Byetta question

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Byetta question
13
Wed, 08-13-2008 - 12:53am

Hi! I've posted a few times over the years and you've always been helpful. I did a search and saw a few people have used byetta. I'm starting it tomorrow and I am a bit nervous about giving myself the injection. I met with a nurse practioner tonight and I feel much more confident.


I've been a type 2 diabetic for 9 years. I am 49 years old. I started on Glucotrol and that worked well. A few years ago my doctor added Actos which is when I gained a ton of weight. I am 45lbs heavier now then when I started it. My friend's aunt tried Byetta and lost quite a bit of weight. I asked the endocrinologist if I could get off Actos and he said, "yes , when you lose 50lbs." You can see the Catch 22 and why I'm not too keen on this doctor. My numbers are creeping up and I want to lose weight so I agreed to try Byetta. My question is tonight the practioner who specializes in diabetic issues (and was great) seemed shocked that the doctor cut my glucotrol from 10 to 5, but left the Actos at 45. I HATE this Actos and she said this is totally why I am having the weight issues. The doctor also gave me a free sample of Byetta and never told me it had to be refrigerated and it sat on my counter in the heat while I was on vacation. I could only get the one sample. She told me to cut the Actos to 30 and gave me a bunch of free samples. I have insurance but the Actos I got for 90 days still cost at least $150.


Sorry for the ramble, I'll wrap up. LOL. My questions are: if you took or are taking Byetta if you got nauseus with it, how soon after taking it do you eat and what have your results been. I am also curious if anybody took Actos and if they had the weight problem.


The stuff I read from users said to eat immediately, yet she said to wait 30 minutes.

Trish

Trish

Pages

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-06-2001
Wed, 08-13-2008 - 9:13am

I dont' take it but from what I have read it said the sooner you eat the less nausea you should have.


on www.byetta.com in one paragraph it says."After each injection, you should eat your meal anytime during the following 60 minutes."

 

Avatar for cl_maryfrances40
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Wed, 08-13-2008 - 10:46am

Trish,


So many things here! I am not on byetta yet! But I do have a few comments and a rant! Why in the world when weight is an issue do they design drugs which cause us to gain weight! (Alright, I feel better!)


The number one complaint with actos is the weight gain. Add in the glucotrol and you are really set up for weight gain. I must tell you that I don't like actos and I refused to take that class of drugs because of the effects on the liver.


You start on a smaller dose and then if all goes well you move up to the higher dose. Some people on the board have never been able to move up. But you will probably see a huge drop in your appetite immediately. Please let us know how you do. Some doctors believe that byetta should be put in the water and think that it is a miracle drug.l


I am actually quite surprised that you aren't on metformin which is a first line drug for diabetics.




medsassistance5.gif Medicine Assistance picture by HealthAccount

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-15-2008
Wed, 08-13-2008 - 3:52pm
Hi Trish, I have been on Byetta a month now. I started out with 5 mg and will start 10 mg tomorrow. Yes, I was nauseated!!! The first morning I took it, I had my veggie omelet, fresh fruit and downed my supplements and other pills. Everything came up an hour later. So what I did was take my shot (by the way, you hardly feel it, it is sooooooo easy) and eat my veggie omelet. An hour or two later, I had my fruit and then started my supplements with lunch. I was told to take it about 10 min before I ate and work backwards to anywhere from 1/2 hr to an hour before eating. No one, even the directions say to take the injection and then eat immediately. The idea of the Byetta is to curb your appetite, but if you eat immediately after taking it, it does not have time to do that.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 08-13-2008 - 5:18pm
Thanks for your response. I read some users said it is better to eat the second after you take it so you don't get nauseus, but the practioner told me to wait 30 minutes. I took it today and waited the 30 minutes and I felt ok.

Trish

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 08-13-2008 - 5:22pm

Thanks for your response. I sometimes feel like non diabetics just think I'm a lazy slug! LOL

Trish

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 08-13-2008 - 5:28pm
Thank you so much for your response. I appreciate hearing from someone on it.

Trish

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-28-2005
Thu, 08-14-2008 - 11:18am

<<

I lost 20 to 30 lbs on it, but somedays it's really tough. DON"T eat anything aright after you inject. You could be in for an hour of throwing up. I wait at least an hour, and stay away from greasy foods. You'll love the weight loss, and I keep it off, with minumum exercise. I probably could loose an extra few pounds if I was more careful about my diet. Go to http://thedailyplate.com. It's a really cool only food and exercise tracker.

Amy

 

Amy

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 08-14-2008 - 11:22am
Thanks for the info. I'm very discouraged today. I've only had 3 doses, but my number was very high this morning, 244.

Trish

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-15-2008
Thu, 08-14-2008 - 4:16pm
Hi Trish,
Avatar for cl_maryfrances40
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Thu, 08-14-2008 - 10:32pm

Trish,


It is too soon to tell if the Byetta is going to help you. Don't get discouraged yet. There are no miracles in diabetes and no angels either. You may need to have a higher dose of your oral meds until you get to the therapeutic dose of the byetta.


Please hang in there. It will get better.




medsassistance5.gif Medicine Assistance picture by HealthAccount

Pages