Diabetes & Byetta

Diabetes complications hiking U.S. health costs
Type 2 diabetics spend three times as much on care

Updated: 2:39 p.m. ET April 10, 2007

CHICAGO - Poorly managed type 2 diabetes costs the U.S. health system an
extra $22.9 billion a year in direct medical costs to treat heart, eye,
kidney and other serious health problems associated with the disease,
diabetes groups reported on Tuesday.

Annual health costs for a type 2 diabetic are three times that of the
average American without diagnosed diabetes, according to a new report
called State of Diabetes Complications in America.

"It is a pretty significant wake-up call for people, or should be. It
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This is very encouraging news! Maybe they will have a feasible cure for
type 2 in our lifetime.

So far since starting byetta (6 weeks), I’m down 4 pounds, readings are
running below 200 for the first time in ages, and feeling pretty darn
good. I see my GP in two weeks to evaluate if I need the 10mmg dose or
not.

The first 2-3 weeks I was on this med, my appetite was zero. I had to
remind myself to eat. It is back. Anybody else have the appetite come
back?

I get the same reaction from metformin er, or just metformin. Andrew
the list owner said that he uses fortamet and it is easier on his
stomach. I have not tried it but maybe it would be better for you.

Dale

Begin forwarded message:

I’m not sure if I did everything correctly when I took my first
injection. I followed the instructions to the letter however when I
primed the pen..just a tiny litte drop formed on the end of the
needle. I injected myself and didnt feel much diffrent. This morning
again I folled the directions without primimg the pen but when I reset
the pen for the next dose I noticed a larger amount of liquid dripping
from the needle as I rotated the dial and reset the arrows. What
effect is common after an injection…and did I fail to prime the pen
correctly the first time? I did go step my step…..thanks!

I read all the posts today about eating out on Easter - the mistakes some
made and lessons learned. This kind of thing we will face again and again.
We have many holidays and special occassions in our future.

You know, we are all in a battle for our health………pretty much a full
blown war!

When troops are at war, they have to plan their strategies for each
situation they might find themselves in and plan accordingly. They plan
before each battle. Certain maneuvers will stand them well time and time
again. Sometimes, no matter how well they prepare, they don’t execute their
plan as well as they would have liked - and, sometimes, there will be a
surprise attack and they either fall down or they remember what worked for
them in the past and re-arm.

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Hi all,
Today was my first appointment with an endo, and it went very well. We both
agreed that Byetta is no longer right for me, and I am now trying Symlin. I
just wanted to say thanks to all of you for all your kind words and sharing your
stories. It’s been wonderful!

My wife picked up two 5MG pens and I’ll take my first shot this
evening when I get home from work. I am not thrilled with injecting
myself but….guess thats what I got to do! I also picked up some
ginger snaps and read as much as I can on this message board. Thanks
to all that responded to my first post.

I am starting a food log (I use weight by date) tomorrow morning and
have been testing a bit more over the weekend to get some sort of
baseline prior to starting. I am hoping this will help get me moving
toward better control.

Does anyone in here take probiotic supplements? Do they help with
some of the diarrhea symptoms of Byetta? Or do you think they might
not work with Byetta? Any suggestions of people who take them or have
tried them or have been told it wasn’t a good idea to try them would
be appreciated!

I chose not to use my Byetta today for Easter Dinner and enjoy
stuffing myself. Gotta take a break once in a while…that Strawberry
Shortcake was delicious!

Back on the spit tomorrow!

Hello…I’m staring Byetta Monday evening and I was looking for some
FAQ’s or information as to how to approch this and what to expect.
Sorry if this is covered elsewhere in the posts…I’m searching and
reading like mad. I am just a bit apprehensive about starting. Thanks
for all the information and posts…great resource.

Bob