From: dennis (DENNISC) [#1]
31 Jan 12:29
To: ALL
I started using Byetta about two weeks ago on Jan 15 switching from Januvia which I had used for about a year. My intiial response was great. AM Blood Glucose readings dropped from 140-160 range to 80-90 range. I was very pelased. That was on the 5 mcg initiation dose. I had none of the negative side effects. I travel for work. On Jan 22 I was flying home and put my Byetta pen in the inside pocket of my coat next to my body. After about 4 hours I realized that was probably not a good idea because it would be too warm. The next three days my Blood Glucose in the AM was back in the 140-160 range. I decided I must have ruined the product. I had already picked up the 10 mcg pen at the pharmacy so I decided to switch to it. I was leaving on vacation when I started with a 4 hr time difference from home (Hawaii). Even after switching to the new higher dose it still doesn't seem to be working. Even a reading of 200 yesterday AM.
I am a 52 year old male diabetic. Weight is 192 height is 5'8". I am in good physical condition, I exercise at the gym at least 12 times a month both aerobic and weight training. Oral medications are Metformin and Glipizide. I do a very good job with my diet, even when on vacation.
Is it possible that Byetta does not work with some individuals? Could the new 10 mcg dose pen I got be a bad batch or damaged before I got it? Or is it just that my body is all out of sorts this week because of the traveling, time change, etc?
Thanks for any information
From: toneylee in VA (TONEYLEE) [#2]
31 Jan 13:46
To: dennis (DENNISC) [#1] 31 Jan 13:47
Boy, Dennis, that is a really hard question because just about any answer could be right! Yes, I remember one person here since 2005 for whom Byetta did nothing. His doctor discovered that he was producing no beta cells, had become type 1, and therefore was insulin dependent. Of course, Byetta could do nothing for him. I'd guess that is unlikely for you, right?
And yes, you could have had the bad luck to get 2 bad batches in a row (one overly warm and one perhaps ruined during shipping or whatever). But also, I remember a few people who saw their BGs rise significantly when they switched from the 5 to the 10. If I remember correctly, it took about 10 days for the dramatic drop to take place. If that's the case, you will just have to be patient.
How about trying a test? Check your glucose level. Then inject Byetta. Then eat. Check your BGs again 2 hours post-meal. See if there is a difference. If there is a drop or your readings are good, we'll know that Byetta is working, although we still won't know why the high AM BGs.
Are you only checking fasting levels right now? If so, you might be experiencing the "dawn effect" while still doing relatively well during the day. Yep, it could have risen due to stress, travel, anything. But we might have some food tips for that, too.
Give us some more info, ok? Meanwhile, check out Byetta Basics to be sure you don't see any suggestions that might help. You can find the link at the bottom of the Start page under Recommended Reading.
Personally, I think there is no reason that Byetta won't work for you, and you should keep trying to find the answer. I actually vote for jet lag as the logical explanation for a high fasting BG because your sleep schedule is so different and maybe messing up when your liver starts to dump glucose to get you ready to face the day. (And I really hope someone else has more ideas...Sunday is kind of a slow day, so keep checking back.) :)
From: dennis (DENNISC) [#3]
31 Jan 14:00
To: toneylee in VA (TONEYLEE) [#2] 31 Jan 18:29
Mostly I have just been checking AM fasting BG levels. I will try the plan of before injection, then 2 hours later, then maybe before the next meal. I will need to wait to do that when I get home in a couple of days since I am running low on strips. I thought about the possibility that my beta cells have quit working, but the 5 mcg dose worked so dramatically and so well the first week, it just doesn't seem likely that it should have quit working abruptly. I forgot to take by Byetta injection last night before dinner and with no shot my BG was lower this morning (176) vs yesterday (202). The troubling thing about all of this is that I have rarely had readings this high since I was diagnosed with Diabetes 8 years ago, especially not back to back days.
I am going to call my endocrinologist tomorrow morning and see what he thinks too.
Thanks for your comments.
From: Sue (SUEFIRST50) [#4]
1 Feb 7:38
To: dennis (DENNISC) [#3] 1 Feb 11:27
Many diabetics have high morning blood glucose readings even while on Byetta so don't assume it isn't working because you see high numbers then. As long as your numbers go down after injecting and eating I think it is fairly safe to assume it is working.
As for testing after your shot and eating although it is recommended you test in two hours I personally find that my numbers go down later than two hours so you might want to test at two hours after eating and then an hour later if the numbers aren't down that much after two hours. Wait until you have a new supply of strips to do that. Also you might want to tell your doctor you feel you should test more frequently which you should and have him write a new Rx for more strips.
There are so many factors that affect us and our numbers when dealing with diabetes - diet, stress levels, exercise, medication, etc. - almost anything so it really is hard to get our numbers regulated. It's an on-going process that we have to work on and we all have to do the best we can. Good luck.
From: dennis (DENNISC) [#5]
2 Feb 2:30
To: Sue (SUEFIRST50) [#4] 2 Feb 9:15
I talked to my doctor earlier today. He said just be patient and give it a couple of weeks. See how it goes when I get home and back into my normal routine including normal exercise. I will come back and post here how it goes so if someone else reads this thread and is having a similar experience.
Thanks for all the comments
Dennis
From: Sue (SUEFIRST50) [#6]
2 Feb 9:17
To: dennis (DENNISC) [#5] 2 Feb 19:55
From: dennis (DENNISC) [#7]
12 Feb 8:01
To: Sue (SUEFIRST50) [#6] 12 Feb 8:13
I said I would be back and report how the situation progressed. I returned home from vacation on Feb 1. The rest of that week (last week) my morning BG readings were still rather high (140-160) but this week the last 5 days four of five morning BG readings have been 100-110.
I would not suspect traveling alone would be the issue, I travel 3 weeks a month with work. In fact I have been on the road all this week while my BG has been fairly good.
One other thing that did change. On the day I returned home from vacation I went to my pharmacy and they agreed to replace the Byetta pen just in case something was wrong with it. After replacing it my BG did start gradually coming down, I did not have any more really high readings like 200.
These better results were confunded by replacing the pen, but I was getting impatient and wanted results. I am thinking that there was a problem with that Byetta pen.
Dennis
From: Sue (SUEFIRST50) [#9]
12 Feb 8:20
To: dennis (DENNISC) [#7] 12 Feb 13:23
Whatever the reason I am glad to hear your numbers are improving. Because there are often many factors that have an impact on our blood sugars it often is difficult to know just what makes them higher than we think they should be. I often blame a pen saying it isn't that good but I know too that it is really me and what I eat that is usually the reason. Having said that I must mention that the pen I am on now seems to be doing a great job but also I am eating less so whatever reason for the better numbers at least I am back on track. The trick now is to stay here.
Hope things continue to go even better for you.
From: dennis (DENNISC) [#11]
14 Jul 23:19
To: Sue (SUEFIRST50) [#9] 15 Jul 9:07
When I started this tread back in Feb the comment was made that there was only one person since 2005 that Byetta did not work for because their Pancreas did not have beta cells to produce insulin. Well, I guess I do make number two that Byetta does not work for. My Dr says that my pancreas can't produce enough insulin for a drug like Byetta to work.
On my last visit to the Dr a few weeks ago my A1C had risen from 7.2 in Jan to 7.7. Since the first of the year I exercise regurlarly, have lost 10 pounds (188 pounds now), and even recorded everything I ate for a while. Most days I consumed 1400-1700 calories and 100-150 grams of carbohydrates. About two weeks ago my Dr stopped Byetta and started me on Levimur, a once a day insulin injection. I am sure at some point he will need to add insulin at meals.
So I am answering my own question from February.
From: Teri_in_CO (TERI_IN_VA) [#13]
15 Jul 0:40
To: dennis (DENNISC) [#11] 15 Jul 6:28
From: Ana (ANA23) [#15]
15 Jul 4:48
To: dennis (DENNISC) [#1] 15 Jul 6:28
From: dennis (DENNISC) [#17]
15 Jul 6:31
To: Teri_in_CO (TERI_IN_VA) [#13] 15 Jul 7:27
From: dennis (DENNISC) [#19]
15 Jul 6:32
To: Ana (ANA23) [#15] 15 Jul 12:59
From: Sue (SUEFIRST50) [#21]
15 Jul 9:16
To: dennis (DENNISC) [#11] 15 Jul 17:29
It may be that Byetta is just not the right medication for you and perhaps you might need insulin to get you under control. Your doctor should find out if you produce any insulin naturally or if it just isn't enough.
It sounds like you gave Byetta a good try and have been doing what you should as far as diet and exercise but I wonder if perhaps you are consuming too many carbs a day? It sounds like you can cut them down some and maybe your numbers will improve.
Having diabetes is frustrating for all or most of us and it is a battle we have to keep fighting. Good luck.
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