Discussion
And here we are again for the six monthly review....
Have been feeling out of sorts recently, but had put that down to lifes rich pageant, stress at work and at home etc etc. hba1c down to 5.8, which in itself is ok but I have been overeating to keep sugars up - I have 2 breakfasts, one 50 mins after 1st jab of the day and another an hour or so after that. I cant go to the gym and do anything credible without a snack bar before and after. Even then sugars barely creep above 5mmol/l. Have been monitoring sugars more closely and they drop below 4 on an alarmingly regular basis. My average bg for the week thus far is 6.4, which is an hba1c of 5.4ish. I'm on minimum does of byetta (5mg is actualy technically half min dose)
I have been put on linisopril for blood pressure which may have contributed, but weight has also dropped to 11.5 stone - wont go any lower as excercise if offset by eating lol.
Doing another hba1c tomorrow and seeing GP next week.
I like byetta, despite awkward logistics, it is clinically awesome so really want to stick with it. Obviously its hard to know whether reducing this or metformin is right thing to do as they both work in different ways, though i'm minded to reduce metformin on the basis my weight loss may have reduced my insulin resistance, rathe than increased my insulin creation iyswim.
Better to be a bit low than too high though!
Have been feeling out of sorts recently, but had put that down to lifes rich pageant, stress at work and at home etc etc. hba1c down to 5.8, which in itself is ok but I have been overeating to keep sugars up - I have 2 breakfasts, one 50 mins after 1st jab of the day and another an hour or so after that. I cant go to the gym and do anything credible without a snack bar before and after. Even then sugars barely creep above 5mmol/l. Have been monitoring sugars more closely and they drop below 4 on an alarmingly regular basis. My average bg for the week thus far is 6.4, which is an hba1c of 5.4ish. I'm on minimum does of byetta (5mg is actualy technically half min dose)
I have been put on linisopril for blood pressure which may have contributed, but weight has also dropped to 11.5 stone - wont go any lower as excercise if offset by eating lol.
Doing another hba1c tomorrow and seeing GP next week.
I like byetta, despite awkward logistics, it is clinically awesome so really want to stick with it. Obviously its hard to know whether reducing this or metformin is right thing to do as they both work in different ways, though i'm minded to reduce metformin on the basis my weight loss may have reduced my insulin resistance, rathe than increased my insulin creation iyswim.
Better to be a bit low than too high though!
Mermaid said:
are you on 850mg Metformin? If so could reduce to 500mg.
Clearly Byetta is working well, and from what you say, you have low sugar levels rather than hypos?
I'm on 4x500mg metformin, 2x500mg with breakfast and same with tea, so yes, I could drop that.Clearly Byetta is working well, and from what you say, you have low sugar levels rather than hypos?
sugars have dropped as low as 3.1, were 3.5 a few mins ago for no apparent reason, quite a lot in the low 4s. My main concern is that I used to start feeling funny at about 3.8/3.9, but now I dont get aggy feelings until it gets to about 3.2, so i think i'm becoming used to low sugars which is not good. Add to the fact that I am eating more than is strictly necessary to maintain that level, its not right. I shouldnt have to have 50g of fruit and fibre, then an hour or so later have two toasted tea cakes.
Also both my kids have been off for a week each with a horrid cold/flu/virus, so also wonder if thats coming my way as those sorts of illnesses always mess my sugars up!
I believe one of the side effects of Byetta is modest weight loss. My mum certainly lost some weight and, now she is on Victoza, has put it back on (not exactly ideal). I think Byetta is self-regulating to an extent and won't itself cause a hypo, but not sure about Metformin. Definitely something to ask your doc. I'm not privy to all mum's sugar readings, but I don't think her Victoza is as good a regulator as Byetta, I have noticed one or two symptoms, and she just moves the subject on when I mention it. Not sure how to deal with that to be honest.
It is kinda spooky that you should resurrect this thread today, mums been having circulation trouble in a toe and suffered from an infection. She went into the foot clinic today and they have kept her in for tests. I hope they will do a "full MoT" kinda thing, but as they don't know her, then they might not pick up on things.
It is kinda spooky that you should resurrect this thread today, mums been having circulation trouble in a toe and suffered from an infection. She went into the foot clinic today and they have kept her in for tests. I hope they will do a "full MoT" kinda thing, but as they don't know her, then they might not pick up on things.
Zad said:
I believe one of the side effects of Byetta is modest weight loss. My mum certainly lost some weight and, now she is on Victoza, has put it back on (not exactly ideal). I think Byetta is self-regulating to an extent and won't itself cause a hypo, but not sure about Metformin. Definitely something to ask your doc. I'm not privy to all mum's sugar readings, but I don't think her Victoza is as good a regulator as Byetta, I have noticed one or two symptoms, and she just moves the subject on when I mention it. Not sure how to deal with that to be honest.
It is kinda spooky that you should resurrect this thread today, mums been having circulation trouble in a toe and suffered from an infection. She went into the foot clinic today and they have kept her in for tests. I hope they will do a "full MoT" kinda thing, but as they don't know her, then they might not pick up on things.
Weight loss is modest ans sustainable< i lost 2 stone in 18 months. It kind of works like an appetite supressant, i dont feel that hungry that often.It is kinda spooky that you should resurrect this thread today, mums been having circulation trouble in a toe and suffered from an infection. She went into the foot clinic today and they have kept her in for tests. I hope they will do a "full MoT" kinda thing, but as they don't know her, then they might not pick up on things.
What sort of symptoms are you seeing? She should have full mot once a year, including eye tests. Some guff on bbc news the other week saying majority of pcts failing to do this tho so make sure she argues for what she is due.
TedMaul said:
Mermaid said:
are you on 850mg Metformin? If so could reduce to 500mg.
Clearly Byetta is working well, and from what you say, you have low sugar levels rather than hypos?
I'm on 4x500mg metformin, 2x500mg with breakfast and same with tea, so yes, I could drop that.Clearly Byetta is working well, and from what you say, you have low sugar levels rather than hypos?
sugars have dropped as low as 3.1, were 3.5 a few mins ago for no apparent reason, quite a lot in the low 4s. My main concern is that I used to start feeling funny at about 3.8/3.9, but now I dont get aggy feelings until it gets to about 3.2, so i think i'm becoming used to low sugars which is not good. Add to the fact that I am eating more than is strictly necessary to maintain that level, its not right. I shouldnt have to have 50g of fruit and fibre, then an hour or so later have two toasted tea cakes.
Also both my kids have been off for a week each with a horrid cold/flu/virus, so also wonder if thats coming my way as those sorts of illnesses always mess my sugars up!
TedMaul said:
What sort of symptoms are you seeing? She should have full mot once a year, including eye tests. Some guff on bbc news the other week saying majority of pcts failing to do this tho so make sure she argues for what she is due.
I know she has a full detailed eye test yearly plus some blood tests, not sure what else they do beyond that. I don't really want to go into specific details on here, but the symptoms are quite difficult to put my finger on. Could be age or stress related. Mermaid said:
Perhaps you are going through a honeymoon phase - when all normal systems start to work, and perhaps you do not need Byetta (or as much) right now. You need to discuss with your specialist soonest possible.
Ultimately, yes. I had another hba1c this morning and have clinic appt in 2 weeks. I could go down to one jab a day or drop metformin to 2x500mg instead of 4 as I think it is more likely my insulin resistance has reduced with weight rather than my insulin creation increased, but I will leave it to the experts!TedMaul said:
Mermaid said:
Perhaps you are going through a honeymoon phase - when all normal systems start to work, and perhaps you do not need Byetta (or as much) right now. You need to discuss with your specialist soonest possible.
Ultimately, yes. I had another hba1c this morning and have clinic appt in 2 weeks. I could go down to one jab a day or drop metformin to 2x500mg instead of 4 as I think it is more likely my insulin resistance has reduced with weight rather than my insulin creation increased, but I will leave it to the experts!
Zad said:
TedMaul said:
What sort of symptoms are you seeing? She should have full mot once a year, including eye tests. Some guff on bbc news the other week saying majority of pcts failing to do this tho so make sure she argues for what she is due.
I know she has a full detailed eye test yearly plus some blood tests, not sure what else they do beyond that. I don't really want to go into specific details on here, but the symptoms are quite difficult to put my finger on. Could be age or stress related. Well, after a 10 month wait, I finally spoke with someone today. It took about 7 hypos in a week, one woke me up at night (very scary as I was here on my own with my young kids)
I have stopped byetta as it seems my weight loss and subsequently low BMI was too low and byetta is overkill. For example, my sugars would be 8ish on waking, have 50g of cereal 30 mins after byetta, take 2x500mg metformin. 30 mins later, sugars would be back down to 6. 30 mins later in playground, felt funny, ate a banana, ate a lucozade energy tablet and sugars still 5.0 dead..... Regularly recorded 3.5 and issue is I wasnt feeling the symptoms anymore. Before would get the shakes and feeling anxious about 4.1/4.2, but could go to 3.5 without noticing.
Anyway, gym is whole lot easier and recover much faster as I guess the body can use up the energy with less competition from the meds. It could also be phsyco-sematic or whatever the phrase is a sort of anti placebo
Doc says I can go back on byetta if I need something more in later life, but for now I am jab free and feeling rather pleased with myself quite frankly.
I heartily recommend byetta or any incretin you are prescribed. Dont be put off by the routine as I was, its worth it.
I have stopped byetta as it seems my weight loss and subsequently low BMI was too low and byetta is overkill. For example, my sugars would be 8ish on waking, have 50g of cereal 30 mins after byetta, take 2x500mg metformin. 30 mins later, sugars would be back down to 6. 30 mins later in playground, felt funny, ate a banana, ate a lucozade energy tablet and sugars still 5.0 dead..... Regularly recorded 3.5 and issue is I wasnt feeling the symptoms anymore. Before would get the shakes and feeling anxious about 4.1/4.2, but could go to 3.5 without noticing.
Anyway, gym is whole lot easier and recover much faster as I guess the body can use up the energy with less competition from the meds. It could also be phsyco-sematic or whatever the phrase is a sort of anti placebo
Doc says I can go back on byetta if I need something more in later life, but for now I am jab free and feeling rather pleased with myself quite frankly.
I heartily recommend byetta or any incretin you are prescribed. Dont be put off by the routine as I was, its worth it.
Resurrection time.
I have just started Victoza, which is a similar but different drug to Byetta. It's a bit milder in its effects than Byetta and the sugar levels are improving. I put on some weight with just Insulin and I need to get rid of it.
Side effects. A lot of acid and I mean a lot. Doc gave me something to calm that down and it seems to have improved thing as lot. The other less pleasant effect is the production of hard stools, to counter which a lot of roughage is required to keep things moving. The digestion seems to have slowed down to a pedestrian rate. It's a lot easier to eat less.
Any comments.
I have just started Victoza, which is a similar but different drug to Byetta. It's a bit milder in its effects than Byetta and the sugar levels are improving. I put on some weight with just Insulin and I need to get rid of it.
Side effects. A lot of acid and I mean a lot. Doc gave me something to calm that down and it seems to have improved thing as lot. The other less pleasant effect is the production of hard stools, to counter which a lot of roughage is required to keep things moving. The digestion seems to have slowed down to a pedestrian rate. It's a lot easier to eat less.
Any comments.
Interesting. Been on metformin only for a while now but sugars beginning to creep up. Have not excercised as much as I'd like or I normally do so am trying to get my head back in the game. If sugars still high in December they want to put me back on something additional. Said I was happy to go back on byetta but they think its too strong as sugars only borderline high......
Why did you stop byetta?
Why did you stop byetta?
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