Ok, I've been totally off the LC wagon for some time now - I just get SOOO frustrated when I don't lose weight and/or my bg levels are up unless I'm staying at around 20-35g of carbs per day, plus exercising, PLUS metformin and insulin (Lantus). I just saw a story about Byetta on the news tonight. I have an appointment with my Dr on the 13th and am going to ask (probably more like demand) to give it a try. My weight is up to 265 and I'm hungry all the time. I was originally intending to talk to him about having the Lap-Band procedure (a type of bariatric surgery) done, but I think I would rather give the Byetta a try. As I'm injecting insulin already, that part doesn't scare me. As for the nausea, well, I can handle an excuse to take a day off work every now and then.

Frogbreath, from my experience with injection insulin, I've found that some areas are more prone to bleeding/bruising. I almost never bleed when I inject in the "love handles" or to just either side of my belly button. Also the tops of my thighs are good, but that does tend to hurt just a tad. The worst place for me tends to be anywhere below the navel but above top of the pubic area (except for way out to the sides, in the love handles). As for bruising, are you on aspirin or other blood-thinning therapy? When I was, I bruised much more often - but again, it depended on where I was injecting (the love handles and thighs were best in that regard as well).

Sorry to be so lenghty - aside from the fact that I suffer from that tendency anyway, it's also a combination of being excited about the possibility of the Byetta actually working for me and the fact that I'm home alone tonight and can't sleep. Anyway, any feedback on Byetta, be it bg control or weight loss will be greatly appreciated.

I started on Byetta 5 mcg a month ago. I didn't have nausea but did have a feeling of extreme fullness in the beginning. That didn't last too long. After about 2 weeks of Byetta, I added 1000 mg of metformin xr at bedtime. The blood sugar lowering effects really kicked in then. Now my fasting is in the lower 90s every morning and I usually stay in the 90's all day unless I overeat. I have finally begun to lose weight.
My doctor checked my insulin level before I started Byetta and it was extremely high. I was unable to lose weight unless I ate less than 20 gms carb a day and only about 800 calories a day. I was always starving and couldn't deal with it for very long.
It seems that Byetta may be helping my extreme insulin resistance. I have to eat low carb and try not to eat too much (I was already doing that), but it is working and for that I am very thankful. For years I have tried to lose weight with no success and finding something to help reverse the insulin resistance is wonderful.

Just thought I'd pipe in because I'd recently heard about this drug.

It's touted as being a god send because it allows diabetics who hadn't been able to lose weight before to lose weight and controls the bs too.

Hope this works out for all of you!

It's working great so far. I very seldom get hungry anymore, my blood sugars are more normal and I'm losing at a moderate rate. It has changed my turtle to a....a frog maybe.

I am starting new helath insurance JUly 1, and wil ask for Byetta. I have read so much good thing about it, and I am tired of eating very little carb and still not being able to get my FBG down. I want to eat more fruit, may be some whole grain, this diet drained my energy completely, and the weight is fluctuating up and down, and it's hard to lose a pound now.

Well, I had my appointment with my Dr on June 13th. He had never prescribed Byetta before, so he wanted to do a little research before he put me on it, so I made another appointment for June 29th (we were scheduled to leave for our vacation that afternoon). In the just over 2 weeks since I had seen him last, he had not only done his research, but put another patient on it. She only lasted a week - had severe nausea and vomiting (she did lose 6 lbs tho ). I told my Dr I was very motivated and would deal with any side effects if it just worked. So he started me on 5 mcg twice a day. I got the script filled and started it that night - yes, our first night of vacation. My FBGs had been running in the upper 100's to low 200's - after a week and a half, they are down to under 110! PLUS, I've had to decrease my Lantus (insulin) to 40 iu per day! I had been up to 100 iu but dropped to 50 iu the past few months just to put a stop to the weight gain, damn the blood sugar! I know my insulin resistance has improved drastically. As for my appetite, it has decreased considerably - between 50-60%, and I don't have many cravings anymore, especially for high carb stuff. I haven't lost any weight yet, but that doesn't concern me too much right now. I know that as I'm able to keep backing down the insulin, some of it will naturally come off. Anyway, bad side effects: the nausea has ranged from slightly queasy to moderately nauseated, but has not lasted more than a couple of hours from time of injection. It's usually more pronounced after the AM dose, but occasionally I'll get a wave after the PM dose too. My Dr plans to increase the Byetta to 10 mcg after I've been on it a few weeks, so the effects should increase (hopefully the side effects won't) and I should finally be able to lose more than a few lbs here and there. As far as I'm concerned, if there were ever a miracle drug for diabetics, this is it!

I am really curious about the exercise spikes. Does this happen with all exercise or just certain kinds of exrcise. For example does your BS spike more when you exert yourself (i.e. break out in a sweat) as apposed to something that might be concidered more leisurely but still exercise?

Thanks for sharing this information, Eddie. This is very encouraging, I can't wait for my appointment and hope get the script for Byetta too. I did not have much luck with metformin, but hope this one will work for me. I have read alot about incretin mimetics, and it does look promissing for diabetics.

I just started on Byetta 5 days ago. My bg are really good. The highest it went the first few days was 117. I don't feel hungry at all I just start feeling a little tired or weak so I eat lunch, but not becuase I am hungry. It has helped a lot with cravings. The 4th day my fasting bg was 102. The lowest I've had in a long time. This morning it was 130. I think because I took the shot at 5pm and ate and then about 10 I ate a little more. I only had nausea twice but drinking water or diet ice tea took care of it. I am also really thirsty since I started it. I am very happy with the results and feel like I've already lost weight. I think I will probably have to go to the 10 mcg to help more with my fasting bg or adjust the time that I eat dinner. I even went out to chinese lunch and didn't eat the whole meal. I am amazed at the control it has given me to make better choices when I am going to eat.

I've now been on Byetta since 6/29. I saw my Dr. last week and he upped me to the 10 mcg dosage. Officially I had lost 5 lbs (in about 3 weeks) - that's more than I lost after 4 months of low-carbing! My fasting BGs have been fluctuating some, anywhere from 102 to 136 but daytime levels are all under 110, even after a meal with moderate carbs. I'm pretty sure the elevated fasting levels are a result of Dawn Phenomenon, something that I've dealt with a lot in the past since my nighttime levels can be under 90 mg/dl and go up to 130+ in the morning without eating anything. BTW, I'm now off the Lantus (insulin) altogether! Woo hoo! I'm only taking the Byetta and Metformin for my diabetes now! And my appetite is still under control. I'm only eating about 25-30% of what I used to now and am almost never hungry.

Mereja, I think if your Dr. increases your dose to 10 mcg, you probably won't want to eat anything else after your evening meal. I used to eat late at night and I have almost no desire for anything after dinner now. Good luck!

I've talked to my new PCP, and she said -No Byetta for you. First, my last H1C was 5.4% and she said insurance would approve Byetta only if my H1C was >8%, and I could not get it below 7% with standard treatment of metformin alone or in combination with sulfonylureas. She also told me it give me hypos.
So, I could not convince her to Rx it, what a bummer. I have read so much about Byetta and how great it is for weight loss and allows you to eat more fruit, the main reason I want it so badly.

Don't worry Dina, Dr. Bernstein says iByetta is a useless drug, says a drug called Similin does a much better job. It is very complicated dicusssion of this drug. It may make you lose weight because of nausea and feeling of fullness, but not worth the "potential" side effects. It has only been available for one year.
Have you tried Humulin R? A couple of units at bed or in the AM may be all you need.
Best Wishes!

Sherrilee,
Have you read Diabetes forum on the low carb, many ppl raving about Byetta. It causes nausea and vomiting mostly because it slows digestion and you have to cut portions to accomodate it, so ppl eat smaler meal without being hungry, and can eat far more carbs than on Dr.B's plan.
Actually, not everyone has nausea either. I also read that it causes only right amount of insulin to be released and at the right time, so it does not cause hypo as exogenious insulin.
I haven't tried any insulin so far, hardly any Endo would Rx me insulin at this point (they think I do well without any meds). I know Dr.Bernstein recommend using insulin rather than any other diabetic drugs, but while insulin is completely natural, it is also contributes to weight gain, which I am having troubles with as is.
Thnak you for Similin, I will look up this drug.
Regards,
Dina
EDA:
Just searched on Symlin, causes nausea too and low blood sugar. It also should be used only with insulin. It works by slowing glucose entering blood stream.
http://www.symlin.com/210AboutSymlin.aspx

Hi Dina! Yes I have heard all the rave reviews of weight loss. I am just cutting back on carbs and protein now. I havn't gained any weight with the Humulin R....no prescription needed, BTW...nor for the syringes.

I think that ANYWAY you cut food consumption...you lose weight. I am just concerned about stimulating my beta cells. Insulin gives therm a little break. To each their own. Byetta doesn't even work on everyone...like Metformin...YMMV. (Also, there is a major shortage of Byetta now...they are setting up another dept. to make more. Many non-Diabetics are just asking for it for the weight loss factor. Must be a real "cash cow" for the drug Co. Pharmacy Reps have been telling doctors not to put new patients on Byetta...til they get production up.)

Maybe something really cool is "just around the corner". If it is...I want my "remaining" beta cells...lol

My Doc probably wouldn't even prescribe Metformin for me at A1c of 5.4. That is lower tha hers and she is a non-Diabetic. Metformin works very well on me...I have a few Hypos. Now I just use them when I need a laxative.

I can't cut my food anymore, I am not eating a lot of protein and fat, it's unusually "warm" this summer and I can't make myself eat much fat and protein, I live on salads, fruit, and yougurt, summer is not a good time for low carbing, LOL, but I can go for long walks on the beach, and it works better than any medication .

See, I am not against insulin, but I am getting newsletters from Diabetes in Control, and they say that T2 using insulin have higher risk of heart attack and high BP, so I wonder if exodenious insulin even in small amounts adds up to endogenious, and raises CAD risk and BP. Could it be also, that normally ppl are placed on insulin when they can't control otherwise.

metformin did nothing for my FBG, but gave me low Bgs in the afternoon, so Byetta may not be effective, with every medication,this is true.

Actually, they are short on syringes, not the drug itself, but they are building a new facility and in hear future it will be plenty. BTW, there is also Exubera - inhalable insulin powder.
http://www.exubera.com/content/con_...t/con_index.jsp


I think there will be more cool drugs in near future, since diabetes is in epidemic proportions in the world, lots of biotech companies working in this direction, so we will be fine. They may be even find a way to regenarate B-cells, and we all be cured, LOL.
You know, I seriously don't understnad what is the different between starting insulin now to preserve B-cells, or starting it later when we really need it? This day may not come, and not everyone has complete burnout upon diagnosis, and controlling carbs helps too, I suppose. You can test your pancreatic functions by checking C-peptide and fasting insulin, and it will give you a good idea of what is going on with your B-cells.
If I start supplementing with insulin now, would it make me even more IR? After all, few units here and there won't preserve much of B-cells, but can add up to weight gain, many hesitate using insulin because of weight issues alone. Also, many on Byetta were able to stop insulin completely.

I had to twist my PCP hands to get metformin, and what a dissapontment, I had horrible constipation (one of the very few with this problem) and really bad muscle pain, so I had to stop. I tried it again, same results, so my body can't tolerate it. My last Hb1C was 5.4% too, and at any given point, mine is lower than DH who is not diabetic ( his is 5.9% and one time went up to 6.3%, but his fasting is OK). So I doubt that any doctor will Rx me anything. I had H1c of 5.7% when I was Dx in 2002, since then I fluctuate between 5.2 and 5.8% ( one time only), the highest was I was on <50 g carbs and ate lots of saturated fat.
I may try free sample, if my PCP always has it, she always has free samples, on the house.
Best wishes,
Dina