I am just loving Byetta! Biggest hint...SMALL meals! Sometimes I forget that I shouldn't eat much, and take regular portions...MISTAKE! (*hint, seems there is something in/about hotdogs that seem to cause tummy problems...that was the first thing that I got sick on* it maybe the fat content...you don't want fatty fried stuff either) That is when I get nauseas...and worse! I was really tired when I first started also. I also was so used to eating almost constantly to keep my BS stable, now it amazes me how long I can go! One thing that I am still learning....you can't forget to DRINK! I willl get thristy and then realize, I haven't had anything to drink in hours! NOT good for me, I have a tendency for kidney stones! I am learning.

I started the 6th of June, I am on the 10mg and as of yesterday, I have lost 16 pounds! =) Mostly the belly fat, which is way nice! My rings are even getting loose! LOL My morning BS numbers are still higher than we like (150's), but Dr. seems okay with that. My AC1 was down almost a whole point, and that was with only about 4 weeks of Byetta.

Glad that you are off Actos...after research, I really am glad that I am off, and don't EVER want to go back on it!!!

If you do a google search of Byetta forums, there is some really good info out there....and you will see that you are not alone with your symptoms...and for 98% of the people they go away! I told my Dr. that for the first time since having type 2, that I feel I in control of my body...and wonderful feeling!

If you (or anyone that has questions) ever want to talk about Byetta and what you are going through, feel free to e-mail through my page! (sandy_in_ia @ hotmail . com leave out spaces)

I didn't like it at all.

But now he has me on actoplus met....and you say actos is bad....what bad stuff can it do....

I wish I had the courage to have the gastric bypass then I wouldn't have to mess with these diabetic meds.

patti

Patti, the biggest thing with Actos that bothered me and ALOT of other users is the increasing edema of feet and legs and the weight gain!!! I remember you have said that you have to already wear support hose?? I KNOW that I gained at least 20 pounds on that med alone! I was always hungry with that med. That is the greatest thing with the Byetta, I am not always grazing looking for SOMETHING to eat! =) I am sorry that it didn't seem to work for you. It is kinda of a pain (literally...although it only pinches for 10 sec) and figuratively...having to take it before you eat..at home or out) taking those shots 2X a day...but I just feel so much better with this med it is almost unbelieveable....like I said, I feel in control...finally!

Sandy....I didn't read anywhere about the edema ...I sure don't need that.

None of these meds make me feel any different...they don't bother me at all...It just that I don't want to take any of these that can cause so much harm...Why the heck do they even make them when they can cause so much trouble?

I'm so sick of all this.

I was on Juneva (sp??) for a few weeks and my blood sugars were high with that...they were high with the byetta too..and they are high with this atcoplus med.

Could it be my meter isn't working?

I ask doc that and he said no....but no one checked it out to see.

When I was on avandia...I missed taking it all the time...and I ate sweets all the time and my sugars stayed down all the time...And I was using different cartridges in my meter at the time...the high sugars have been just since I changed to the 5 second cartridges.

I gained a lot of weight on the Avandia. ...and he knows that...so why would he give me another one that does the same thing...

They seem to think the leg swelling was what was causing my rashes...the dermatologist said my stocking were not doing the job and to get new ones...(but if it was socks...why did I have rash on body and arms...LOL

I'm so tired of this.

Oh...and I didn't have any decrease in appetite with the byetta....???

patti

Patti-

I take Byetta along with metformin, and it really has worked for me. How long were you on Byetta? I understand your frustations, everyday with diabetes is a constant battle trying to control your blood sugars. I take it usually a half hour or so before I eat. This past weekend, I went with my daughter's girl scout troop to Boston, and I kept the byetta in my purse in a little portable cooler, I just feel that I have so much more freedom in the things that I couldn't eat before, and before I had to eat at a certain time, and boy did that ever used to stress me out, this was just easy and I felt "normal". I ate whatever anyone else ate, but smaller portions (because the byetta suppressed my appetite anyways, I really couldn't over eat) Maybe you had a bad batch?? Did you ever think of giving it another try?

Doreen

Doreen...I hated it because I think of it just the oposite...It controls you...you have to carry it around...you have to keep it cold...you have to take it before you eat....I'm not structured....I don't like to plan when I'm going to eat...I eat when I want to...We go out to eat lunch a lot and I was always getting there ready to eat and I would remember it(that I had forgoten it again)...It was way to big a bother for me...so I only messed with it for a couple weeks and told the doctor I wasn't going to take it anymore

I know I sound like a brat....but I just didn't like it....It just made me want to cry everytime I got it out.

I really liked the Avandia...take the pill in the morning and just live a normal life...

BUT...I kept hearing bad things about it..and when I picked up my last prescription of it, it came with 5 printed out pages of things it could do...

My mother died of a stroke when she was in her 30s...so I didn't want to mess with something that scary...

patti

I have only been taking Byetta for a month, and, for me, it has been a wonderful taste of freedom. I don't feel that I have a "less bad" case of diabetes...I thought I was maxed out on the metformin and glyburide and really struggling with low blood glucose....too frequently, then the bouncing to the ultra high numbers all the while feeling lass than well. We have been traveling all this month...Oregon to Iowa, and I've not had to worry about any part of it. Just the injection in the morning (5) and 1/2 metformin and I'm have been good for the day. No scale to check...but the clothes are looser,(hurray, hurray!)

I was on the Avandia for 8 or 10 years...gained 10 lbs per year and I struggled against every pound of it. I had every side affect there was, including anemia,
pneumonia (3 times hospitalized for 10 days each time, they thought I needed a bone marrow transplant at one time, as I had weird blood anomalys),....I guess it is agood thing I have a pretty good heart!, as so far so good. I have been free from Avandia for 2or 3 years now and all those awful things just disappeared, And, I have high hopes that the Byetta will help with the diabetes and weight loss. My numbers are higher than they were on my other meds, but the information that came with my first kit predicted that they would run higher. My average via my meter is 133...and I am anxious to see my dr in a couple of weeks......Oh, I did have one day that I did feel icky; no food in a timely manner.

Nanny

Patti-

You should have no problem going out for lunch at all, since byetta is taken before breakfast and before your evening meal, just twice a day. My evening meals timewise can be anytime from 4:30 to 8:00 pm, it doesn't matter.
How long have you been diabetic? It will be four years for me this September, when I first found out I didn't tell anyone for over a month! I was doomed though, I had it during each of my three pregnancys, plus it runs on my dad's side of the family. Seemed to hit as soon as I turned 40.

Doreen

All your posts are interesting. What it comes down to is.....what works for one doesn't work for the other. I am finding that if I eat too little, the nausea is worse. I don't eat big meals at all, and find I don't finish what is on my plate. I lose interest in the food fast, but I have to eat a certain amount. Like this morning, we had a breakfast sanwich.....eng muffin, thin sliced ham, a little grated cheddar cheese and an egg. I only ate about 3/4 of the sand and didn't finish the 15 grapes I also had. It is a learning thing with most new meds or regiments. I know the diabetis should be most important in my mind, but I'm more interested in losing weight, I figure things have to get better about the damn diabetis if I lost a lot of weight. Dottie