From: John (JMATT) [#1]
12 Dec 2009
To: ALL
Hi All,
I feel like I've reached a milestone, just finishing my second month on Byetta. The first month on the 5 mcg pen sample the Dr. gave me went fairly well with very few side effects, and had me pumped to start on the first 10 mcg pen of the 3 month supply I got through the mail-order pharmacy.
The transition to the 10 mcg pens was not as smooth. I really struggled with nausea (mostly in the evenings) for the first 3 weeks that second month starting the 10 pen. All this month I've been eating as soon as I take my injection rather than waiting an hour, but even that hasn't seem to help much. I've even been making a ginger root tea that I thought helped a little. Twice during that second month (once the first week, and then again during the third week), I went beyond the usual evening nausea, and had to run to the bathroom to be downright sick. It's just this last week that I've started to feel much better after the evening injection.
I go to the Dr. Tuesday, and was thinking of asking him for another prescription for another 5 pen for evening use (10 in the morning, and 5 in the evening). Hopefully my body is becoming adjusted to the 10 now and I will continue to feel better and can just continue on my 10 pens.
I haven't noticed much of a difference in appetite suppression whether I wait an hour to eat like the first month, or eat right after my shot like I've done all of the second month. I just haven't had much of an appetite either way anyway, probably because of the Byetta slowing down the emptying of the stomach contents. When I eat, I don't even eat until I think I'm feeling full, but rather just stop with one very small portioned plate, because I'm afraid of getting sick. I don't think I eat very much at all, but then I haven't been plagued with hunger either, so that's a good thing, and seems to work for me. My BG numbers have been great, and I take a multi-vitamin in the morning to help give my body the vitamins it needs.
And... I've really been losing the weight since starting Byetta. If you remember from my first post a couple of months ago when I was first diagnosed T2, I wrote that I tipped the scale at 300 lbs. Since I don't have a scale at home, I always use the ones at work once a week). Last Monday, the scale balanced at 261 pounds. giving me a 39 pound weight loss in two months. Of course from other diets I've been on through the years, I know the weight always falls of fast at first when there is so much of it to lose, then it seems to slow. I wouldn't mind fast-tracking a few more pounds before it does though.
With the weight I've lost already, my knees have been feeling great for the most part, so I've been cutting back on the meds I was taking for the arthritis, and will verify with the doctor Tuesday that it's alright for me to go ahead and stop them all together (anti-inflammatory and the maximum allowable dose of Tramadol for pain). Just want to verify with him that as long as the knees are feeling good, quitting the meds cold-turkey is OK, and that I don't need to wean off of them.
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, and wish you all a wonderful Christmas!
John in Indiana (Byetta 10 mcg x 2, Metformin 850 x 1)
From: Geri in Co:Byetta(3-06) (GERI) [#2]
13 Dec 2009
To: John (JMATT) [#1] 13 Dec 2009
Congratulations on your success so far John. I hope you continued success with the weight loss.
But me being me, how have your glucose levels been doing lately? Are they going down as well? Are you testing alot?
I had some success with using the duct tape and the sea bands for the nausea. Have you read the Byetta Basics? It may seem strange about the duct tape but it seemed to work for me so I don't care how strange it may seem. Might give it a try but remember to shave your belly first if you need to.
Thanks for the update and continue to let us know how you are doing.
From: John (JMATT) [#3]
13 Dec 2009
To: Geri in Co:Byetta(3-06) (GERI) [#2] 13 Dec 2009
Hi Geri,
Thanks... I have read the Byetta basics several times now.
I've been testing only randomly for the last month, since my menu and the amount I eat doesn't vary much. Over the last week I've been testing 5 times a day so I'll have a good solid set of numbers to show the doc next week.
My morning/fasting BGs range from 98 to 110 for the most part. My before lunch readings range from mid 90s to 106. My readings 2 hours after lunch range from 80 to 93 (I had a 129 after lunch the other day, but I had tested only about 1 1/2 hour after eating because I had a meeting I had to go to). My before dinner readings are running between 102 and 106. Two hours after dinner readings run from 80 95.
Morning eating almost never changes. I have a little over an hour drive to work, so at 5:30 AM I usually throw 1/2 all-grain bagel in the toaster and put a little peanut butter on it just so I have something on my stomach for taking my morning meds (and metformin). I get a small coffee as I pull into work with sweetener and just a small shot of half and half for color. Then at 8:00 AM I have a lowfat raspberry flavored yogurt cup.
Lunch at 11:30 AM every day starts with my first Byetta injections, and consists of 1/2 sandwich (slice of all-grain bread) with a package of the Budding thin sliced beef or turkey on it with a little mayo, an apple, and a sugar-free chocolate pudding cup. Sometimes I'll eat a small orange instead of the pudding but doesn't seem to affect the numbers much either way.
Dinners usually consist of either a baked skinless chicken breast, a pork chop, sometimes an extra lean hamburger patty (I don't always eat the whole portion of meats), and every great once in a while a cup of spaghetti made with all-grain pasta and extra lean hamburger in the tomato/mushroom sauce. When I eat meats, I usually eat no more than 1/2 cup of a vegetables with it, and sometimes a small microwaved sweet potato or a dab of brown rice. I have to say my favorite meat once a week is some grilled lean steak.
Before bed I sometimes have a half a dozen almonds and/or a square of dark chocolate. If I don't eat something as a bedtime snack, my morning fasting numbers can be in the 120s or so.
I might have to try the duct-tape thing... I thought I was adjusting to the 10 pen, but then last night we had nothing in the house in the way of meat, so I had a little vegetable-beef soup for dinner, and a slice of melted cheese on toast. Close to the 2 hour mark after eating, it felt like nothing had even started to digest at all, and I really started to feel downright sick. I sipped on some diet-code for the fizz, and walked around outside to try and fight it off. It took about another hour before I started feeling better. I almost just quit trying to fight it off just so I could get it over with. I don't think the soups agree with me, as that's what I ate one of the other times I got sick.
From: Geri in Co:Byetta(3-06) (GERI) [#4]
13 Dec 2009
To: John (JMATT) [#3] 14 Dec 2009