Comments on: Runner Won’t Let Diabetes Slow Him - Teacher To Run In 111th Boston

By: Kraig Caren

Kraig Caren — Sun, 20 May 2007 08:10:49 +0000

*It could be what you are eating. Several on this group have mentioned that
meat makes them sick. I have had nausea only a few times and each time it
was just the thought of eating meat that made me sick and then I could not
eat anything. If you are having nausea, it is probably better to eat right
after you take your shot like you are doing. Many have said they have done
well taking capsules of ginger (available at health food stores and
Wal-mart); others have mentioned "sea-bands", and some do well sipping on
sugar-free ginger ale. Welcome to the group!*

By: ramonita_1

ramonita_1 — Sun, 20 May 2007 03:54:35 +0000

Hello Estelen, I have been in the same nausea boat as you describe.Have
been on Byetta since last October.

I went on a recent 5 week vacation and since I didn’t want to ruin it
with the nausea, cut my dose to the 5 twice a day.

Great BG results and felt wonderful at this lower dose but did gain 7
lbs—much more interested in food than on the 10 dose.

So, with my NP’s okay I’m taking 5 in the AM and 10 in the Pm.So far the
Byetta seems to last okay ,for me,past the 30 day expiration period.

This way I can have an energetic,side effects free day . At night, after
the 10 dose, I do get the rotten side effects but my appetite is greatly
reduced for the next 24 hours..and hey, we don’t go out much at night so

can deal with it.

I have a feeling that the perfect dose for me would be 5 before 3
meals/day.

I think,to minimize injections , and deal with the supposed short life
of the med they came up with a dose that benefits the majority but isn’t
tailored to the minority.

With your doc’s okay, play around with the dose till you find what works
for the BG,your appetite and side effects you can tolerate.

This med is long term therapy. Better to find livable solutions then
have to give up the med entirely.

HTH, Aloha, Marge

By: Neva Marjory

Neva Marjory — Sat, 19 May 2007 09:30:22 +0000

Hello,
I just joined this group. I have been on 10mg. of Byetta for about 7
months. My nauseau has never gone away. I feel it on a daily basis
and lately it’s been worse. Is there anything OTC that I could take to
help? I sure hate going back to the doctor because I am afraid he will
take me off of it and I have lost almost 30 pounds on it. I am sick
for about 1 to 2 hours daily. Someone suggested ginger snaps. I eat
immediately after I take my shot. Should I wait? What is everyone’s
opinion? Do you think it’s because of what I am eating? Any help
would be appreciated!

By: Kraig Caren

Kraig Caren — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 09:58:35 +0000

From experience, I think Pimsler foreign language audio CD’s are the best.
If you master the conversational ones, they do have a more expensive program
that is more expansive. I like the Pimsler best because it seems to give
just the right amount of time to ‘repeat after me’ - and is repetitive
enough that you really pick it up quick. For anyone who has spoken Spanish
in the past - they might be too basic. I never took a foreign language and
they have worked well for me.

I found mine on E-Bay - just be careful to get the audio CD’s and not the
ones you use in your computer.

I can’t remember which I have in the car - but it was one of these:

By: Ila Workman

Ila Workman — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 11:33:07 +0000

What cd’s are you using? I have been looking for something for the car,
but I’m not sure of any good ones.

Sarah In TX (Dallas, where spanish would be very handy)

By: Kraig Caren

Kraig Caren — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 11:24:00 +0000

I’m with you Sarah - love those books on tape. Two years ago I pretty much
mastered conversational German with Pimsler CD’s. Now I am working on
Spanish (which will come more in handy in Houston than German

By: Ila Workman

Ila Workman — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 17:16:27 +0000

3 words for you - Books on Tape (or CD).
I live in Dallas and so far I’ve made it through - Moby Dick,
Treasure Island, Around the world in 80 days, all 12 Left Behind
books, Little Women, The Lovely Bones, and several by Criton. I’m
toying with learning French. Oh and I am currently listening to a
book by David Sedarus (sp?). I highly reccomend him, but I’m sure the
drivers around me think I’m a lunatic, I laugh all the way home.

Sarah in TX

By: Neva Marjory

Neva Marjory — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 08:46:07 +0000

thanks, pam. i think you are right. i need some scheduling changes and will have
to re-arrange my life ti fit in with the shots and the shots to fit in with my
life….sounds funny but i think that will be the key to sucess………..baz

Welcome to the group.
Take your Byetta before your two biggest meals. Make sure the shots are at least
6 hours apart. You can eat between shots but don’t eat about an hour before you
take the shot. I get sick if I do that. So I try to avoid it. Try very hard to
get in more than one shot each day. You need to figure everything out for your
health. You will feel so much better.

thank-you, that has helped a lot. what inflamation are you talking about?.also
my schedule is most different from everyone else. today i got up at 2:30 pm.
took my p.o. pills and haven’t even eaten as yet. so when would i take my first
shot? with supper? what if you can only fit in one shot a day? is that a

problem? i am sorry to be asking so many questions, but i am really scared to
take this byetta and am on the fence as to refusing it at all, except my bgs are
out of control and so is my weight. my diabetes educator seems to be no
help…..baz

When I talked to the Byetta hotline, she suggested:

Always eat within one hour of injection and always wait at least six hours
between injections. Eating a small snack between meals helps most people
with their metabolism. I eat an ounce of nuts between breakfast and lunch
and again between lunch and dinner. I have found, for me, that a regular
schedule has helped my BG stay fairly steady all the time and no dawn
phenomen. My first injection is at 6AM. I eat breakfast at 6:30 AM. Lite
snack around 9AM. Lunch at noon. Lite snack around 3 PM (with fruit if I’m
going to exercise on my way home from work. 2nd injection at 6PM and dinner
around 6:30PM. I have found if I allow myself a little treat immediately
following my dinner (like 1/2 cup SF ice cream or SF pudding, etc) then I
never have a desire or need for anything until breakfast.

That is typical during my workweek and I adjust on the weekend because I
don’t have to get up at 4:15 AM. On the weekends I don’t get up until 7 or
8 and have my 1st injection when I get up and eat about 30 minutes later. I
have a little bigger snack than usual - maybe fruit and nuts or a slice of
whole grain toast with PB and a 1/2 banana - about half way between then and
when we have supper - usually at 3 or 4 PM (injection about 1/2 before).
Since we have supper early on the weekend, I have another heaver snack three
hours after dinner.

In four months my A1C has dropped .3. I felt that was not significant but
my doctor assured me it is definitely progress and that on Byetta it will
continue to drop. Because I have good portion control and am eating low
glycemic foods - protein and complex carbs - and keep my portions small and
exercise every other day (at least), my BG is now 94 in the mornings and 106
- 112 one and two hours post-meal. Other random checks run 94 - 106. I
have lost ten pounds in four months - but, for me, it is not just a Byetta
thing - I exercise and eat slowly and stop even before I am full. Byetta,
though, has kept me from thinking about food all the time and eating no
longer brings me the pleasure it used to (which is a good thing). Also, I
drink 8 bottles of water a day which keeps hunger under control for me. I
feel better than I ever did before I had diabetes!

You have to look at your life and your schedule and find what works best for
you. Just keep the injections a minimum of six hours apart and, if you want
a snack - it should be around 3 hours after you have your injection. And eat
within an hour of your injection. Most people are less prone to nausea by
eating earlier in that hour than later.

My next goal is trying to fine tune the foods I eat to reduce inflammation.

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By: Neva Marjory

Neva Marjory — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 11:16:26 +0000

just thought of another couple of questions. does it matter when you take your
oral drugs with the byetta. i take glipizide 10mgms. twice a day along with a
host of heart and b/p medications. should there be a certain time in between
pills and shot? also can you drink as much fluid as you want? no
restriction…sugar-free of course……baz

It could be a problem in that you most likely will not get the full benefit
of more consistent BG - which is the goal. You may have to set your alarm
and get up and take a shot and eat. As annoying as that might be, it would
be better than losing a foot to diabetes or going blind. And, those things
can and do happen to people who can’t get their BG under control.

Inflammation article:

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By: Neva Marjory

Neva Marjory — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 06:58:30 +0000

thank-you……….very informative…….i have cad and have had 2 open-heart
surgeries since 2001..and this inflamation process i am sure
contributed……..baz

Inflammation article:

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