Keeping Byetta Cool
I found this in the back of my Diabetes Forecast:
Frio "cooler"
It’s an insulated, cooled thingy for keeping pens cool. Here are the
things it can do:
-Keeps insulin bottles or pens cool without refrigeration.
-Activate with just tap water
- Great for active travelers
-Can be used and re-activated hundreds of times
and the best, IMHO
-Stays cool UP TO 45 hours
There is one that holds 2 pens, is 3.5"w x 7"t (about the size of a
check book) that costs $25.95
You can get it from Medicool, Inc.
Phone: 1-800-433-2469
They also have a catalog of diabetic products, or you can visit
After discussions we’ve had about being able to keep our byetta pens
cool for longer periods of time than the case provided by the byetta
folks, I thought this might be of interest.
Anne
February 17th, 2003 at 6:52 pm
Anne, I’ve been away for 3 weeks and am just catching up. I have a
FRIO and love it. However, it does not keep the Byetta at the
necessary 36-46 degrees. I use it for Lantus and my sometimes needed
Humalog, and it truly works great.
For the three weeks we were gone, we experiences freezing and hot
temparatures. For the Byetta, we used a block of ice in a Coleman
Extreme Cooler and it was worked great. I also use a stainless steel
thermos with ice and put the pen in it. It also works great for
shorter periods of time.
But please don’t waste your money on the Frio if you don’t use
insulin, as it won’t keep the Byetta cool enough.
Hugs,
February 18th, 2003 at 12:22 am
Does anyone take Lantus?
Do you get a burning sensation when injecting it?
Sometimes it takes my breath away it hurts so bad.
Thanks-
Deb L.
For the three weeks we were gone, we experiences freezing and hot
temparatures. For the Byetta, we used a block of ice in a Coleman
Extreme Cooler and it was worked great. I also use a stainless steel
thermos with ice and put the pen in it. It also works great for
shorter periods of time.
But please don’t waste your money on the Frio if you don’t use
insulin, as it won’t keep the Byetta cool enough.
Hugs,
February 18th, 2003 at 4:59 am
I sometimes have a burning sensation with the Lantus. More than with the novolog
or Symlin. It is not everytime though and I haven’t found a pattern.
Is it the needle going in, or the liquid going in?
Anderw
On Oct 29, 2005, at 7:50 PM, debra lankford wrote:
Anything posted in this group is the opinion of the person who posted it.
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February 18th, 2003 at 8:58 am
You’re right.
It’s not every time I inject.
I know my technique’s OK.
I was a meds nurse for over 10 years.
From my diabetic education materials,
it doesn’t look like any change there.
Thanks for the input, guys!
Is it the needle going in, or the liquid going in?
Anderw
On Oct 29, 2005, at 7:50 PM, debra lankford wrote:
Anything posted in this group is the opinion of the person who posted it.
SPONSORED LINKS
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Visit your group "Diabetes_And_Byetta" on the web.
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February 18th, 2003 at 12:06 pm
Deb,
I use Lantus but I don’t get a burning sensation. I inject into my lower
abdomen.
Jane
February 18th, 2003 at 9:49 pm
Deb L asked if anyone takes Lantus and does it burn upon injecting.
I take Lantus, and I ‘ve had no burning. I keep the current bottle I’m
using at room temperature, though. Maybe that’s the difference.
February 19th, 2003 at 1:08 am
I get the burn if I am the least little bit dehydrated.
February 19th, 2003 at 5:16 am
Speaking of dehydration, I had a curious experience with Lantus once.
I was out of town for a couple days, and between all the time on
airplanes and all the time in airport waiting areas, I got seriously
dehydrated. (Being on diuretics I have to go very easy on fluids when
travelling)
So I got home and drank about half a gallon of water at a sitting, and
my blood sugar crashed to 39 in about ten minutes. I had to gobble
glucose tablets. I think the Lantus I’d injected over the past several
days failed to assimilate into my blood stream because I was
dehydrated, and when I got my fluids back to normal all the insulin hit
me all at once.
February 19th, 2003 at 10:46 am
My bottle says keep refrigerated.
Does yours?
I’ll take it out, draw up my dose & let it "warm up" for a while before I
inject.
Usually is better then.
Deb L.
I take Lantus, and I ‘ve had no burning. I keep the current bottle I’m
using at room temperature, though. Maybe that’s the difference.
Janie
February 19th, 2003 at 3:00 pm
Here’s the info from the lantus.com site: I keep my thermostat at 65
degrees during the winter, and since I live in the Pacific Northwest,
except for a few weeks during the summer, it’s not overly hot.
*How should LANTUS® be stored?*
Store new LANTUS® vials in the refrigerator (not freezer) at
temperatures between 36° F and 46° F (2° C and 8° C). DO NOT freeze
LANTUS®. If a vial freezes, throw it away.
debra lankford wrote:
February 19th, 2003 at 7:01 pm
Hi, I have been diabetic for at least 30 years, diagnosed in 1983, on and
off insulin, orals, and now trying byetta.
I have discovered some things about this medication and me. It wears off
in about two hours; but the delayed digestion continues and I don’t have
enough pancreatic function to keep bgs down in those circumstances.
At lunch, a very light meal, 5 units works better than 10. With 10 I go
too low for the food I have eaten and then have a rebound, leaving me too
high before dinner. Most days with 5 units and a light meal I will wind
up dinner time around 110 at the highest. Still too high for me, but the
whole point of taking byetta is to get off Humalog.
At dinner, I shoot Humalog two hours after the meal. I shoot a little
again before bedtime. However, I am using UL only once a day and at
night I also need Humalog to cover the gap. If this med had worked
better, I would have refigured my UL into two doses.
My reason for going on byetta was to lose weight. After over a month, I
have gained two pounds. No loss of appetite, it makes me hungrier that I
was before and I really have to watch what I eat.
My endo has asked me to try it a little longer, taking 5 units with lunch
and 10 with dinner; using another free pen that she gave me. I am her
only patient that has not had success with this drug.
I haven’t read the byetta blog in about a week; however, I did see there
were a few other people with my experience. Perhaps a once a week dose
would work for us.
February 19th, 2003 at 11:36 pm
Hi, Helen. Welcome to the group.
It’s interesting how individualized our diabetic needs are. Though I’m
having a great experience with the 10mcg I, too, look forward to the
long acting Byetta.
February 20th, 2003 at 3:37 am
Janie, when you read the byetta blog, you see how many people are doing
well with it and how sad others who are not feel. Everyone wants a
miracle, but I guess a 90%, or so, success rate is not to be sneezed at.
My last A1c was 6, now after a month on byetta, it would be higher. Even
tho I know that I need to shoot insulin to avoid a high number four hours
after my dinner shot. My morning numbers are atrocious with this and I
don’t know why, I have increased my UL by 6 units, to 29 from 23.
The other day I was in Big Lots and found some Lancer’s Rose’ on sale for
$1.99. I cannot abide red wine any more, so perhaps this will be more
palatable for me and lower those morning bgs. But I need to remember to
open the bottle and have a glass!
February 20th, 2003 at 7:13 am
Lantus insulin can be left out of the refirgerator but from what i
understand, Byetta has to be kept cold at all times or it loses its
potency.
I keep my lantus in the fridge and it lasts longer than the 28 days
when I kept it out. Since I only take 25 U a day it takes longer than
a month to use the whole bottle.
Have any of you that are on insulin considered using Symlin instead of
Byetta? It is specifically for insulin users and Byettta is for those
using oral meds. Just curious as I dont use either one. Its hard to
get the finest and newest when one has to go to the free clinic for
care*G* My "delicate" tummy probably wouldnt hold up anyway 8-(
February 20th, 2003 at 12:52 pm
I started out on Byetta and was having great results initially. After about a
month and a half thoug it quit working. My endo switched me to Symlin. I was
initially having great results with that too, but now my numbers are back into
the high 400s. I am getting so frustrated. Everything seems to work for a short
time and then just kind of stops. I am doing 8 injections a day between the
Lantus, Novolog and Symlin. Has anyone else experienced this? My endo says the
disease is just progressing, but I’m only 26. How bad will it eventually get?
Sorry for venting…
Have any of you that are on insulin considered using Symlin instead of
February 20th, 2003 at 4:31 pm
Emily, are you a type 1 or a type 2?
Either way, have you considered taking any of the supplements that are
supposed to increase your sensitivity to insulin?
At 26, the focus is definitely on good control, you don’t want to live
any part of that life with complications that can be avoided.
February 20th, 2003 at 8:49 pm
My doctor put me on byetta in the hope of getting me off insulin. With
symlin, one may gain better control, lost some weight, but not
discontinue insulin. If byetta isn’t going to make good things happen,
neither will symlin.
As it happens I am suddenly feeling really blah after eating today.
Maybe something *is* changing.
February 21st, 2003 at 1:27 am
Thanks for the info.
There have been a time or two that I have
accidently left my bottle out overnight.
Have wondered if I ruined it .
You’re a great resource in answering my questions.
Thanks.
Deb L.
*How should LANTUS® be stored?*
Store new LANTUS® vials in the refrigerator (not freezer) at
temperatures between 36° F and 46° F (2° C and 8° C). DO NOT freeze
LANTUS®. If a vial freezes, throw it away.
debra lankford wrote:
February 21st, 2003 at 6:03 am
I have steroid induced diabetes. I am steroid dependent for severe asthma. The
assumption is that I’m T2 since I was 24 at diagnosis and am overweight. I was
only able to take oral medication for about 2 months before my numbers were
consistently in the 600s. Although I wasn’t testing during that time so I don’t
really know if they were high on the orals as well.
I have tried different supplements but they do not help much.
Either way, have you considered taking any of the supplements that are
supposed to increase your sensitivity to insulin?
At 26, the focus is definitely on good control, you don’t want to live
any part of that life with complications that can be avoided.
Helen
Anything posted in this group is the opinion of the person who posted it.
SPONSORED LINKS
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February 21st, 2003 at 9:43 am
Oh, Emily, you are really between a rock and a hard place. Controlling
while taking steroids is extremely difficult. It requires a lot of time,
effort and dedication, not to mention knowledge and personal experience.
I know of another diabetic with steroid induced diabetes who runs a list
and uses his expertise to help others with their doses of insulin, the
goal being better control. However, it is a long and involved, sometimes
frustrating, process. OTOH, you do all the testing, but he does all the
figuring. Andrew is/was a member of that list too.
Let me know if you are interested and we can post the signing up
instructions.
But I would like to emphasize that it is important that you stay here for
the emotional support that is so vital for us. That list is long on
knowledge, but short on other areas, tho not as tight as it has been in
the past.
February 21st, 2003 at 2:21 pm
Emily-
I feel for you, too.
I was on steroids last year during chemotherapy.
It’s a mess.
Sugars high & not easily controlled.
Then there are all the other steroid side effects to deal with, too.
Not fun, is it?
Deb L.
I know of another diabetic with steroid induced diabetes who runs a list
and uses his expertise to help others with their doses of insulin, the
goal being better control. However, it is a long and involved, sometimes
frustrating, process. OTOH, you do all the testing, but he does all the
figuring. Andrew is/was a member of that list too.
Let me know if you are interested and we can post the signing up
instructions.
February 21st, 2003 at 10:37 pm
Andrew, I was really sick feeling tonight two hours after my shot. In
fact, we were in Target after dinner and I went low, dug into my jelly
beans, and then ate some Halloween peeps we bought. I love peeps, but
not this way. Was 70 when we got home. Then I got sick in the middle of
my evening ice cream, low carb, of course, and ran for the bed. I slept
for an hour and tested again. 70 again. But it has been a low day all
day today, something that used to happen two or so times a month.
If this is how people feel halfway thru their meals, I can see why they
can’t finish eating, thereby losing weight. But my meals are small, and
they do not trigger either nausea or a feeling of fullness.
And I have taken my shots up to an hour before eating per the endo’s
instructions.
If not for promising the endo I would go thru another pen, using 15mcg a
day, I would drop this medication now.
February 22nd, 2003 at 2:55 am
Andrew, I have no idea of how to add this to the files section of DAB, so
here is the info, would you please add it?
Thanks,
February 22nd, 2003 at 6:23 am
So I went to my endo last Monday. I started byetta in September and I have
now been on the 10mcg 2x a day for about 3 weeks. My blood pressure was
100/70!!!! I can’t remember the last time it was that low if ever! I do
take meds but maybe I’ll be able to cut some out. My blood tests came back
yesterday. My cholesterol was 165 with the good cholesterol being just
right! Unbelievable! My triglicerides were 250 which although high is
low for me. Kidney and liver tests-normal. The doc said that my results
February 22nd, 2003 at 4:27 pm
Billie, I too test up to ten times a day, but it is so frustrating to see my
numbers in the 400-500 range despite eating low carb small meals. It actually
doesn’t matter what I eat I spike high. I know it is the steroids, but it is
such a pain. My endo just keeps increasing my insulin dose. Getting off the
prednisone would be such a blessing, but my pulmonologist doesn’t think that
will ever happen. AAAAAAHHHHH!!!! It’s such a pain!
Billie
Oh, Emily, you are really between a rock and a hard place. Controlling
while taking steroids is extremely difficult. It requires a lot of time,
effort and dedication, not to mention knowledge and personal experience.
I know of another diabetic with steroid induced diabetes who runs a list
and uses his expertise to help others with their doses of insulin, the
goal being better control. However, it is a long and involved, sometimes
frustrating, process. OTOH, you do all the testing, but he does all the
figuring. Andrew is/was a member of that list too.
Let me know if you are interested and we can post the signing up
instructions.
But I would like to emphasize that it is important that you stay here for
the emotional support that is so vital for us. That list is long on
knowledge, but short on other areas, tho not as tight as it has been in
the past.
Helen
Anything posted in this group is the opinion of the person who posted it.
a.. Visit your group "Diabetes_And_Byetta" on the web.
——————————————————————————–
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Anything posted in this group is the opinion of the person who posted it.
SPONSORED LINKS
Andrew Disease Ada Diabetic
Visit your group "Diabetes_And_Byetta" on the web.
———————————
February 23rd, 2003 at 12:41 am
Helen, if you’re using 15mcg, that’s too much. The pens are either 5 or
10mcg. Or did you mean 5mcg? Also, if you’re using other diabetic meds,
you might want to talk to your doc about decreasing or eliminating some
of them. Then perhaps things will even out.
Just a thought.
February 23rd, 2003 at 9:00 am
Jane, can you ask your doctor for a prescription for something like
protonix? I do get a little queasy about two hours after the evening
shot, which is new, but otherwise no problems and I use protonix. Or
perhaps you can try the OTC prilosec. I would take it at least an hour
before that last shot. I have also read of people taking phenergan,
which is available in a generic, and that helps the nausea too.
Why not have it all? Feeling good all the time and better health!
As to the morning numbers, lantus is not really designed to eliminate
dawn phenomenon, tho it can help. I am drinking a small glass of wine,
again, about an hour before bedtime. This, by the way, will also raise
HDL, the good cholesterol. Of all the things I have tried, this works
the best for those morning numbers.
However, I have just read an article about holy basil. A dose of 2.5
grams a day, in a small study, resulted in lower morning numbers.
Andrew, this might be a possibility for you.
Jane, you are another success story with byetta, I hope you get better
and better.
February 23rd, 2003 at 12:28 pm
Thanks Helen.
Jane
February 23rd, 2003 at 5:36 pm
Janie, 15mcg in a day’s time. 5 for the smaller meal at lunch and 10 for
the dinner meal. We tried to cut my actos in half and that’s when the
numbers began to climb so badly. My endo’s goal is to get me off
Humalog, but right now I am finally beginning to come down to decent
numbers again with a full dose of actos.
No shot in the morning, except insulin for the dawn rise, because I do
not eat breakfast.
Thanks for your thoughts,
February 24th, 2003 at 1:20 am
I’m faced with the problem of keeping my Byetta, Lantus, and some
eyedrops for glaucoma cool during a 12 hour car trip. I had a small
picnic cooler lying around, but I was reluctant to use ice for fear of
getting the cartons waterlogged. I don’t have a lot of confidence in
plastic bags, and I was afraid that they might over-insulate the meds
and keep them from being kept cold enough.
What I ended up doing was salvaging some empty plastic pop bottles from
the trash bin at work. I filled them with water and froze them, and I
have established that two of them will keep their cool in the cooler
for at least thirty six hours. Four should do even better. If you go
this route, remember to leave about an inch and a half of airspace at
the top of each bottle to allow for ice expansion, and freeze them with
the caps loose to let the air out. Then, after they’re frozen, run up
the caps as tight as you can. They can be reused any number of
times.
February 24th, 2003 at 5:52 am
When I was using Xalatan, we went to Eastern Washington in the summer to go
to a hot-rod show. I put the drops in a zipper baggie and then placed the
baggie on top of ice from the hotel room in a large mouth thermos. It
worked fine.
Gel bags work great too. The problem is, it all melts or thaws after
awhile. Ice is readily replenished as you can get it just about anywhere.
Sherry
I’m faced with the problem of keeping my Byetta, Lantus, and some eyedrops
for glaucoma cool during a 12 hour car trip. I had a small picnic cooler
lying around, but I was reluctant to use ice for fear of getting the cartons
waterlogged. I don’t have a lot of confidence in plastic bags, and I was
afraid that they might over-insulate the meds and keep them from being kept
cold enough.
What I ended up doing was salvaging some empty plastic pop bottles from the
trash bin at work. I filled them with water and froze them, and I have
established that two of them will keep their cool in the cooler for at least
thirty six hours. Four should do even better. If you go this route,
remember to leave about an inch and a half of airspace at the top of each
bottle to allow for ice expansion, and freeze them with the caps loose to
let the air out. Then, after they’re frozen, run up the caps as tight as
you can. They can be reused any number of
February 24th, 2003 at 11:05 am
Hi, Graham. Thanks for sharing this. We need all the help we can get
keeping our lizard spit cold.
February 26th, 2003 at 4:55 am
With four ice bottles, I’ve established that my little igloo cooler
will keep its cool for at least three days.
February 26th, 2003 at 10:05 am
I haven’t been posting because I am no longer taking byetta. There was
no weight loss, I was using as much insulin as before and sometimes more,
and my numbers were not satisfactory.
However, I will continue reading and if there are any areas in which I
might help, I will definitely chime in.
February 26th, 2003 at 3:24 pm
Helen,
When you say your numbers were not satisfactory, was this from your A1c or
finger sticks? Whenever I test on my finger my numbers are a little high but my
A1c was lower, so I am going with that. My next doctor appointment is in a few
weeks and I will be able to tell more then. I haven’t been able to stop any
other drugs either. As far as weight, I haven’t lost any more since losing 5
lbs but I haven’t been too good and haven’t gained. I am thrilled that I
stopped gaining weight. Kat
February 27th, 2003 at 3:17 am
Kat, my finger sticks, which are usually lower than my A1c. I am still
trying to stabilize at my starting point; but not there yet. Using about
15% more insulin with numbers still about 10% higher. It would have been
worth the struggle if I had some, any, weight loss, but I wound up
weighing two pounds more; no doubt from the additional insulin.
My endo wanted to know why I always seem to be different!
February 27th, 2003 at 5:11 pm
>Kat, my finger sticks, which are usually lower than my A1c. I am still trying
to stabilize at my starting point; but not there yet. Using about 15% more
insulin with numbers still about 10% higher. It would have been worth the
struggle if I had some, any, weight loss, but I wound up weighing two pounds
more; no doubt from the additional insulin.
My A1c is usually lower than my finger sticks so I quit testing so much. Every
time I do a test and my numbers are high it stresses me and it makes me get off
my plan because it seems like no matter what I do it is high. Then when I go
for my A1c it is usually 6.3-6.7. I gained weight steadily when I started
insulin, but when I began the Byetta <and continued my insulin> the weight gain
finally stopped. For the past few months I haven’t been very good and have
eaten whatever I want and my weight is still the same. So I think it’s
definitely the Byetta helping me. I am trying the exchange diet this week. So
far I am doing pretty good with that.
I am sorry that the Byetta did not work out for you. A 2 lb gain could just be
water weight and I wouldn’t worry about it. Kat
February 27th, 2003 at 11:56 pm
Helen,
Thanks for sharing. I’m sorry that the Byetta didn’t work for you.
The byetta is working for me inasmuch as I rarely need to use humalog at
and when I do, it’s 10 units instead of 60 units. But in the evening after
my shot, although my bg level is excellent, I am usually feeling pretty
sick for at least 2 hours-nausea, abdominal discomfort, chills.
Is anyone having a similar experience?
Jane
February 28th, 2003 at 10:23 am
>But in the evening after my shot, although my bg level is excellent, I am
usually feeling pretty sick for at least 2 hours-nausea, abdominal discomfort,
chills.
Is anyone having a similar experience?
Jane,
When I first started taking it I got the nausea, but never experienced abdominal
discomfort or chills. I don’t think I have any side effects now. I have been
taking it since it first came out. Kat
February 28th, 2003 at 5:08 pm
Kat,
I’ve only been taking it since September so maybe the longer I go, the less
side effects that I will have.
Thanks.
Jane
At 09:27 AM 11/17/2005, you wrote:
March 21st, 2004 at 4:00 am
Andrew, I am sad you had to add Lantus back in the equation. However Byetta
will still keep working on your system and you may soon reach a point where you
March 21st, 2004 at 8:17 am
That is a puzzle. Do you need ot lose weight? There is more here than I can
understand. Have you had a full blood work panel done. What does it tell you?
Hey did you notice that Vit D is the hot topic panel at the Endocrinology
Conference next month. New book on Vit D seems to indicate that persons with
Diabetes need much more Vit D. than they have been getting. I am still on 50,000
units a day until the end of the month. It seems to have made a difference in
energy and weight loss. Marsha, I am sending you some new information on Vit D
for your husband.
Novel and important benefits of vitamin D and the problems associated with
vitamin D deficiency will be discussed at the American Association of Clinical
Endocrinologists (AACE) Fifteenth Annual Meeting and Clinical Congress, April
26-30, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.
Originally known as a vitamin that aids the body’s absorption of calcium,
current studies have drawn attention to the role it plays in maintaining good
health and preventing disease. Some evidence suggests that a deficiency of
May 6th, 2004 at 3:47 pm
Lantus is actually manufactured by Sanofi Aventis. I get my meds from
the manufacturer and that is who they come from, not Lilly. If you
check on the net you will see the mfgr is Sanofi.
The action is really not the same. There is a definate curve to
Levemir and not much of one to Lantus. Levemir is very dose sepcific
in how long it lasts, smaller doses lasting less time than larger
ones. Many are finding they need to take 2 shots instead of one. It
actually sounds to me to be more like UL was than Lantus.
May 7th, 2004 at 2:50 am
in the product info inclosed with the pens, it is
compared to NPH not Lantus except to say that it
converts unit per unit. the isert also says some
people are able to take it once a day, others twice.
my doctor replaced my lantus with it. i take it once a
day. my lantus dose was 60 units at bedtime. with
levemir it is 10 units which i still take sometime
between dinner and bedtime. usually around 8 or 9pm.
for me. it does work better than the lantus, but YMMV
as with any medicine