My first posting
I have been an adult on-set diabetic for 20 years. I was 40 and
overweight and I got very little exercise - so I fit the mold
perfectly. For 17 years I took some form of glyburide - metformin -
and avandia. In 2004, after some work with a shrink, I started giving
myself a shot of Lantus everyday. Two years later, in April, 2006, I
started taking Byetta - so it has been 6 and 1/2 months. At 5′10" and
270 pounds, my doctor felt that it was the best chance I had to get
healthy. The Lantus was keeping my blood sugar at a fairly reasonable
level, but the A1c number was around 7.9 - which was not good.
At my last check up I weighed 220 and my A1c was 7.2 - fasting blood
sugar was 113 and everything else was good. So far, I am told that I
am the "poster boy" for this medicine.
At first, the doctor had me stop taking Lantus and reduce the
glyburide to about 25% of what I had been taking. I had a couple of
very serious episodes of low blood sugar and he told me to stop taking
the glyburide. Since I have stopped - I have not had any problems
with that.
There are problems. I have no appetite so using a meal as a social
event is a problem. I usually have a piece of fruit and some cottage
cheese for dinner. I try to get a small bowl of some fiber cereal for
breakfast. I have found that a container of Activa is very helpful.
Constipation has been a big problem. I also have had some rash
problems and some of the other things that I have read on the group.
I just sent my doctor an email to ask him what to do about the rash.
I also am thinking about cutting back to either the 5mcg dosage or to
taking a 10 mcg dose only once a day. As it is, I skip my evening
dose a couple of times a week and it does not seem to affect my appetite.
It was very good to find this group - I have been "on my own" so to
speak for the entire time - reading that other people are going
through some of the same things is very helpful. If I can contribute
anything of value, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Harvey