also to test at the 3 and 4 hour mark after a high carb or high glycemic meal and not just at the 2 hour. Remember also that gilly does NOT like greasy, fried foods or too much food. Cut those portions way back at first. I even found if I would eat a bit and then wait a couple of minutes I would be full and not want anymore. My Endo suggested that eating within about 10 minutes after the injection will help with nausea, but if you aren't having a problem with nausea, many of us have found eating 45 min. after the injection (or closer to the one hour mark) gives much greater appetite suppression. There is a wealth of information on this blog. Dr. Bill has the Diabetes Monitor you can click on at the top, and if you want to look back through the discussion forums, there is over one year of just BYETTA forums alone! People such as Tim Slim who is now going OFF of Byetta after 16 months began his discussions as a newbie just like y'all back in the archives. Just click on the List of Byetta Forums and start reading. We also discuss Byetta in many other forums (we call them "islands" because it is like "island hopping" sometimes jumping around to the different forums). I would suggest for all you who are new to this blog to go to ODDS AND ENDS forum and start reading from page one. There is a discussion on how Byetta was discovered from the saliva of the Gila Monster lizard. (That's why we call it "spit") and many other interesting discussions. We also discuss Byetta on Meals, Eating, Nutrition, and other places. We would love to have you join us in conversations all over the blog. If you have a particular question such as "hair loss" you can click on the SEARCH THE BLOG feature and type in those key words and you will go to all the discussions where that has been mentioned throughout all these months. Sometimes there is not always a veteran spitkin around to answer your question so these tools are helpful. Also you might ask a question that none of us has any recall of or experience with and perhaps that is why you received no reply. We didn't mean to ignore you, but the blog comments are so many and they come on so fast that it is very hard to keep up. So read away. You'll find it is a fascinating journey. We wish you all the best of health and a happy dance with the lizard! GO GILLY!
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Way to go. I still have hopes of joining you and Jim in the "Off Diabetes Drugs" club. Good Luck and keep in touch and let us know how you are doing.
geri (Comment this)
I was 15 miles from home last night when I remembered thay I did not take my shot. I had a small taco salad for dinner; didn't eat the shell, just the meat and rabbit food. My appetite was minimal and I had a good BG (167) after dinner.
This morning, my BG was 122, about par for me. I made 2 low-carb Atkins pancakes for breakfast, but I had no appetite and ate less than one pancake with coffee. I then went to the Wildflower Center and gave a walking tour for an hour. My BG,just before lunch was a startling 155, the highest before-meal reading I have had in a long time. After lunch was 150.
I'm puzzled why I would get such a high reading (I did recheck it) with such a small carb intake.
I didn't notice any increase in appetite due to missing the one shot. (Comment this)
Hope I entered my diabetes meds in the right place, next to my name. (I didn't see a yellow box.)
Thanks again. Sherry (500mgs. metformin 2x a day, 5mgs. Byetta infections 2x a day and 60mgs. nadalol once daily.) (Comment this)
FBG at 6:30 am was 188
FBG at 8:00 am was 211.
Then I took breakfast shot and at breakfast an hour later. I didn't take bg again. What is that all about?
(Comment this)
>? (Comment this)
Dawn in GA:
I think it's probably just the smell of byetta. Others have described the smell as rubber or melted plastic. It probably just leaked out a little bit, which is okay. I believe we're only instructed not to use the byetta if it's frozen been frozen, if there are foreign particles floating in it, or if it's changed color. Oh, and I think it was jaeme who had problems when a strange residue developed around the collar of the pen. If you're unsure or still concerned about the condition of your byetta, please call the byetta hotline or your doctor. (Comment this)
The smell is probably the metacresol preservative in Byetta which to me smells like creosol or tar.
When you do the set-up for each new pen, you will smell it if you squirt it onto a paper towel or the mirror. You were probably too preoccupied your first set-up to notice the smell then. (Comment this)
I was one of the ones with dizziness--which I and my doctor figured out was due to low blood pressure because I needed to cut my BP medicine dose in half. The better glucose control and weight loss brought the blood pressure too low for me. (Comment this)