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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Diabetes / December 2006Started the Byetta
Well finally started the Byetta this week....It was a bit of a hassle getting started. My Dr thought the base pharmacy carried it so emailed the prescription over to the pharmacy and asked them to stay open until I got there(our appointment ran over close to the closing time) I got to the pharmacy only to find out they didn't have it(This is a military pharmacy and Dr) So I went back to the clinic which was already closed and locked up. I went home and the next day called the Clinic and left a message that my Dr needed to write a prescription for downtown...they didn't answer my call for a week...they finally called back then later that day called me and told me my prescription would be waiting for me to pick it up. So I went on the Wed before Thanksgiving ...come to find out they closed for the afternoon for training....it would have been nice if the Tech had told me this when I told him I was coming on Wed. Sooo the next day we went out of town for Thanksgiving..I caught a cold...cough..sore throat thingy..and it hung on for three weeks...finally after I got better we went and got the prescription and had it filled at Wal-Mart. The first three days I had terrible nausea...only with my morning shot. Then this morning I decided to have water with my breakfast instead of coffee or tea...guess what...no nausea:) SO I guess it's no more coffee or tea for awhile. My numbers are already looking good...always between 100 and 110. Another thing it has also helped my afternoon munchie problem. > Well finally started the Byetta this week....It was a bit of a hassle > getting started. My Dr thought the base pharmacy carried it so emailed the [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > already looking good...always between 100 and 110. Another thing it has > also helped my afternoon munchie problem. I have been using Byetta for a little over 2 months, I am on my third pen. I am retired military and get my supply from Express Scripts, the Tricare mail order pharmacy. They charge $9 for 3 pens and deliver in a week or less. I still haven't decided if I will continue on Byetta. In me the part that slows the stomach emptying works too well. After a meal my BG usually goes down to 85-90 within an hour and stays there for 3-4 hours. Then I get a slow rise and BG peaks at 6-7 hours. I suggest you test at longer times after meals than just 2 hours to find out how it is affecting you. Lately, for the first 6 hours after injecting and eating, I been feeling bad and have very little energy. Next month I'll have to decide next month to continue the Byetta or go back to my insulin/Starlix program. Anon So far I haven't noticed any energy loss....I did have a little nausea this morning but not like it had been. The funny thing is I don't get nausea after the evening shot. It's possible some of the morning nausea is from the Metformin I take. My Dr only gave me one months supply because she wants me to call her and let her know how I am doing on it. I will test as you suggested. What do you peak at? Thanks.  SignatureJacquie > >> Well finally started the Byetta this week....It was a bit of a hassle [quoted text clipped - 35 lines] > > Anon > So far I haven't noticed any energy loss....I did have a little nausea > this morning but not like it had been. The funny thing is I don't get > nausea after the evening shot. It's possible some of the morning nausea is > from the Metformin I take. My Dr only gave me one months supply because > she wants me to call her and let her know how I am doing on it. I will > test as you suggested. What do you peak at? Thanks. My peaks come 6-7 hours after eating. Peaks are 130-135 range with my usually 50-65 carb meals. I just about stopped using metformin with Byetta. It gives me the runs so bad it keeps me at home. Nausea has never been a problem with me. I do have a bloated feeling for 6-7 hours after Byetta and eating. Anon : > So far I haven't noticed any energy loss....I did have a little nausea : > this morning but not like it had been. The funny thing is I don't get : > nausea after the evening shot. It's possible some of the morning nausea is : > from the Metformin I take. My Dr only gave me one months supply because : > she wants me to call her and let her know how I am doing on it. I will : > test as you suggested. What do you peak at? Thanks. : My peaks come 6-7 hours after eating. Peaks are 130-135 range with my : usually 50-65 carb meals. : I just about stopped using metformin with Byetta. It gives me the runs so : bad it keeps me at home. Nausea has never been a problem with me. I do have : a bloated feeling for 6-7 hours after Byetta and eating. : Anon I am not on byeta, so I can't comment on that, but a few thoughts. Anon-were you on the extended release of the metformin? switching to that let me out of the house ! Have you tried immodium (generic is fine) for the runs? I always gave me between 1 1/2 and 2 days of gastric peace adn no runs. I took 1 pill, a half dose. why are you eating meals with 50-65carbs? that isquite high for a diebetic. Have you tried cuttin back on the carbs an upping your protein content a bit and addign low carb leafy adn other vegetables to your diet to replace the carbier stuff? Wendy > : > So far I haven't noticed any energy loss....I did have a little nausea > : > this morning but not like it had been. The funny thing is I don't get [quoted text clipped - 31 lines] > > Wendy I am on extended, brand name Glucophage XR. Before Byetta it did keep the runs under control. Since Byetta, I've used the XR and regular metformin to see if either would work better. Both give me runs with Byetta.I think it is because the Byetta keeps food and meds in my stomach for over 5 hours. I've noticed that other meds have a delayed action with Byetta. The diaretic I take for BP control don't starting working for 5 hours. Also, when I take multivitem that turn urine yellow don't start doing that for over 5 hours when taken with Byetta. Imodium is my life saver. If I must go out, I take 2 as a preventive. It usually helps. With Byetta, I only eat 2 meals a day. My meals of 50-65 carbs are not that high are what I consider a minimum to keep me a happy camper. Before the Byetta, I was using Novolog pre-meal insulin. I take frequent breaks from the Byetta and use the insulin, especially when the Byetta makes me feel real crappy and bloated. My next endo appointment is next month. If the Byetta side effects don't easy by then, I'll go back to my previous treatment and give up on Byetta. > Well finally started the Byetta this week.... finally after I got > better we went and got the prescription and had it filled at > Wal-Mart. They have Byetta at Walmart? How much does it cost there? It costs me $9.00 co-pay....I am on Tricare. They might be able to tell you if you call and ask. I usually use a local Grocery store Pharmacy...but when I asked a Tech if they had Byetta she said no...then I asked if they were going to get it and she said no...then I asked why...so she had to go get the Pharmacist and he said they already had it...well that pissed me off...the tech was to lazy to check until she had to ask the Pharmacist...so I told them I would be getting my meds elsewhere. I was really pleased with Wal-Mart ,the tech was very pleasant and knowledgeable and didn't mind being asked stupid questions...and the Pharmacist was very helpful in explaining how to use the pen and answered any question...she didn't act rushed and didn't mind taking her time with me. > I was really pleased with >Wal-Mart ,the tech was very pleasant and knowledgeable and didn't mind being >asked stupid questions...and the Pharmacist was very helpful in explaining >how to use the pen and answered any question...she didn't act rushed and >didn't mind taking her time with me. I get my meds from a certain Safeway. The pharmacists and techs are quite friendly and helpful to me. That attitude really helped when i was newly diagnosed and in shock. And they continue to help and don't mind a bit when i ask dumb questions. They have a little conference window for privacy. All pharmacies should be helpful and courteous and friendly. after all, this is our very lives they are dealing with! Not to mention they make a ton of money off us. -- Jolanna DM TYPE II Dx May 31, 2006 Lantus Metformin Avandia I called around for prices when it was looking iffy that insurance would cover. Walmart, Thrifty, and Rite Aid were all in the ball park, around $250 for for the 10 mcg pen. > > Well finally started the Byetta this week.... finally after I got > > better we went and got the prescription and had it filled at > > Wal-Mart. > > They have Byetta at Walmart? How much does it cost there? > Well finally started the Byetta this week....It was a bit of a hassle > getting started. My Dr thought the base pharmacy carried it so emailed the [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > already looking good...always between 100 and 110. Another thing it has also > helped my afternoon munchie problem. Yep, I had to give up coffee too. I've been on Byetta since mid September and I still get bad nausea with a new pen and often have to skip the evening dose because I'm still queasy and have no appetite. The pen gradually loses potency as time goes on--I use each pen for around 6 weeks. My now-too-big jeans sliding down my hips feels pretty darn good though. Best wishes! On my box it says to throw away the pen after 30 days..Like I said in the other reply..I don't get nausea with the evening shot...just the morning. I have always had a bit of nausea with Metformin. A couple of saltines seem to ease it. I was going to buy some pepto bismo or Maalox for nausea but noticed if you have an allergy to aspirin you can't take it and I have an aspirin allergy....so it will have to be aspirin. I was happy to see it helps stop my afternoon munchies. I used to eat breakfast and not want to eat until lunch..but then after lunch I wanted to graze all afternoon...now I don't. Hopefully it will continue:) >> Well finally started the Byetta this week....It was a bit of a hassle >> getting started. My Dr thought the base pharmacy carried it so emailed [quoted text clipped - 35 lines] > > Best wishes! > The pen gradually loses potency as time goes on--I use each pen for > around 6 weeks. I find this bizarre, also. The box says throw away after 30 days. What is your reasoning for continuing to use it after 30 days? Is the 30 day warning simply a marketing ploy to get us to buy more? After 30 days I always have about 1/8 of the liquid left in the pen. > > The pen gradually loses potency as time goes on--I use each pen for > > around 6 weeks. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > warning simply a marketing ploy to get us to buy more? After 30 days I > always have about 1/8 of the liquid left in the pen. Well, I'm not recommending it but it is what I have been doing, with no apparent ill effects. Again, the pens do seem to lose their potency after a while so that may account for the 30 day recommendation. Just guessing, I have no hard knowledge of this. There is more than a 30 day supply in the pen to start with, and because I get pretty strong effects of nausea and loss of appetite, especially with a new pen, I often have to skip the evening dose. So I have extended use of each pen. I keep the pen refrigerated all the time (in the butter drawer--a much better use of that applicance in my fridge :-) I don't think I'm the only person that does this, but that's just a impression I have from reading various newsgroups, blogs, etc. Now if I had better insurance and was paying $9 a pen, I would use them with more abandon. My copay is $40 per pen. Again, I'm not recommending anyone do that and I haven't yet talked to my endo about it. But it just seems to be working out for me. Best wishes >> > The pen gradually loses potency as time goes on--I use each pen for >> > around 6 weeks. [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > > Best wishes You better check the temperture of the butter drawer. In my fridge it was not cold enough to store the pens. I keep mine in a plastic box with a thermonator, this keeps them at 39 degrees at all times. > >> > The pen gradually loses potency as time goes on--I use each pen for > >> > around 6 weeks. [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > not cold enough to store the pens. I keep mine in a plastic box with a > thermonator, this keeps them at 39 degrees at all times. >From the reading I've done, getting the pen too cold seem to make it ineffective immediately. I haven't done that yet. Letting it warm up to room temps seems to have less dramatic effect. I should check the butter drawer temp though just out of curiosity. I will be traveling next week and am not planning on refrigerating the pen at all. I have a 5 week old one that I'll be finishing off. I'm still getting damn nauseated and it's annoying...but I do like the low BG readings and the weight loss. I was reading about your experiences--seems like it might almost be too potent for you. Are you on the 5 or the 10? Has the endo brought up just taking one shot a day? >> >> > The pen gradually loses potency as time goes on--I use each pen for >> >> > around 6 weeks. [quoted text clipped - 43 lines] > potent for you. Are you on the 5 or the 10? Has the endo brought up > just taking one shot a day? I am on the 10 now. The first month I was on the 5 but had about the same problems. She has told me she wants me to use Byetta at least once a day. On days that I need to go out haven't been using it at all. If I take the Byetta with breakfast, I feel crappy all day. I feel bloated with no energy. Most time I take a nap in the afternoon. As a contrast, if I use the Novolog with breakfast I feel energetic and like to go out. I believe it is the way Byetta keeps my stomach from emptying that causes my problems. If I drink a glass of water with a meal that I use Byetta, I can feel the water sloshing around in my stomach for 4-5 hours. |
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