I started Byetta June 2007, I have now been on Byetta 10mcg since July 2007 and have done remarkably with minimal side affects (mild nausea & some diarrhea) until recently. I have maintained my weight loss and my last A1c in September 2009 was 5.0. Needless to say am overjoyed with the results.
In late August 2009 I started having vomiting problems, my midriff area had a lot of pressure and I felt like the area was being squeezed, blocking off the food I ate and then I had to vomit and the lower gastrointestinal track would feel burning. I backed off the Byetta to once daily and it cleared up. Then the 1st week in September 2009 it happened again. So I cut back to every other day with a single dose of Byetta. I was already scheduled to see my endocrinologist on the 16th.
I explained in detail to my doctor when I saw him on the 16th. He did a blood test to make sure that I didn't have pancreatitis, blood test was fine. While waiting for the test results, I was off the Byetta and had no side affects, then resumed after clearance from my doctor to do two shots a days but I only did one, nine days later it happened again.
I called the endocrinologist's office and was able to talk to him. He lowered the dose to the 5mcg 2x a day. I started Monday with 1 dose, then increased it to two doses Tuesday with just mild nausea which I could tolerate. Yesterday two doses and major nausea but no vomiting. I was still nauseated when I went to bed and had to get up at 3:30 am and drink a pepsi to calm the nausea, which helped. It would be great if we could have Zofran. I will be calling my endocrinologist next week first I want to see how I will do on one dose every other day.
I know I have been detailed in my share post but I am curious if anyone else has experienced late major side affects with Byetta? Or is it the fact that my blood sugar control is so good that I no longer need the Byetta or that I could do the shot 3 or 4 times a week? I am experimenting to see how this will work. My biggest concern is gaining back the weight I lost. This is the first time in my life that I have been able to maintain my weight loss and its the first time in 10 years that I have had great blood sugar control.
Well thanks for listening and welcome your thoughts and suggestions.
Monica
Dear Monica,
You have done remarkably well. An A1C of 5.0 is tremendous. So I can see why you are disturbed by your gastrointestinal problems.
What you describe are not at all common side effects of Byetta.The "Full Prescribing Information" for Byetta (at http://pi.lilly.com/us/byetta-pi.pdf ) says that the only "adverse events" that five percent or more of the people who take Byetta have are:
nausea 44%
vomiting 13%
diahrrea 13%
feeling jittery 9%
dizziness 9%
headache 9%
dispepsia 6%
It also notes, as you well know, that these events are generally mild to moderate and decrease over time on Byetta.
It would be interesting to know if your blood glucose stayed the same when you went off the regular 10mcg dose. Of course, we are all so different that different people have different side effects from everything.
You might also want to consider asking your doctor to prescribe a sister medication, Symlin, instead. It supposedly helps a lot with weight loss, although I haven't tried it myself.
Personally, I used Byetta for two years during which time I was able to reduce my blood glucose level somewhat and my weight a lot -- so much that I was impelled to write a book about it, "Losing Weight with Your Diabetes Medication."
I stopped using Byetta only because I wanted to control my diabetes without drugs -- with diet and exercise alone. So now I am following a very low-carb diet with considerable success.
BTW, you might also want to have your doctor test to see if you now have so many beta cells that Byetta is no longer necessary.
You may also want to read some of the many SharePosts I've written at www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/17
Best regards,
David Mendosa
David,
Thanks for the reply. My A1c went up in December 2009 to 5.4 which was still great but I am now off of Byetta as the endocrinologist won't let me take it as of January 2010, diarrhea and nausea, I was having many issues. He then had me try Januvia (pill similar to Byetta), I used it for 3 weeks and I did not like how it made me feel (stomach pain, diarrhea too) nor did I get control, blood sugar all over the place. I am seeing my family doctor next week and will see what ideas he has as I am not going back to the endocrinologist I am proactive with my health and I find it frustrating when I tell him something that I have researched and he tells me to follow him, NOT! This is my body and I need someone who will listen to me.
I just got my labs back today and my A1c is now 6.5, I am struggling and I am sure I will have go on insulin which is not a bad thing. I am concerned that my Bun/Creatinine Ratio is high 32. Bun was 26 & Creatinine was .82. My potassium was low in December and I had to go on KlorCon which I am sure was due to the diarrhea from the Byetta, which is gone! I can not do hardly any carbs. frustrating. I am still on 1,000mg of Metformin 2x a day & 5mg Glipizide ER once a day (not enough).
In November I started with Vertigo which lasted till January and was treated with 2 physical therapy sessions and it went away but then a week later I started having back L5/6 compression, neck C6/7 trying fuse together, L shoulder has osteophytes, hand issues from the neck compression - stenosis aging (which I know pain can raise your blood sugar) and past injuries now catching up with me, under chiropractic care, xrays confirm what he thought was going on but the T12 disk showed an crack that had healed. I am actually a miracle to be alive as I reflected on past injuries as a child from falling out of a pick up truck on my head to falling off a chair on a concrete slab when my little brother ran to hug me but caught me off guard my head and back took that jolt, fell often, had a rack fall on my head and have been rear ended at least 6 times, 25 years of food service & computer work. Growing older is not for sissies! LOL
Well I am sure there is an answer and I will continue to do my part. I am believing for God to do his part!