Byetta 5 or 10?

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Permalink Reply by debb on May 25, 2008 at 12:03pm

hi lynda,
i had the same problem. it lasted for about a month and a half. it did finally go away. eating only seemed to make it worse. so i guess it did help suppress my appetite. just not in the right way. the only thing i can say is if you can, take that nap, it helps. for me it just seemed almost like motion sickness. once i laid down i felt better. about an hour after laying down i was as good as new. i was going to ask my doctor if i could take 4 shots of the byetta 5, but i didn't think he would go for it and like i said it did finally stop. it does help with the blood sugar, it doesn't help with suppressing my appetite. but that's just me. i have noticed on here that it is helping others very well. my next step is gastric bypass.
hope this helped.
happy memorial day.
debb.....................

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Permalink Reply by Lynda on May 25, 2008 at 2:43pm

Thanks for the info Debb. You're right, it is a lot like motion sickness! It's good to know it will probably stop. That makes it easier to live with.

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Permalink Reply by Kris Gainsforth on June 18, 2008 at 3:49pm

My endo told me that if the 5mcg shot works and keeps the sugar going fine, but the 10mcg is too much, you can stay on the 5mcg. I just started today, so I'm gonna see how the 5 works for me.

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Permalink Reply by Tom Jones on June 26, 2008 at 2:45pm

I was on the 5 originally and went up to 10 later. Both times, I fought the nausea. The good news is that it eventually goes away. Hang in there!

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Permalink Reply by Brenda Ringler on July 11, 2008 at 5:59am

Lynda,

I am having the exact same problem. My nurse practitioner told me it was my body getting used to good sugars. Bunk! It's a side affect from the medication. able to function.

I suppose I can give it a chance though. It's going to be rough.

Brenda

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Permalink Reply by Lisa on August 23, 2008 at 11:38pm

Hi Lynda

I experienced mild nausea with the 5 mcg pen for a few days only, and then again when I switched to the 10 mcg pen. Like with the 5 mcg pen, it seemed to last for only a few days (on the 10), but now I am noticing that it is actually more "hit and miss". Just when I think I'm over the nausea, I have a bout of it. It's not particularly disabling, but rather, annoying. Ginger capsules and anti-nausea wristbands have helped tremendously.

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Permalink Reply by Jackie on December 10, 2008 at 12:26pm

I am on the 5mcg and I have never had any nausea problems but I did have bad hypo problems. I was eating right after I took my shot because I had been told to eat within an hour after taking my shot. I was dropping down to 40's on a daily basis. Now I set a timer after I take my shot and eat 30 minutes after my shot and I have to eat at least 250 calories. In the last two months haven't had a low but one time and that was in the middle of the night. My nurse practitioner said that because Byetta slows the digestion you have to have food in there for it to work on. If you eat before the medicine has time to get into your system it's going to drop you. I haven't lost weight like they hoped, in fact if anything I actually have a healthy appetite now and have gained only a couple pounds. It is controlling my blood sugar and doing what it's suppose to. I just wish the losing weight thing was working for me. Isn't it funny how everyone can have the same medicine and it works different for all? Thanks for listening.

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Permalink Reply by Sophie on December 15, 2008 at 9:44pm

I was given the 5 for 30 days and then was supposed to switch to the 10, but I felt horribly sick on it. Not just nauseous, but bloated and in terrible pain, as if my stomach was going to burst! It felt like I'd eaten tons of food, even when I'd just had a small meal. I'm going to see if I can stay on the 5.

I do find the planning and timing of it hard ... sometimes I take the shot and then things happen and I don't get to eat within an hour. I have heard something about a weekly version being tested--has anyone else read about this?

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Permalink Reply by Kris Gainsforth on December 22, 2008 at 7:45am

Me too. Sometimes I notice really terrible gas in my tract, and I have to use GasX or something similar to stop the bloating.

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Permalink Reply by Sophie on January 22, 2009 at 4:26pm

I went back to the 5 and have been OK so far. Just occasional 'queasy' feelings, but they pass.

I have heard they are developing a longer acting kind of Byetta ... maybe that would be easier to handle?

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Permalink Reply by Tony S. on June 6, 2009 at 2:27am

My doctor is predicting a weekly shot within about a year or two and he's pretty up on the research. I'm just wondering if a large once-a-week dose might not increase the incidence of nausea. So far, myself, I've had no problems.

Doc's really big on Byetta and keeps assuring me it's working --- I feel better after 6 weeks but don't know why. Losing a little weight? Exercising more? Weather getting warmer? Not eating heavy meals any more? He also said not to pay a lot of attention to my blood-sugar meter readings, that they'll fluctuate wildly as Byetta causes new beta cells to form to help our own bodies' insulin production. I keep trying to believe that it's working and that he's not a quack --- Byetta often just sounds too good to be true.

Just in case, I'm watching my diet and getting exercise [road bike] --- no sense being solely dependent on Byetta to do its thing; there are other ways.

I've also greatly increased my Vitamin D intake, drink a daily L-arginine drink with a shot of Açai berry juice added, and take a Benfotamine [form of thiamine] supplement Doc recommended which helps the body metabolize glucose.

Good luck to us all.

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Permalink Reply by Pamela on June 4, 2009 at 5:45am

Hi Linda....Oh this sounds very familiar to me. All I can share from my own experience is to make sure you eat enough protein and carb at your meal after a injection. Try to take any medications that are due at least 30 mins before your injection. If the meds need a meal, take them with a little milk instead. I had a problem with the meds being "locked" in my stomach at mealtime by the process of the Byetta. The nausea finally decreased after a few weeks. But will always return after a meal if you don't eat enough protein with your carb. I found that if I walked for about 15 or so minutes after my evening meal it helped also. I hope this bit of info helps for you. Keep smiling, you will be fine. It just takes small changes and little steps to make good choices. Everyday will be a new one....Everyday will be a good one....Make today Your One...To Feel Good Again.....I will keep you in my prayers....Pammie

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