My Byetta isn't working for me

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Permalink Reply by Jackie on April 3, 2009 at 10:40am

I have just the opposite problem. It lowers my BS too much to the point of having lows. And I haven't lost an ounce!

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Permalink Reply by SUE STARCEVICH on April 3, 2009 at 2:37pm

Hi Kathy,
I also started about a month ago on Byetta 5mg twice a day. I take 1000 metformin and actos. My bs has dropped almost half since I started and I have lost about 10 pounds. I just start taking 10mg twice a day and things are still about the same. But after I take the night dose with supper I'm done for the night. I feel like I have the flu, my body aches and I can't get warm enough. I'm hoping that gets better because it is awlful feeling. Maybe it will take you a little longer for your body to adjust to get the bs down some more. Or maybe they need to add actos to your meds.

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Permalink Reply by Cheryl Russell on April 13, 2009 at 2:20pm

I would suggest that you give the Byetta more time and make sure you are using it properly. When I first started, I was not using it properly. I now know to wait 30-40 minutes after a shot before I eat my meal. Also, I now know to take the injections on an empty stomach, making sure that I wait at least 3 hrs after snacking in the afternoon before I take my shot before the dinner meal. I was not doing either of those when I first started Byetta. I have lost a total of 47 lbs in 18 months and my A1c was 5.7 this month. I take a 1000mg of metformin after breakfast and dinner, my Byetta dose is 5mcg twice a day.

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Permalink Reply by Kathy on April 14, 2009 at 8:27am

Thanks for the advice. I'm happy to say that as of 2 days ago my BS started dropping. My last reading was 166 which for me is great! Last nights reading before bed was 136. I think it is finally kicking in. Guess I had to complain a little to get it to work. :)

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Permalink Reply by Tony S. on May 6, 2009 at 4:02pm

I read your post and realized I could have written it myself.

I started Byetta 3 and a half weeks ago and the weight is steadily coming off, but the BS numbers are all over the map --- on the high side. My endo keeps telling me to be patient, that the Byetta is creating new beta cells and changing my metabolism.

I continued using Metformin, as you do, plus Januvia, but I dropped Glyburide and Actos when I started 5 mcg Byetta twice daily. The high readings scared me and I tried to add Glyburide back in, but my low readings then dropped to the low 60s. The MD said to stop the Glyburide and be more patient.

The numbers just were going in the wrong direction and I was feeling desperate. Byetta is my last hope. The endo also suggested doing a double shot of 5 mcg to see if I can tolerate the larger dosage, which I've done. It seems like I'll be moving onto the stronger 10 mcg shot twice a day at the next doctor's office visit.

As a result of this despair about the "wonder drug" not working, I've become more serious about controlling my diabetes by all means. I have also jumped on the exercise, walking each morning and cycling when I can, as well as not cheating on the diet at all.

My last post-meal reading was 250. Last week those after-eating readings were in the 300's. So perhaps something is also finally working for me too. Good Luck! ;-)

Tony

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Permalink Reply by Kathy on May 7, 2009 at 5:35am

Hi Tony,
I've been on Byetta now for 2 1/2 months at the 10mcg dosage. I think you're right. I need to be more patient. When I started taking it my bs was 280. Now I'm more around 200 and lower during the day but my spikes at night are still 230-250. I'm excersising daily and counting my carbs like I should. I have managed to lose 19 lbs in the process so that's a good thing. I'm just frustrated because in my younger days I could lose twice as much weight in the same amount of time. I refuse to give up though. My next doctor's appt. is in June and hopefully by then my sugars will come down lower. You sound like you are doing great. Keep it up and stick with it. Keep in touch and let me know how you are doing.

Kathy

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Permalink Reply by Tony S. on May 11, 2009 at 12:52am

Hey, Kathy

Did you ever find out if Byetta just doesn't work for some people? Wondering if you asked your doc. I'd ask the folks at Eli Lilly, but I don't think I'd get a straight answer.

Hope all goes well for you this week --- myself, I'm having some too low numbers so I may need to back off of the Glyburide when I go to 10 mcg. I did hit the bike riding heavily this weekend. Two rides of about 15-16 miles each. Had to eat a cookie or a banana at the midpoint of each ride cause I started to feel "low."

What a weird disease: food's the enemy and food's the cure. Whatever!
cheers
Tony

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Permalink Reply by Kathy on May 11, 2009 at 5:49am

Hi Tony,
I haven't been to my doctor since starting Byetta. My next appt. is June 6 and I'll ask then. Now I'm thinking maybe the Byetta is working. I think my meter is off. I took 3 readings yesterday within 5 minutes of each other and my numbers were 314,258,171. I changed meters and things look alot better now. So I'm really interested if my A1C has come down from 7.8. This morning was the first morning where my reading was below 200. It was 181 which for me is great.
I've never experienced a low so I'm not sure what you are going through. From the sounds of it though I hope I never have lows. Too scary for me. You're doing fantastic on the excersising! Keep up the good work. I'm still at the walking stage for excersise.
Have a great week!

Kathy

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Permalink Reply by Don on May 13, 2009 at 10:55am

I was on Byetta for approximately one year (along with Metformin 1000mg twice a day and Glipizide 5mg twice a day), about two months ago my numbers started rising and I couldn't get them down to save my life. Had my normal six month appointment with my Internist and he noticed right away since my Ha1c went from a wonderful 5.5 to 7 in six months. I explained to him my high numbers and he agreed I was one of those people it just quits working on. He called it the natural progression of the disease. When I first started Byetta I lost 15 lbs and when it quit working those 15 came back quickly. I'm now on Lantus and still trying to find my sweet spot. Give the Byetta time, it worked great for me. Sometmes too good! I did find that I had to eat a moderate amount of carbs after using it for it to work properly. If I ate little carbs it did nothing. Good luck and don't give up hope.

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Permalink Reply by Kathy on May 13, 2009 at 1:16pm

Thank you for letting me know this. I don't eat many carbs at all and maybe I should increase them a bit. I have seen my numbers drop this week to within range except at night when I get big spikes. Maybe I should have a few carbs before bed. Good luck with the Lantus.

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Permalink Reply by Kathy on May 15, 2009 at 7:07am

Looks like the Byetta is finaly working! YEA!! My numbers during the day are between 120-145. Not quite there yet but it's a start. Still spiking high at night but it seems to get lower each day. I've lost 19 lbs but seem to be stuck. That's ok, the last plateau lasted 3 weeks. I'm not gaining so I feel good about it. Still doing a fair amount of exercising daily and counting carbs as well. It may have taken 2.5 months to start working but I feel it's well worth it. Thanks to all of you for your input.

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Permalink Reply by Tony S. on June 14, 2009 at 12:59pm

This morning my weight's down either 3 or 4 lbs [my scale's whacko]. No matter: my a.m. blood sugar stays high. I've had to supplement my Byetta with Novolog because I need to eat at some point. I'm only supposed to shoot the Novolog when my BS is over 200 before a meal. After eating, before the Novolog, I've had spikes into the 400's after 1 hour and 300's after 2 hours which are totally scary. But thank god using Byetta causes me to not be hungry all the time and not snacking!

My morning coffee with cream shoots my BS up about 50+ pts. [Okay, okay, I can drink it black, Mom.] It just seems the Byetta which I'm into 2 months of using is making a careful low-carb diet much more critical then before when I used to be able to control everything with Glyburide and Metformin, now with Metformin, Januvia and Byetta and the occasional Novolog.

I'm happy about the weight loss and want it to continue. My doc said ignore the BS readings until the Byetta has fully changed my metabolism, created new beta cells. He says 3 months until it stabilizes my blood sugar metabolism.

Just hard to believe the Byetta's working when I have to supplement it with insulin, even on a temporary, conditional basis.

Anyone have a similar situation and got through it? Am I on the right track at all? Or is my doctor just a cheerleader for Big Pharma?

Thanks!
Tony

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