When Byetta Fails

I occasionally take 3 shots per day of the Byetta 10. I only do this when I have an exceptionally long workday planned, and the meals are spaced for enough apart. This is at most a very few times per month. I have shown no ill effects from doing this. I have been on Byetta for 3 months tomorrow. I have lost 44 lbs total so far. My A1C has went from 8.3 to 5.7. My cholesterol numbers have fallen into the "desired" range also. Overall, I am ecstatic about Byetta.

Be thankful that you lost weight at all! Keep trying to find ways to stop the weight gain. Whatever you do keep weighing yourself and DON'T GIVE UP! I have not lost any weight since I began byetta last month and yes I am morbidly obese 5'2" 210 lbs. I spent a year on a 1200 cal low carb diet and did not loose even a pound. Now, My doctor says I just keep trying to eat healthy first of all and make sure that I watch the portions. Don't even buy ice cream to temp you. If other family members want ice cream get them a special mini-refrigerator with a lock and request they keep those items in it. You may want to buy food/diet software to help you keep track of the amounts you are eating. It may help you see any eating patterns and help with portion control. Don't cheat yourself by not recording everything you eat in the program. I use diet software to help me keep eating healthy.

I just started on Byetta last week (5 mcg) twice a day and I am more hungry than ever. Glucose control is good, but I want to lose weight. I will start on the 10Mcg when it comes in, but has anyone else had INCREASED appetite?

Help! I'm on my second month with Byetta- and I'm sooo nauseus. Even tho I lost a few pounds my first month- I've only gained this second month.Any suggestions? Thanks in advance. Gayle David's Response: Yes, Gayle. I have several suggestions. Please see "Controlling Nausea on Byetta" at: http://blogs.healthcentral.com/diabetes/david-mendosa/controlling-nausea-on-byetta-2006-08-08/print

I have used Byetta for 7 months. I quit losing weight about 2 months ago and then my blood sugars began to creap back up. I would take a bit of my left over glipizide to bring the blood sugar down but I really hate the shakes I have the next day. I have found that my pens are more than 1/2 full at the end of two weeks so when I did a midnight stick and found I was 240 I gave myself another shot of Byetta. I was 119 the next morning in spite of the dawn rise which I have always experienced. So, now if I wake up in the middle of the night "high" I give myself more Byetta. I am really dieting to take advantage of Byetta while it still works. I started a diet contest at work with a monthly pot of $20 per person. I won the first month and threw the money back in. Last month some one else won the $480 but I do get support at work. In Jan. I will start it again. I love Byetta because I do feel so much better. I do have to stay out of the kitchen because of cooking oders. That helps the diet too. Carole

For the first 2 months, I found Byetta to be disappointing too. In the first 3 weeks, I had a little nausea, and a little weight loss. After that was over, I had a full stomach for several hours after I ate, but I was still hungry. When I went to bed with a full stomach I had gastric reflux that was uncomfortable enough to keep me awake -- and I would wake up at about 3 or 4 AM ravenously hungry. I actually gained a little weight. So I re-thought how I was using Byetta. I figured that I did not want to take any Byetta late in the day, because I want my stomach to be mostly empty when I go to bed. I began taking 2 10 mcg injections in the morning. This works for me. My appetite is drastically reduced. I can tell that my insulin production is improving. And I am losing weight -- slowly, but still I'm losing weight. Also, I can sleep without reflux, and don't have the midnight munchies. I cannot explain why this works. All I know is that it does. David's Response: Thanks for sharing your experience with Byetta, Ann. I didn't know that you were using it, and am glad that you found a way to adjust it to your own needs.

I am one of the byetta failures, no weight loss and high bgs four hours after eating unless I took insulin at two hours. I took it for six weeks about a year ago. Now my doctor wants me on it, hoping for beta cell regeneration. I have the 5mcg pens, tho I was using 10s before. No nausea either, btw. After reading this article, I think I will ask for a prescription for the 10s, before I start the year again. I am now on the other side of my donut hole/chasm. I can start with the 5 pen, then maybe go to 15 a day. Last A1c was 5.6, but there is always room for improvement. David's Response: I'm glad to hear that you are giving Byetta a second chance, Helen. And congratulations on your great A1C level!

I want to comment on the increased appetite problem that some people have mentioned when starting Byetta. I had the same thing happen when I started 3 weeks ago. What I experienced triggered the memory of my 19 year old son who got type 1 Diabetes 3 years ago...His blood sugars had been so astronomically high, that coming down from those very high blood sugars was a nightmare! I remembered that he had to adjust to NORMAL blood sugars as if he was extremely LOW, because his body was accustomed to being so high, that NORMAL felt like LOW blood sugar to him, which drove him to eat sugar like crazy, and any carb he could get his hands on for awile. If I had known that this is a normal reaction to lowinging blood sugar so quickly I would'nt have pannicked when I saw him go through it. It helped me to realize for myself (going onto Byetta) that this was a normal reaction, and I was careful not to overindulge in sugar and be counterproductive if I was feeling FELT really shakey and hypoglysemic. I just test myself, and then just eat one tiny jelly belly, or a sip of juice. It is a normal reation to want to eat alot of sugar really fast if you feel low, but it just makes you go high, and get right back onto that blood sugar roller coaster from ****! It takes a few days or so to adjust to NORMAL blood sugars if you have been having highs for a long time, so just try not to overdo it if you are a little shakey...always test, and try to be moderate in your adjustments. It helped me a lot just to know this. Also, if you are also taking Glucophage, be especailly careful to drink enough water for your liver's sake. It helps with the constipation too. David's Response: Good advice, Andrea. You also remind me what I have just discovered is the best -- most minimal -- way to satisfy my sweet tooth after dinner or lunch. It is to suck on a cough drop or two. Few calories, but sweetness for quite a while.

I want to comment on the increased appetite problem that some people have mentioned when starting Byetta. I had the same thing happen when I started 3 weeks ago. What I experienced triggered the memory of my 19 year old son who got type 1 Diabetes 3 years ago...His blood sugars had been so astronomically high, that coming down from those very high blood sugars was a nightmare! I remembered that he had to adjust to NORMAL blood sugars as if he was extremely LOW, because his body was accustomed to being so high, that NORMAL felt like LOW blood sugar to him, which drove him to eat sugar like crazy, and any carb he could get his hands on for awile. If I had known that this is a normal reaction to lowinging blood sugar so quickly I would'nt have pannicked when I saw him go through it. It helped me to realize for myself (going onto Byetta) that this was a normal reaction, and I was careful not to overindulge in sugar and be counterproductive if I was feeling FELT really shakey and hypoglysemic. I just test myself, and then just eat one tiny jelly belly, or a sip of juice. It is a normal reation to want to eat alot of sugar really fast if you feel low, but it just makes you go high, and get right back onto that blood sugar roller coaster from ****! It takes a few days or so to adjust to NORMAL blood sugars if you have been having highs for a long time, so just try not to overdo it if you are a little shakey...always test, and try to be moderate in your adjustments. It helped me a lot just to know this. Also, if you are also taking Glucophage, be especailly careful to drink enough water for your liver's sake. It helps with the constipation too.

Has anyone tried injecting not only in the morning and evening but at lunch time also to acheive better control? I respect that the full 6 hours would not have elasped but still wondered of the side effects.

I didn't realize there was a space here for comments before I sent Mr. Mendoza an email.

I take the max of Metformin, 2550 mgs.,and Byetta was working well in the first two months, and then I started waking up with blood sugars of 250, so today I gave myself an extra dose and after eating a good lunch it was 131.

I am trying to avoid insulin at all costs since it supposedly causes weight gain.  I feel a little shaky but realize its because I am used to being "high".  I really like this drug because I am utilizing my own insulin.  I am less hungry now, maybe because of the slight nausea.

it seems all the people involved in this discussion are only intrested in weight loss and controling thier diabetes.from all the information i have read byetta is used to bring down sugar levels and the weight loss is a side effect, though a good one. if these people concentrated on thier diet and not using byetta as a crutch to lose weight they will see the weight comes off and stays off.

I've been on Byetta for almost 3 years.  During that time I've been on Novolog, Lantus and oral meds. 

 

I went through the normal progression of Byetta moving from the 5mcg to the 10mcg.  More than a year into the 10mcg therapy I again developed side effects from the drug.  I called my doctor who brought me back down to the 5mcg and had me take it 3 times a day (breakfast,  lunch and dinner).  That regimen coupled with an insulin to carb ratio protocol for my Novolog has allowed me to get my BG back down to near normal range a great deal of the time.

 

Recently the TPA for my insurance changed.  WHI wasn't having a problem giving prior authorization for the 30 days supply of the 5mcg.  However, the TPA has now changed to MedImpact and impact they have.  They will not authorize the 5mcg 3 times a day per doctor's orders unless I pay the total cost of the 2nd pen out of my pocket.  So, I have had to go back to the 10mcg twice daily just to satisfy the TPA.

 

I'm sure that now I'll have to begin again to experiment with my dosages of Novolog to get my BG under control if in fact I can.  I couldn't on the 10mcg last time.  A1c was hard to get under control.  I feel that the 5mcg 3 times a day is the way to go for me.  I really thought the whole idea of managing diabetes was so that you could live longer and better with the disease.  Apparently the TPA doesn't care about that.  I would think covering the script for 3 times a day would be more cost efficient than having one hospitalized or paying for multiple doctor visits trying to manage and out of control diabetic. 

 

By the way, I did start losing weight again going back down to the 5mcg with the insulin to carb ratio Novolog.  I'm still on Lantus and do not take any oral meds.