Still having the lows…
Am I the only one that is having this problem?I have posted a few
times about it with very limited response and I am so frustrated. I
guess I keep hoping that someone out there will help me figure this
out.
My first month on the 5 mcg pen, I had absolutely no nausea or side
effects and lost 10 lbs. My doc switched me to the 10 mcg pen and I
started having readings around 60-70 at least once a day, usually in
the afternoon after lunch. I went back to see him and asked him to
put me back on the 5 with me taking it 3 times a day like some others
here do.
Now I am having lows on the 5, just using it twice a day. This is
just crazy. I am trying to watch what I eat…could I possibly be
eating too little? Not enough carbs? I have only lost 2 more pounds
and nothing at all for the last 10 days since I have to pour in the
sugar products when I hit these lows. My doctor is puzzled as he has
non-diabetics on Byetta who are using it for weight loss and none of
them are having low blood sugars.
This morning, I took my shot at 7 am before leaving for work. At
about 7:30, I ate a green apple, a breakfast bar and drank a diet dr
pepper. I am not a breakfast eater so even that took effort. It is
now 9:30 and I just got a reading of 114 and I am getting that
feeling so I am sure I am heading for at least 80, maybe lower.
I am not on any other diabetic medication. I am newly diagnosed after
taking Prednisone for a week weeks for a pinched nerve sent me over
the top. My A1C was 7.6 after being around 6 for two years with my
doctor monitoring it. I am 5′9", 245 lbs and hope to get at least to
the 180 range by this time next year. I have started walking and am
getting a bicycle this weekend. I have always been fairly active and
never this large so it really snuck up on me.
My doctor did not do a Glucose Tolerance Test on me…do y’all think
that is a good idea? I guess I am wondering if there could be
something else going on as my response now to Byetta is just so
different than it was that first month. No nausea at all, just low BG.
I welcome any and all replies. HELP!!!
Thanks!
Mary
August 28th, 2004 at 8:39 pm
you may not be getting enough carbs. but i would be
careful of what carbs i ate. might try eating maybe a
half a peanut butter sandwich on whole grain bread in
the mid morning and mid afternoon. the protien helps
also. or could snack on nuts maybe
August 29th, 2004 at 2:38 am
Hi Mary-
How is your BG at the 3 and 4 hour marks? I’ve noticed that my
lowest reading is at 2 hours, and then it increases in direct
proportion to what I’ve eaten at 3 and 4 hours. My BG has gotten as
low as 41, but it was because of the supplements I was taking. Are
you taking any other meds or supplements in addition to the Byetta?
I was thinking that perhaps you are going high at some point and
your low is actually a rebound effect.
Polly
August 29th, 2004 at 6:56 am
Hi Mary-
How is your BG at the 3 and 4 hour marks? I’ve noticed that my
lowest reading is at 2 hours, and then it increases in direct
proportion to what I’ve eaten at 3 and 4 hours. My BG has gotten as
low as 41, but it was because of the supplements I was taking. Are
you taking any other meds or supplements in addition to the Byetta?
I was thinking that perhaps you are going high at some point and
your low is actually a rebound effect.
Polly
August 29th, 2004 at 8:12 pm
Mary,
I haven’t heard about anyone else who is having lows just on Byetta. I
have lows but I am on several meds including glyburide which contributes
to lows. I am so used to being low now that it doesn’t bother me until I
get to the 40’s. I don’t treat my lows unless I get below 60. I have
found that my body will correct the lows on its own sometimes if I just
wait. It isn’t a good idea to over load your body with sugar when you
have a low. That defeats the purpose. I think the formula is 1 serving
of carbs for every 10 points low you are. I don’t consider 70 low so if
you get down to 60 then you would eat one serving of carb which is about
15 grams. A perfect choice would be ½ cup juice or a Dole fruit cup you
can buy at the market. I use these all the time. The problem with
correcting the lows is that the Byetta keeps food from passing from your
stomach to your small intestine except very slowly. This is why it seems
like it takes forever to get a low back up, but it will catch up with
you if you overdo it. My best advice is to treat a real low with the
appropriate amount of carbs and then to wait. Give yourself an hour to
get the food into your system. Check every 15 minutes though to make
sure you aren’t getting lower. If you do drop lower then treat again
with a serving of carbs.
What does your doctor say about this? He probably has the best advice. I
hope some of this helps.
Blessings,
Karen
Am I the only one that is having this problem?I have posted a few
times about it with very limited response and I am so frustrated. I
guess I keep hoping that someone out there will help me figure this
out.
My first month on the 5 mcg pen, I had absolutely no nausea or side
effects and lost 10 lbs. My doc switched me to the 10 mcg pen and I
started having readings around 60-70 at least once a day, usually in
the afternoon after lunch. I went back to see him and asked him to
put me back on the 5 with me taking it 3 times a day like some others
here do.
Now I am having lows on the 5, just using it twice a day. This is
just crazy. I am trying to watch what I eat…could I possibly be
eating too little? Not enough carbs? I have only lost 2 more pounds
and nothing at all for the last 10 days since I have to pour in the
sugar products when I hit these lows. My doctor is puzzled as he has
non-diabetics on Byetta who are using it for weight loss and none of
them are having low blood sugars.
This morning, I took my shot at 7 am before leaving for work. At
about 7:30, I ate a green apple, a breakfast bar and drank a diet dr
pepper. I am not a breakfast eater so even that took effort. It is
now 9:30 and I just got a reading of 114 and I am getting that
feeling so I am sure I am heading for at least 80, maybe lower.
I am not on any other diabetic medication. I am newly diagnosed after
taking Prednisone for a week weeks for a pinched nerve sent me over
the top. My A1C was 7.6 after being around 6 for two years with my
doctor monitoring it. I am 5′9", 245 lbs and hope to get at least to
the 180 range by this time next year. I have started walking and am
getting a bicycle this weekend. I have always been fairly active and
never this large so it really snuck up on me.
My doctor did not do a Glucose Tolerance Test on me…do y’all think
that is a good idea? I guess I am wondering if there could be
something else going on as my response now to Byetta is just so
different than it was that first month. No nausea at all, just low BG.
I welcome any and all replies. HELP!!!
Thanks!
Mary
August 30th, 2004 at 12:25 am
I do. And I usually forget to take more than one hit off the 10 pen a day -
I can’t take anything BID.
_____
August 30th, 2004 at 4:43 am
I get lows nearly daily. A few sips of a non-diet soda or some Worthers
Butterscotch do the trick.
_____
Now I am having lows on the 5, just using it twice a day. This is
just crazy. I am trying to watch what I eat…could I possibly be
eating too little? Not enough carbs? I have only lost 2 more pounds
and nothing at all for the last 10 days since I have to pour in the
sugar products when I hit these lows. My doctor is puzzled as he has
non-diabetics on Byetta who are using it for weight loss and none of
September 1st, 2004 at 8:01 am
Karen,
Thanks for you reply! I will definitely try that. My doctor hasn’t
heard of anyone having these lows so he is really puzzled and asked
me what does ‘my group’ have to say about it? This med is so new that
he isn’t claiming to have all the answers and that is one thing I
really like about him.
I am not considering 80 a low as I can ride that out. But yesterday
it was 52 and on Monday it was 61. I have learned to ride out
anything 70 and above. I have some of those 5mg Glucose tabs but it
seems to come up so slowly. I get shaky and a bit, I don’t know,
disoriented? Not like I am out of it or anything but it just seems
that things are not too clear for a bit.
This is usually about 2 hours after I eat.
My doctor wants me to go to the 10 mcg pen but I am picturing lows in
the 40s if I am getting twice the dose. Is that the way this stuff
works?
Mary
September 1st, 2004 at 12:19 pm
Carl,
How low are your lows and is there a pattern as far as how long after
you eat that this happens?
Thanks!
Mary
September 2nd, 2004 at 3:15 pm
Mary, I would hesitate going to the 10mcg pen if you’re having lows on
the 5.
When I was on the Lantus with Byetta (10mcg), I was hitting lows. I once
was crawling toward the kitchen to get something to eat (translate:
Chocolate! Soft drink! Bread! The dog! [No, not really!] LOL). My
husband saw me and quickly helped me to the couch and then got me carbs
to eat. I was in the low 50s. I’ve never gone that low.
Just now, 3 hrs after a lunch of one serving of Campbells Chicken and
Rice Soup, and 3/4 of a large orange, I’m hitting 100. Not too bad.
There are times, however, that I hit 150. Can’t seem to figure it out. I
get another A1C the end of June, so we’ll see how dropping the Lantus
completely has worked out — or not. <s>
September 2nd, 2004 at 7:33 pm
Mary, on the Lantus with Byetta, I was hitting lows a few hours after
taking the Byetta.
September 3rd, 2004 at 3:18 am
I catch it in the low 70s usually but I do get into the 50s occasionally if
I am not paying attention. It is usually around two hours after the shot
and/or eating (regardless). I had a BIG bowl of oatmeal this morning and was
73 about 1.5 hours later. I was out and about riding my motorcycle so I
needed some sugar. A couple of sips on grape juice and a butterscotch and I
was back out the door.
_____
Carl,
How low are your lows and is there a pattern as far as how long after
you eat that this happens?
Thanks!
Mary
September 3rd, 2004 at 7:36 am
I had the same experiences (the dogs are still a bit leery), but I’ve gotten
used to managing it now. I was a real Skittles junkie there for a while.
_____
When I was on the Lantus with Byetta (10mcg), I was hitting lows. I once
was crawling toward the kitchen to get something to eat (translate:
Chocolate! Soft drink! Bread! The dog! [No, not really!] LOL). My
husband saw me and quickly helped me to the couch and then got me carbs
September 4th, 2004 at 3:09 pm
LOL… I always used a low to have some of the stuff I was really missing. When
I was at work, I’d always grab for the skittles if needed. Or a Snickers. Or
maybe some cookies… LOL
Trish
_____
When I was on the Lantus with Byetta (10mcg), I was hitting lows. I once
was crawling toward the kitchen to get something to eat (translate:
Chocolate! Soft drink! Bread! The dog! [No, not really!] LOL). My
husband saw me and quickly helped me to the couch and then got me carbs
to eat. I was in the low 50s. I’ve never gone that low.
_____
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September 6th, 2004 at 9:34 pm
Great way of looking at it. I got back on my bike yesterday and turned to my
wife in the yard and said, ya know, if you have to have a terrible disease
that wrecks your body slowly, at least it’s one that often makes you eat
Butterscotch.
_____
LOL… I always used a low to have some of the stuff I was really missing.
When I was at work, I’d always grab for the skittles if needed. Or a
Snickers. Or maybe some cookies… LOL
Trish
September 9th, 2004 at 1:15 am
Mary.
You could get even lower with the 10 pen. I would proceed cautiously if
I were you Try eating some complex carbs just after the injection. This
may help keep you from getting low. I start out low in the morning
before I even take the injection. I was 49 this morning. Barely feeling
it though. I took the injection plus my other meds and drank 10 oz of
juice for breakfast. I will eat a fairly big lunch. I hope things go
well for you with the10 pen. Keep us posted. Good luck.
Blessings,
Karen
Karen,
Thanks for you reply! I will definitely try that. My doctor hasn’t
heard of anyone having these lows so he is really puzzled and asked
me what does ‘my group’ have to say about it? This med is so new that
he isn’t claiming to have all the answers and that is one thing I
really like about him.
I am not considering 80 a low as I can ride that out. But yesterday
it was 52 and on Monday it was 61. I have learned to ride out
anything 70 and above. I have some of those 5mg Glucose tabs but it
seems to come up so slowly. I get shaky and a bit, I don’t know,
disoriented? Not like I am out of it or anything but it just seems
that things are not too clear for a bit.
This is usually about 2 hours after I eat.
My doctor wants me to go to the 10 mcg pen but I am picturing lows in
the 40s if I am getting twice the dose. Is that the way this stuff
works?
Mary