From: DJ (DEBORAH) [#1]
10 Jul 20:03
To: ALL
From: toneylee in VA (TONEYLEE) [#3]
11 Jul 9:21
To: DJ (DEBORAH) [#1] 11 Jul 17:46
DJ, I may be wrong, but I think the point of not eating for about 2 hours prior to Byetta injection is to avoid nausea, not to make things work better. Your tasting is probably fine. Yes, the half and half probably counts as eating. And the idea is that eating and then injecting can make you sick. But not everyone.
However, when do you eat after injection? People (who don't suffer with side effects) can wait 30-60 minutes after injecting to begin their meal. And for most, waiting like this can increase appetite suppression. Since you say that diet and exercise are a problem, might appetite suppression help your numbers?
Another trick people have tried is to change injection site and see if appetite suppression and strength of response increases. For example, if you always inject in your belly, you can switch to the top or outside of the thigh and see if you notice any difference.
A couple other suggestions involve taking other diabetes meds at a completely different time than the Byetta injections and, at the risk of being controversial, increasing needle-length if you are "fluffy" and using a short needle currently. Also, be sure that you are storing the Byetta at a proper temp. (Too many people here have reported that some batches of Byetta seem to work less well than others, and I can't help but wonder if storage and shipping temps play a role in that, too.)
The best way to tell how Byetta works for you, I think, is to test BGs before eating and then 2-4 hours after a meal. If you get a good drop in numbers, then it's doing its thing.
Finally, and sadly, like all other meds, Byetta is no magic bullet, and you have to work with it. I don't mean to be unsympathetic, but it's always possible to overcome its effects by ignoring them, so to speak. For instance, you need to eat slowly so that you recognize that full feeling and stop the meal. People who get very nauseated may not need to do this, but those who are lucky enough to have few side effects might need to make a more conscious effort. Yes, you still have to watch portion sizes and exercise--even just a little--to help Byetta help you. Hope it's ok for me to say this!
Oh, the dawn effect: That's a whole 'nother issue in itself. Very intractable. I believe in one thing at a time. Work on the daytime numbers for now and then start trying some tricks to get the fasting numbers lower.
These are just some suggestions, but I also agree that finding out about Victoza could be a good idea. Byetta is great but doesn't keep working for everyone. When you first started, did it seem to keep your numbers much lower than it does now? That has happened to others and can be hard to overcome.
I'm sure other people will have other ideas, so be sure to check back.
From: Geri in Co:Byetta(3-06) (GERI) [#5]
11 Jul 9:39
To: DJ (DEBORAH) [#1] 11 Jul 17:46
The one thing I would like to add to Toney's response is to suggest you read the Byetta Basics at the bottom of the start page.
Another thing, do you keep a food diary? I write everything down that I eat, my numbers, and my exercise to see where I can improve. And I always can improve on something somewhere. It also helps me to remember how I react to certain foods so I can make better decisions.
The Dawn Effect, I have that problem too. While I was still on Byetta I started eating one serving of Glucerna cereal before bed to see if that would help and it did. I don't eat processed foods as a general rule but since it is designed for diabetics I decided to give it a try. My fbgs started coming down. Important thing is to remember to include it into the total calorie intake for the day.
One last thing, I started Victoza on 3/19/10 and the first thing I noticed is that my fbgs started coming down right away. I'm also on insulin(NPH) and now I have to be careful about lows. Last night I went down to 75 but no lower. So Victoza is something to think about when you see your dr. Hope this helps some.
From: DJ (DEBORAH) [#7]
11 Jul 18:03
To: toneylee in VA (TONEYLEE) [#3] 12 Jul 8:31
Toneylee and Geri.......Thanks for the direct and clear advice. It's appreciated.
After doing some blog reading yesterday, I began trying another injection site since I am, in blog-speak "fluffy". How funny is that characteriztion in lieu of obese (as my Wii advises me)?
I am fortunate that I have had no side-effects from Byetta other than onset cramping.
I am vigilent about my own medication storage issues, but I had not considered storage issues prior to the meds being dispensed.
My numbers did improve when I began Byetta. I was more focused on life-style issues at that time as well. Both efforts likely contributed to my early A1C improvement. Clearly, getting the life-style issues of eating well and adding more exercise is something I need to do. It is my achilles heal as a diabetic.
Again, thank you both for your helpful responses!
From: Mark_in_MO [#9]
11 Jul 20:00
To: DJ (DEBORAH) [#1] 12 Jul 10:34
DJ,
My recommendation is different than Toneylee and Geri - I think the cooking tasting and Half&Half are both definitely "eating" as defined for use of Byetta.
The reason that you are told not to eat at least 2 hours before taking a Byetta shot usually has a limited impact oin nausea (except if selected individuals). The primary reason your should not eat 2 hours before taking Byetta is because Byetta works when the body recognizes the increase in Blood Glucose (BG) when you start eating carbs. This is specifically why the manufacturer states that taking a Byeta shot and not eating will not have any positive impact on your BG readings - e.g. no increase in carbs/BG, then no Byetta benefits.
So, when you drink Half&Half you are consuming lactose (milk sugars), and when you taste while cooking, you are often "eating" various carbs -either event will cause your BG to increase and you may experience less than optimum benefits when you take your Byetta shot. In fact, the manufacturer strongly recommends that if you have started eating and forgot to take your shot, then you should NOT take the shot - just skip that shot and take your next shot at your regular time before your next planned meal. You can read these recommendation in the Byetta Basics page OR on the manufacturer's website www.byetta.com .
One of the key reasons you are not to take a shot after you have started eating is that you might experience either limited impact (e.g. the Byetta does not recognize an appropriate level of BG increase) OR you can have a rebound effect and the Byetta can cause your BG to crash and you may experience hypoglocemia, or a low BG reading. I know it seems odd that the same type of event can have extreme impacts toward both ends of the potential reactions; but it depends on how much you ate, when you take the shot and how your body reacts.
The best recomendation I can provide is to use a non-dairy creamer in your coffee (one with no sugar in it) and that you minimize tasting while cooking as much as possible. If you have some significant tasting to do with a new recipe, you might drag your family members into the kitchen for taste testing when necessary.
Now both of these scenarios (H&H & tasting) may not have a big impact on your BG radings and use of Byetta, after all everyone reacts to Byetta a bit differently; but if you are not seeing the positive Byetta impact that you want, then these potential issues are just a couple more variables you can eliminate. Then as usual, test, test, test....and see what the Byetta can do for you. Hope this helps.
From: DJ (DEBORAH) [#11]
12 Jul 10:34
To: Mark_in_MO [#9] 13 Jul 0:39
Mark.......Ah, thanks. I was concerned that these instances do count as eating. I also wondered about a conflict between the T2 advice to eat frequent small meals v 2 hour fast w/Byetta.
I think I'll check out Almond milk. My coffee and cream has been my hold out for years and I do hate to give it up as yet another concession to this progressive disease. C'est la guerre. It's only coffee, right, said the woman from the northwest?
Thanks, Mark.
From: Mark_in_MO [#13]
13 Jul 0:52
To: DJ (DEBORAH) [#11] unread
DJ,
I beg to differ - on some days it absolutely is NOT "only" coffee !!! (fail)
Some days the world just does not start without a good cup of coffee! (nod)
You might want to consider one of the flavored coffees as an alternative. I am not wild about them myself, but a couple of folks have found them to be an acceptable substitute.
It is entirely possible that the H&H (or even the tasting) has little impact on YOUR specific BG readings - remember, everyone reacts differently (to some degree) to both the diabetes and to Byetta. Your use of H&H may not impact how Byetta works for you at all. If you want to see how the H&H impacts your BG, you can always try it with H&H for a week or so, and then without H&H for a week or so, and make sure to test/test/test and record the results. You may want to test pre-coffee, post-coffee, pre-shot/meal, and then after eating and again 1-hour and 2-hour after eating.
You might just find that the H&H has no significant impact on your BG levels. But I would not make that assumption until you know for sure!
Good luck!
From: Geri in Co:Byetta(3-06) (GERI) [#15]
13 Jul 8:33
To: DJ (DEBORAH) [#11] unread
I have to agree with Mark about a cup of coffee is not just a cup of coffee. I don't drink coffee but I do drink a cup of tea every morning to get myself going in the morning. When I don't drink my one cup of tea in the morning I feel sluggish. This happened to me yesterday morn until I remembered to drink my tea.
My husband has been cutting down on his H & H and has taken to drinking the flavored coffees, which he enjoys. Just might be the ticket for you too.
You might give Marks experiments a try and write down how your numbers do. Keeping a diet journal keeps me honest with myself. Might help you too.