Diabetes.Blog.com

1 - Kim,re: Shaking Pens

Shaking pens is definitely a no-no.


Kathy,

Glad everything is going well..sounds like you're over the hump on side effects.

Anthony, re: Moving up to 10mcg pen

There's no reason to move from 5 to 10 if you don't need to...in fact, there's a good number of people here who've been on 5 for months.

You only move up if your numbers dictate it.

Carol,

I would say that if you're still having nausea then your body hasn't yet adjusted to the 5 so it's too early to move to 10.

Ginger,

Welcome back.!!

I don't think that side efects wil be anywhere near as bad after being off Byetta for a few days as they were the first go round. Your body has seen (and dealt with) Byetta before.

John



 (Comment this)

2 - ANTHONY:
<<Hello all, why do you move to the 10 Mg pen if you are getting good results from the 5 Mg pen. Is there some other benefit I'm not aware of?>>

I asked that same question of my endocrinologist, and he said that the research showed that the optimum results were achieved on the 10mcg pen. While I got good results on the 5, I am finding that in my second month of the 10 (along with 1000 mg of Glucophage, twice a day), my results are not only excellent but they don't vary. My fasting BS first thing in the mornings has stayed in the low 90s no matter what I ate the day before. My post meal BS (2 hours after) is always in the low 80s if I injected before that meal, and in the mid 80s for lunch and snacks where I haven't injected.

Yesterday I pushed it. I went to a funeral and at the reception, while I kept my portions small, I did have both garlic bread and a small piece of cheesecake for dessert. Since I had injected before breakfast, at least 6 hours before the reception, I wasn't sure how my BS would be. However, when I tested at 2.5 hours after the meal, my BS was at 87, so I am pleased that Byetta seems to work around the clock for me, not just at breakfast and dinner. (Comment this)

3 - LORRRIE: When you moved up to the 10 did your numbers go up? I have seen a lot of posts here where people are saying their numbers go up when they went to the ten and it took a few weeks to bring them back down. I am scheduled to go up to the ten in a few weeks and feel that my numbers are good right now and I would hate for them to go up. Thanks (Comment this)

4 - Hi Lorraine,

I went to the 10mcg pen 2 months ago and didn't notice much of anything different...no side effects, & no noticeable increase or decrease in bg's..

John (Comment this)

5 - Lorrie--thanks for the info on moving from 5mcg pen to 10. I am starting my 3rd month on the 5 & see my endo in about 3 weeks. All the things you noted as improved are the things I'm still having trouble with, so if my endo suggest moving up, I will give it a try. (Comment this)

6 - Thanks Carol and Lorrie for answering my question. I must get an Endo. (Comment this)

7 - LORRAINE IN N.J. Re:TEMPORARY INCREASE IN BG WITH STARTING NEW 10 DOSE:
Hey there Lorraine, you might have read my post because that happened to me. My fasting bg's went up when I started the 10 pen for---not weeks but about 10 days before turning around and going down. This also happened to me on the 5 dose-- for about 10 days also. So if this didn't happen to you on the 5, maybe a good chance it won't happen to you on the 10. I spoke to my Endo about this on my recent visit when we were reviewing my fasting bg's and she said that was not uncommon. I'm glad your numbers are good now. My results with the 10 were much more positive than the 5 (especially with weight loss, appetite suppression, and better bg's!) and hopefully yours will be too! (Comment this)

8 - Thanks JOHN that makes me feel better about moving up. I would hate to have my numbers go up after all this effort to get them down. Oh by the way a note to folks having problems with gas, a natural remedy is dill. Take some dried dill and put hot water on it let it steep and then strain and drink the dill tea and also another way to help lower after meal numbers is to have something with vinegar like pickles or anything pickled the acid is suppose to stop our systems from absorbing carbohydrates so that is another thing people can try in combo with their byetta. (Comment this)

9 - Hey there Cindy Lou. Thanks for the info. Like I was tellijng John, I would hate for my numbers to go up but if it is only temporary then I can live with that as long as they get better and better. I am having such an experience with this byetta. I have never been one to watch what I ate but now I am very aware of what I put in my mouth. The 5 has stopped curbing my appetite but I have learned to eat only what a potion is and not over doing it. I am hoping that the ten will bring back the appetite suppressant so I can start to lose weight again. I lost 20 lbs in the first 6 weeks but nothing since. The upside is that I haven't gained any either so I guess I am doing something right. I need to lose a lot more weight and I think from years of yo yo dieting my system only loses 20 lbs and then puts the brakes on. Oh well maybe the ten will shake things up. Thanks again everybody for all the help. (Comment this)

10 - I have been on Byetta for about 6 months now. I started on the 5 mcg and moved up to the 10 mcg about a month later. When I started I was on 6mg of Amaryl. I had to decrease the Amaryl to 4mg because of lows. For the first couple of months I definitely had a good experience with the meds. I didn't lose much weight but I did have a decreased appetite and I felt great. The only side effects I had were mild nausea at first and then some foggy and head achy feelings on occasion. Other than that is was perfect. Now I find myself able to eat as much as I want and no side effects. Also, my bg is very high. Quite frankly, it is higher than when I started. My endo took me off the Amaryl and has now put me on 2mg of Prandin with meals and 750 of Glucophage at night. BG is still higher than normal.

My question is has anyone else experienced the feeling that the Byetta stopped working for them?

I really loved the Byetta. From what I have read here it works for so many it worked great for me in the beginning.

I am a big woman...could it be my needles are too short? I may be grasping...any thoughts?

Thank you in advance for any ideas or thoughts. In the meantime, the doc and I are experimenting...

Best,
Lisa (Comment this)

11 - I am a type 1 diabetic and my doctor has put me on Byetta.Now up to 10 mcg.
Weight loss of 10 pounds has been great, but my control has not been. Very wide swings of blood sugars and many more rebounds from unexpected lows.
Are there any other type 1's out there on Byetta. As the FDA has only approved it for type 2, I feel like a guinea pig. (Comment this)

12 - LISA RE:HIGH BG's WITH BYETTA:
Hello Lisa, could it be a possibility that you had a bad pen? Did this occur on just one pen or on more than one?
Have you been under a lot of stress during this time,or sickness? Both can certainly raise bg's. It will take your body awhile to adjust to these changes of oral meds too. Have you been on any other medications during this time of increased bg's? Sorry so many questions. If you are a big woman you really should be using an 8mm pen needle. We want to help any way we can. Idea exchanges and reading personal experiences on this blog can be very helpful. (Comment this)

13 - LISA:

You didn't mention how long you've noticed the change. If it's just been since you started the present pen that you are using, it could be one of the many that have been reported here as being weaker or ineffective, as well as those that have been found to be stronger. If you can, you might try to get another pen to see if it makes a difference. If not the pen, then it certainly may help to use a longer needle. (Comment this)

14 - Joe,

Why did your doctor put you on Byetta? I don't understand at all. Byetta is designed to enhance a person's own insulin production. It is NOT designed for a person who have no insulin production (T-1).

Amylin Labs has a sister drug to Byetta called Symlin (which has it's own set of forums here on this blog) and that is for use with T-1's and T-2's.

I just don't get it but I think you should ask your doctor what his plan is. I'd sure be interested to hear why he prescribed this "off label" and against FDA approvals (as you've noted).

Please let us know how this turns out.

Lisa, re: Needle sizes

I agree with Cindylou that you should probably be on a longer needle. WHile I've done some reading on how different needle sizes are prescribed..they tend to say things like "the 5mm needles are for thin people".. Since I can't relate to these kind of terms so I'd just say that, in my opinion, most people that are not "thin" should be on the 8mm needles.. If you are using the 5mm then be sure not to pinch up the skin.

John (Comment this)

15 - John re: vacation redux

I restarted Big after my week off. I am having symptoms like the first few days, e.g. headache and nausea. I'm not surprised, but it helped to receive your opinion that they will be milder. We shall see. (Comment this)

16 - I need to add to my previous entry. So, I went to Mexico, but my lizard stayed home in the thermos on the counter. I called the hotline with no help. Fortunately, my testing supplies and insulin were with me. I adjusted the dose and checked often. I also had a great time and felt well. Having started back on byetta today, I took my first injection about 6 hour ago. In the last half hour, I've started with extreme nausea and headache. Big is pretty strong, even after a short break of 7 days. (Comment this)

17 - My endo did not up my dosage to the 10 pen. My HB1ac went from 9.8 to 5.8 in my first 3 months on the 5. I loss about 30 pounds. I a[so went off glyburide and lipitor. My endo's theory is why give me more meds when the 5 is working so well.

My bg has remained very stable (between 80 & 110). My appetite has returned. I am not overeating, but it is harder not to binge. If my bg weren't so good, I would be forcing the issue about going to the 10.

I think we all have to continue reviewing what we are doing to maintain good health. Right now, I have decided not to make a big effort for continued weight loss. I am 75 pounds lighter than my highest and have about 20 pounds to lose to have a "normal" BMI. I will continue to make healthy choices and count my Byetta blessings. I am one of the lucky ones without nausea or other traumatic side effects. If you are trying to decide whether or not to go on Byetta, give it a chance. It may really improve your life. (Comment this)

18 - I took my 4th evening shot of "10" and had a low bs, but only once, and only down to 63 - difference was I took oral meds and "10" shot at the same time instead of taking the oral meds 30-60 minutes before the shot. I will try the same sequence tonight to see if that continues to reduce the low bs effect.

However, I already left a message for my endo doctor - will fax a detailed log and bs meter graphs to him early tomorrow morning and will be calling as soon as his office opens! I like the suggestion to drop the evening Amaryl. Question - If you shift a single 2mg dose of Amaryl to lunch, how long does it take for the Amaryl to be out of the bloodstream so the Byetta won't conflict with it? Will it be out of your system before taking the PM shot?

Thanks for your thoughts and suggestions!

Mark (Comment this)

19 - Mark, re: Amaryl

Amaryl is fully absorbed by the body 60 minutes after taking the pill. The half-life of the drug is 5-8 hours (with higher doses having slightly longer half-lives) and you have 24 hours of "use" of a dose of Amaryl.

Amaryl reaches maximum effectiveness at 2-3 hours after taking the pill.

I'm not clear why you're trying to avoid a "conflict" of the drugs.. Byetta and Amaryl have have the same goal (lowering blood glucose) but take two different paths to achieve this. Once the Byetta shot is taken it waits for a rapid rise in bg (unless you were already in a hyperglycemic event, in which case it goes to work immediately) and then stimulates the beta cells in the pancreas to initiate an insulin dump... That's why it's important to eat within 60 minutes... After that your kidneys have removed enough of the Byetta to render it much less effective at detecting and dealing with bg's from a meal.

Amaryl is supposed to be taken with the earliest normal-sized meal. If you eat a small snack for breakfast then you should hold off on the Amaryl tablet until you're close to a normal meal ..like lunch..

Some here have trouble with high fasting (overnight) bg's... some who are taking a sulfaonylurea like Amaryl have found that moving a dose to the dinnertime has helped..

I'd suggest being REAL careful doing this with the maximim effect being 2-3 hours out. You don't want Amaryl in your blood hacking away at bg's when you haven't eaten for a while or when you are asleep.

For those moving the Amaryl to the evening I suggest testing frequently until you know how it affects you..and if you have night sweats (a symptom of a hypoglycemic event) test when this is happening to see if it's low bg's.

John (Comment this)

20 - After a week on #10, I am lower with averages from 140-190 range. That is down for me. I have had a couple of meals with a great deal of nausea. So the 10 has helped me. You should be afraid of it but if you are getting normal BSs then some might stick with 5s let your A1C make the call with Doctor.

Something I haven't reported here before, I think. All my life I have had a high pulse, I average in my 90s and upper 80s. Doctors say that is normal for me. I have had phyicals every year since age 20 and 2 stress tests. But after starting Byetta, I haven't been below 100 on random checks, today without any real activity it was 115. I will report it to company and Doctor this week. Anyone seen this problem? (Comment this)

21 - I have been on 10 for 5 months, 5 one month prior to that. I was a new TY II diagnosis and it was the initial med that I was put on with the hope of preserving beta cells. Doctor says that I am doing to well and has cut me back to one 10 shot in the morning. Any thoughts??

Last A1C was 4.5 and 47 pounds lighter!! Feel better now than I have in a long time! (Comment this)

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23 - NEEDLE SIZE
I have a fat stomach (a beer belly, I don't drink beer). If you remember earlier, I discussed needle size and said I was using 5mm and I was going to stop pinching skin. Well due to a comedy of errors at the store and my sugar slopped mind, they gave me 8mm ones. So for the first month I used a week of 5mm and 3 weeks of 8mm, not pinching. I did pick up one bruise but I think I must have gotten a little too low on stomach.

I ordered 6mm because I wanted a bigger needle when in reality I was using 8mm. Now I am using 6mm without pinching.

So for me, I really can't say any size made a difference. I have use three different sizes. My lack of normal readings don't seem to due to needle size. But I sure wish they had an objective way of determining which size we needed or tell us it doesn't matter. (Comment this)

24 - i SURELY LEARNED what stress can do to your blood sugars! I was scheduled for brain surgery and not too relaxed. My numbers were in the high 200's. With no medication, by the time I got back to my room the numbers were in the high 100's and by the time they took off the Christmas wrapping, I was back to normal. This is with no food or medicine. Now I am learning to walk again (look like a drunkem sailor!) so the back situation will get fixed. Thanks for all your concern and prayers. The neuroma had grown to 5X its' size so there was no decision to be made. Tomorrow I must get on the regime again. Blessings to you all--Grandma Jean (Comment this)

25 - Grandma Jean, re: Stress

You've got that right.!!

Stress and illness can do a real job on bg numbers.

I've been following your comments on one of the other forums here and glad to see you're on the other side of the operation and that your numbers are coming down.

Thanks for keeping us posted.
John (Comment this)

26 - TO DICK Re: NEEDLE SIZES:
Hello Dick, I too have tried the exact 3 different size needles as you have for different reasons. I was trying to help with the welt situation in my latest change to the 8mm. I think it could be helping some as some are smaller and sometimes I don't have them. But my body chemistry changes daily too so it could be more than one factor. Anyway, someone posted once that the 5mm (that came with our Byetta starter kits for those who recieved them) were really for children or very thin people, and that really all adults unless one is very, very thin should be using the 8mm. Who knows? I can't tell if there is any difference in spit strength from each of the different ones, but I think I plan to stick with the 8mm from now on or at least until I am very, very thin! :-)
BTW, your pulse rate sounds scary. I'm not sure if that has been discussed by anyone but you could check prior forums in the blog search and see.

GRANDMA JEAN Re STRESS AND BG:
Grandma Jean, what an example of stress at work against us Diabetics!!! Wow. You sure have been through it, and yet you still have more hurdles this week. You know we are with you and care about you and will continue to pray for you. Blessings to you always.
 (Comment this)

27 - John,
Thanks for the info on the Amaryl, I am currrently on the big bro, when I went to the big bro, (1 week ago) I cut my Amaryl in half to 2mgs--I was taking my shot before dinner and then taking the Amaryl a few hours later, hoping it would help the dawn dump. Now I realized i was taking it incorrectly and should be taking it with my dinner. (Comment this)

28 - Toni re: Amaryl

I was able to cut mine from 4 to 2mg also.

Wow...taking your Amaryl a few hours after dinner... Did you have trouble with lows?

John (Comment this)

29 - John..
My #s would drop to normal levels about 3hrs after dinner, but in the AM's its around 215 (Comment this)

30 - John,

I was taking 4mg Amaryl twice a day 15-20 minutes before breakfast and about 60 minutes before dinner (usually around 6PM). When I started the 5mcg Byetta shots I experienced some lows and my endo doctor cut the Amaryl to 2mg twice a day, before breakfast and before dinner.

Your information fits what I have been experiencing, with the low bg's occurring an hour after dinner, which has been 2 hours after taking the Amaryl. When I changed so I have been taking the Amaryl at the same time as the shot, immediately followed by the meal, I have experienced less problem with the low bg's. Sounds like I was getting a double hit between the Byetta and the Amaryl!

My comment re: the conflict is that it appears that the combined effect of the Amaryl and Byetta may be responsible for the very low bg numbers I have been experiencing. I do eat breakfast, so would I be better off taking a single dose of Amaryl with breakfast, or a single dose with lunch? Based on your comments, I assume I would not want to take both breakfast and lunch doses of Amaryl - correct?

Thanks for the information and support.

Mark (Comment this)

31 - Thank you all so much for your comments. I have been using the 5mm needles all along. I never had horrible side effects...some but not bad. I figured I was just lucky. I will get some new needles this week for sure.

I do bruise once in a while with the small needles. Will that get worse with the bigger needles? I am not a fan of having a bruised belly. Maybe I should switch to my thigh or upper arm...

I have noticed my bs higher over the past couple of months. At first I thought it was the pen but it continued on new pens as well.

I did use an Advair inhaler for a month and a half. When I noticed my number were higher I stopped the inhaler. But my bgs didn't decrease. I went to the endo last week and should get my HbA1c numbers soon. I will be curious to see the difference from the last check up.

AND, yes, I have been under some stress lately at work. Much more than usual.

At any rate, thank you, especially to Shari and CindyLou! (Comment this)

32 - John,
Thanks for your information--you are a wealth of knowledge.
Here is my next question. I am also taking 1000mg of metformim x2 daily...when is the best time to take that in conjunction with the big spit and the amaryl (2mg)
THANK YOU...THANK YOU... (Comment this)

33 - I'm a new Byetta user. Today was my first day actually. I have some questions that I hope someone can put my mind at ease.

1) I found an air bubble in the pen after I did the initial setup... should I be concerned, do I need to run the set up again?

2) I got no instruction from my Dr office on use, but i've given myself two shots today. Is there a process I should be following to give myself this shot other than picking a spot and poking?

On a positive note, BG levels have been really good. 2 hrs after meals today it's been in the 70s. When usually in the 130-170s. I'm surprised at the results actually and with only mild stomach issues.

Anyway, any info or guidance would be helpful. (Comment this)

34 - Grandma Jean.... You are a brave strong woman !!! Brain surgery is no small event, You have certainly been under a great deal of stress, perhaps more than you realize. I had brain surgery 14 years ago and didn't realize untill much later ( a year or two) how very frightening it really was. That alone could raise your blood sugar. However... I had brain surgery, they gave me decadron to prevent swelling. That raised my blood sugar a lot. Five months later and just recovering and getting my #'s under control I had another hemorrhage. Yeah, I had to have brain surgery again, my #'s didn't go back to normal this time. So, since then I have been type 2. Grandma Jean, You can do anything. Once you have survived brain surgery you have a greater sense of how strong you are, I have been there. God Bless you, you are in my thoughts and prayers. (Comment this)

35 - Rem
That is horrible, no instructions, nearly criminal. Please go to the Byetta site and gain as much infomation as possible.

http://www.byetta.com/index.jsp (Comment this)

36 - Good morning friends. Hello Donna and Danielle. Not possible for me to post without a word of praise for the courage of our friend Grandma Jean and now Kathy in SC too.
Certainly the stress associated with serious surgery can send your numbers into orbit. This brings up a matter we probably need to discuss. Namely, what will hospitals do for patients on Byetta who are about to undergo surgery?
My guess is insulin. I doubt that hospitals will treat us with a drug as new and as expensive as Byetta. My experience is that hospitals treat diabetic surgical cases with insulin using protocols that were the cutting edge years ago but now are out dated. When I had heart surgery last year they took me off metformin, Humolog and Lantus and put me on a Regular insulin drip. It kept my numbers in the 180s. As soon as I got home, I returned to my former insulin regemin and my numbers came down. Incidentally, they were correct in stopping the Metformin 48 hours prior to surgery, due to its propensity to promote infections after surgery.
TO JOE-- You really should see an Endo. I would not have confidence in a doctor who prescribed Byetta for a T2 diabetic.
TO DAVID-- Congratulations on your current success! When you have read a bit of this blog you will see that we are all different and that we all treat our disease a bit differently. One of the most important things you can remember is "STAY WITH WHATEVER WORKS!"
 (Comment this)

37 - HOWDY again RON- Just to add to one of your comments-
On Thursday I am having an epidural for neck pain. The doctor told me I could take my oral meds (I only take Byetta for diabetes) but not to take the Byetta. I am assuming that is because it goes directly into the bloodstream and he does not want to take a chance on whatever he injects into me (cortisone, I think) because it may interact in a negative fashion. Incidentally, I have had a cortisone shot for tendonitis and wow, does that ever play havoc with your bs#s. I will probably take a hiatus of 2 weeks of not testing my bs, rather than having number in the 2 and 3 hundreds and being upset by that. It is unfortunately one of the meds (cortisone) that sends your #s through the roof. (Comment this)

38 - GRANDMA JEAN- I too ditto everyone's comments. In honesty, I have never been there so I cannot imagine what trepidation you have had to face. You are a heroine, strong and capable. You will get through this and be even better than before, if that is possible. You need to "keep on keeping" especially for those grandkids. Many blessings to you. You go girl!!! (Comment this)

39 - Rem, re: Air Bubble

Under most circumstances the pen set up procedure would get rid of the air bubble but the fact that it remains will not cause you or the pen a problem.

I'm posting the injection procedure that minimizes pen leaks through the needle when not in your skin.

I'll put the phrase New Pen Procedure here so that if someone uses the blog search they'll be able to find this in the future:

Here's a reprint of the injection procedure to minimize Byetta drops on your needle.

I attach the needle to the pen and perform the injection. I inject 3" to the right of my navel, holding my left wrist against my stomach to steady the pen (also in my left hand). This is important as it's difficult to turn the pen button while holding the pen straight). Be sure to hold the pen firmly.

While the needle is in my skin I carefully turn the button to the "10" (or 5 if you're on 5mcg dosage) on the dial and push the button.

Then I count to 10.

With the needle still in my skin I turn the button until the arrow points up...toward the button.

I count to 5 then remove the needle from my skin, remove the needle from the pen and discard the needle.

The pen is now ready to go next time...with the arrow pointing up to the button.

Be careful returning the pen to the fridge as you must not touch the button. This can cause a drop to form on the next needle you use. If you keep the pen in it's original box then be careful returning the pen to the white plastic tray that the button does not come in contact with the tray.

It seems the advantage of this is that all of the twisting of the button is done while the needle is in my skin. Any drops that are produced become part of the injection and are not wasted.

It pays to be careful & take your time doing this as the pen must be held very firm & still while in the skin and the button is being turned. You must have enough light to be able to see the dial on the pen while it's inserted.

Toni,

You're taking the same meds in the same strength as I am except my Metformin is (1x) which I take at the same time as my first Spit shot.

Metformin taken twice a day should be taken with breakfast & dinner (even with Spit). If you're taking Extended Release then it should be with dinner.

Metrformin does not cause hypos like sulfonyleas except in certain situations.

Food improves the absorption of Metformin.

Hope this helps Toni,
John (Comment this)

40 - Hi All!

Told my Doc to take me off of Actos--I'm now taking Metformin 2X daily & Starlix w/each meal. Have already lost about 7 lbs (slow, but a loss is a loss)!! I have a couple of questions though. First, I am experiencing the worst acid reflux and it doesn't ever go away. I went from Prevacid to Nexium. My Doc says Nexium is the strongest and to put blocks under the head of my bed. I spend every waking hour with the feeling of food in my throat. Any suggestions? Am I eating too much food?

Second question. How do I take Big Bro with the Metformin & Starlix. I take Starlix 15 min before a meal. Metformin just says to take with food. I eat about 1/2 hour to 45 min. after my Big Bro injection. When I've just about finished my meal, I take Metformin. Is that the proper way or is there another way it should be done for maximum results.

Thanks for your help. This Board is fantastic. God bless you!

"Sassy" for short. (Comment this)

41 - Sassafras, re: Food in Throat

Sounds like you take your meds at the right timer already but if you've got that "food in the throat" feeling you may try not consuming any solid food anywhere near bed or naptime.

John (Comment this)

42 - Mark, re: Amaryl

You are correct...you would not want to take your Amaryl with breakfast & lunch since more than half of the breakfast dose will still be in your bloodstream when you would take the second.

Keep in mind that Amaryl is a sulfonylurea class drug that is very powerful and the physicians dosing instructions and very clear that a patient should only take as much Amaryl as necessary to maintain good bg's and no more.

This class of drug causes hypos and you must be careful with it.

In the Byetta drug trials hypos were encountered only when Byetta was used in conjunctgion with a sulfonylurea.

Test often when making changes involving drugs in this class.

John (Comment this)

43 - I am now on big brother and have been for 4 wks. I have had small amt of nausia with this but other than that smooth going. I have lost 43# since December 2nd when i started 5 mg. My question is I am going to have hernia repaired. Will I need to get off byetta and metformin b4 i have surgery? Does anyone have info on this?
Thank you for your time.
 (Comment this)

44 - John
Thanks so much for the information on how to take the Metformin,Amaryl and Spit....I am trying it today and hopefully the results will be better.
Again,you are a wealth of information.. (Comment this)

45 - Good Morning all!!
I have a few Q's and comments...
My question is that I have noticed that most everyone(that is on it), I think, is on 1000mg of Metforamin 2X/day. I am only on 500mg 2X/day. Should I ask my Dr. about raising it?
Also, I had asked about "self-diagnosing" and raising my spit dosage to 10. Well, I did try to get a hold of my Dr. but played phone tag with his nurse and I refuse to speak with his NP(nurse practitioner), due to her conflicting info with him...anyway, I decided on Sunday to go ahead and try the double 5's and I did experience slight, but barely noticeable...almost to the point that maybe it was psychological...nausea. BUT the good news is that I finally experienced some appetite suppression! I did the double 5 again for dinner and felt the same as earlier. The great news is that my husband wanted to really start watching what we are eating (I have been, but he hasn't been a graet influence, but I guess he is finally tired of me complaining about being "fat", plus we are in a band and had a Gig on Saturday night and the shirt he wanted to wear was tight!)ANYWAY, enough neddless information...I actually said all of that to tell you that he wanted to have one last pizza binge, so we went and I took my shot before hand and by the time we got there and went to eat I really wasn't into it...so I only had like 2 small peices of pizza (much less the unsual) and 2 slices of dessert pizza..(MUCH MUCH less the usual!), so I was excited, we also had bought some easter candy (My fav!) and when we got home I couldn't not even look at the candy, I was so proud of myself for not even taking a bite of it! MY mouth was doing the nausea watering thing and it was like telling me if you take one bite its coming back out!!!lol.
Anyway, I thik that the 10 is for me! I had originally gained 7 pounds on my first 2 weeks of the 5, this would have been my 3rd week on 5, but I'm switching to the 10 2X.injection, anyway, I have lost 3 of the 7 pounds I gained...just from that one day. Maybe I can start looking up again! I hope it wasn't just a fluke and the weight starts coming off now!
Also, what was the final decision about the needle size? I too am large and I am using the original needle size that was given with the sample kit...is this wrong? Also, does anybody ever strike a vein or anything when they inject and have a slight bleed? Just a big drop nothing flowing...Just wondering...
One more thing...I was told by somebody that if I needed to bring my bgs up due to a low that I could use the gel type icing (you know the type that you write on cakes with) and put it under my tongue and that will raise my numbers. They said that this is cheaper then the gloco tabs. ANy thoughts?
Thats my book for the morning...
:)
Jenny (Comment this)

46 - Jenny,

Wow...neat story...sorry about the pizza... Sounds like the Byetta-10 got to your appetite before you got to the pizza. Since you've doubled up on your 5 mcg pen you'll should be ok but keep in mind that the idea here is to control your bg's with the least amount of medicine.

You didn't say what size needle you're using..you said the one that came with the samp[le kit... I think you'd probably be better served with the 8mm needles.

On the question of Metformin 500 vs 1,000's... you need to tell us about how your bg numbers run.. fasting numbers... two hr after meal... numbers right before a meal.. We can give some advice but it's really your doctor's call.

I wouldn't increase anything unless the bg's warranted it.

Generally Metformin (Glucophage) & Byetta have weight loss as a side effect. Sulfonylureas have weight gain as a side effect.

John (Comment this)

47 - JOHN
THank you for your response...the thing is that I don't check my bgs, my Dr. just has my doing the A1C every 3 months. As long as that is coming down of staying "good" then he said I don't have too...Iknow that is against protocal, but test strips are so expensive and I'm too young for most supplementals, like liberty and whatever else there might be, and my insurance doesn't cover anything diabetic. So, I really have been going off of how I feel. However, I didn't feel nervous about raising my spit dosage, but I WOULD NOT raise me metforamin before talking with the doctor. I will say however that the main reason my Dr. switched me to Byetta was for the weight lose advantage, not the bg numbers. Is anyone else on the same page as me? I seem to be controlling my sugar pretty good, but I have to lose the weight! That is my main goal. My Dr. said hes fairly confident that if I get my weight down that the diabetes will be "non-existant", now I know that once a diabetic always a diabetic but either A:because of my age he feels it could go away, B:he means I would just be diet controlled...either way I'm for it! :)
Thanks!
Jenny (Comment this)

48 - Jenny,

Ok... I understand...

What was your A1c?

It is unwise to not test at all. A1c's give a decent 3 month average but it smooths out all the lows & highs. You should have a meter...even if you don't test often, you could tell what your numbers are overnight (fasting) and a 2 hr after number.... this is especially helpful when changing dosages.

John (Comment this)

49 - Good Morning,

I have been looking at these postings since yesterday. My doctor gave me Byetta last Thursday. I have been diabetic for about 5 years and have poor BS numbers. I am a bit afraid to try this. After reading all these postings I am not sure I have enough information to begin this medicine. I take 1000 mg of metformin at breakfast and dinner and also amaryl at breakfast and bedtime. Does anyone have any suggestions of the questions (if any) I should ask before starting the injections(which is another fear as I have never injected anything up to this point). I am quite nervous right now of side effects and also was wondering if anyone had heard anything about allergic reactions. I do appreciate any comments and plan to visit this site daily.

Thank you so much it has been helpful just to read what others are experiencing.

Cindy (Comment this)

50 - I also had one more question. I follow the diabetic association diet eating small portions every 3 to 4 hours. How long do you have to go without eating before injecting for dinner? I am not worried about breakfast as I do not eat overnight. (Comment this)