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Posted 10/10/2007 12:08 AM (GMT 0)
Hi all,

Recently I saw a commercial for byetta and I keep listening to it to make sure I am hearing it correctly.... I am fairly sure it says byetta should not be used if you are taking insulin?  Does anyone have information regarding this matter?

Debbie

Posted 10/10/2007 5:29 AM (GMT 0)
Debbie,

I've noticed that, too. But I have also been on other Byetta forum and blog sites and noticed quite a few people taking it with insulin. I looked through the official Byetta site and couldn't find anything that said one way or the other. Sometimes a second pair of eyes can locate something the first one couldn't. Maybe you could go to the byetta site and see if you kind find anything. I find it a very confusing drug and if I can keep from going back on it I will.
Posted 10/10/2007 10:33 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Karen,

No, I wasn't able to find anything on the byetta site either.  I find it all very frustrating.  Did you have a hard time while on the byetta.  From all that I read I am fortunate I have had very slight nausea and diarrhea and have done well I believe in comparison to what others seem to have experienced.  I have come to the realization that this is a day to day disease.  One day can be so good and the next can be a real bummer.  Have a great day.

Debbie

Posted 10/10/2007 3:10 PM (GMT 0)
Debbie,

I was OK with the 5 pen but it did nothing for my numbers or losing weight. I couldn't tolerate the 10 pen...vomiting and diarrhea. The week I was on it I lost 10 pounds, but didn't think that was the way I wanted to lose weight. So went back to the 5. And then I started eating very low carb and my numbers came down and to date I've lost 37 lbs. My numbers still aren't quite where I want them, although a lot of doctors wouldn't be too upset with them. But I convinced the doc to let me switch meds around and see what would happen. I was on a generic glucovance. I had quit the byetta on my own since it wasn't doing anything. Now I'm doing 2000 metformin and Januvia. Gelchick on the forum does the same meds and she told me to give it 3 months to regulate itself, so I'm not testing for a few weeks so I don't get discouraged with the numbers and give up trying the Januvia. My doc didn't want to put me on it, but she's only had one patient who used it. I didn't figure that was a fair test of it. If it doesn't work, we may try some different combinations of byetta...maybe 5 3X a day or 5 in the morning and 10 at night. The night one wasn't as bad as the morning one. I don't want to go back on a sulphynurea ( I know I butchered the spelling on that).

Anyway, the byetta is really a guessing game. And it seems to effect everyone differently. You know, I wonder if what the commercial is trying to say is that if you are on insulin you shouldn't think of byetta as a replacement for insulin...kind of warning people not to discontinue the insulin just because they have started byetta. Maybe they have just worded it badly. I know the Lantus commercial makes it sound as though you shouldn't take any other insulin if you are taking Lantus. But I know a lot of people take Lantus and Humalog as well as others. I think what the commercial is trying to say is don't mix them together in the same needle. Commercials are really a bad source of info on drugs...plus the cost of the commercials is what jacks up the prices on drugs. OK, I've written enough. Sometimes I tend to go off an a tangent. =) But I hope this all helps a little.
Posted 10/10/2007 3:36 PM (GMT 0)
Debbie,

I just did a little research and went to a site that is by a diabetic nurse and she was asked that same question. The official recommendation is for use with oral meds only...but she talked to a lot of docs and they do use it with insulin. It's just off label. She said it was only researched with type 2s on oral meds because research is so expensive. So they don't have the data to officially recommend it with insulins. So I think you are OK.
Posted 10/10/2007 6:28 PM (GMT 0)

It is very frustrating when all the literature says to only use Byetta with meds. I am type 2 and have been only on insulin for several years (kidney problems). My endocrinologist put me on Byetta (5 then 10) and I tolerate it ok (some nausea) however I don't see it keeping my numbers down as the insulin does. I am attemping to ease into the recommendations in Dr. Bernstein's book. Really need to lose weight. My daughter was diagnosed with PCOS and it is possible I do too, though not diagnosed and Dr. B. addresses that in his book too.

Posted 10/11/2007 10:26 PM (GMT 0)

What they are trying to say is, if you are a type 1 diabetic, DONT USE BYETTA, it won't work for you!!  If you are a type two and heavy insulin user, it MAY not really benefit you!  Think about what Byetta does and how it works.  It stimulates the pancreas to release more insulin in response to higher blood sugar levels.  It also increases the bodies SENSITIVITY to insulin to make that insulin release more productive.  It delays stomach emptying so that you get an even release of glucose and not a heavy spike. It backs off on all these effects as soon as your blood sugar returns to normal. These are just a few of the major things Byetta does (in laymans language).

Now if you are a type 1 (insulin dependent) the pancreas is already broken, and you don't make insulin.  Byetta won't really do anything for you as the major mechanisms that it affects are broken. 

As a Type 2 taking large doses of insulin, your pancrease has already pretty much given up the ghost or you'd be on mostly oral medications.  Also, you are raising the insulin level in your body to a point that is going to confuse the incretin mimetic mechanism of byetta and again, probably be counter productive.

Soooooo.....this is why the tell insulin users not to use Byetta.  However, if you are a type two on orals and you take Lantus once a day for some extra help (this is where I was).....Byetta can probably help to the point you can get rid of the Lantus injection.  In any event, if you are a type 2 it is probably a decision that you should talk over with an endocrinologist that has had a lot of experience with Byetta.

scool  Warren

Posted 10/11/2007 10:54 PM (GMT 0)

Thank you Warren for such a detailed explanation of the Byetta.  It was very helpful to me.  Currently as of today I take 160 units of insulin a day, 80 in the morning and 80 in the evening.  I have an understanding that this amount of insulin is a large amount.  The doctor did put me on the Byetta twice a day at 5mcg.  I do notice that it brings my sugar levels into perfect range.  Is it possible in time that I could back off of the Lantus insulin and just take Byetta, or at least use a lower dosage? I am a type 2 diabetic.  While I find that the Byetta does keep my numbers after eating in proper range I have not lost weight from taking it.

Debbie

Posted 10/12/2007 7:42 AM (GMT 0)
A good guess would be that over time you will move to the 10mcg dose of Byetta and unfortunately probably suffer the side effects.....BUT the good news is that it should dramatically lower your Lantus needs. In fact you might be able to suppliment with a pill like "glipizide" (glucotrol) and leave the Lantus in the fridge alltogether!! 160 units a day is a lot of Lantus, but you never know, look what the small dose of Byetta has done for you so far!! Oh, and the weight loss almost universally occurs when you step up to the 10mcg dose, so don't dispair, good things come in larger doses!

Warren

PS....With 10mcg of Byetta, I lost both my Lantus (about 20mg a day) and my Avandia!!!
Posted 10/12/2007 8:10 AM (GMT 0)

I have taken both Avandia and Glipizide prior to being put on insulin.  However, neither seemed to lower my blood sugar.  I was surprised yesterday when the doctor raised the insulin dosage rather then the byetta dosage.  I was expecting the opposite.  I have just finished my first 30 days of taken the byetta at 5mcg dosage and thought that would be the next step and bring the insulin dosage down some.  But I guess I was the exception.  Probably the thing that has taken me by surprise is the weight gain after I took Humulin for 2 1/2 weeks and gained 8 1/2 pounds.  I wanted off that immediately, however the weight didn't leave with the stopping of that one, and just seems to be creeping on lb by lb.   I have been told that weight gain is normal when taking insulin but where does it stop.  I have started exercising trying to at least minimize the weight gain....but it doesn't seem to be happening.  Warren, I am glad that you were able to stop taking both Lantus and Avandia.  So is byetta the only med you take now?

Debbie

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