Intro and Question
I’m Donna, 56, Type 2 since 1993. I have reached the maximum dosage for
metformin, glyburide, and Actos, but my last A1C in May was 8.7. It has been
creeping up for some time now.
I started the 5mcg pen 2.5 weeks ago, and while I’ve had a few bouts of
vomiting, for the most part, just moderate nausea from time to time. I’m seeing
some great numbers on my meter now, except for my morning high, which has come
down about 100 points, but is still on the high side.
My question is this — is there a ‘best’ time gap between injections? I know
they should be 6+ hours apart, but is 12 hours better? Or 8 hours? Or is it
totally individualized?
Thanks!
Donna
Oh! Weight loss is at 3.5 pounds after 2 weeks. But my appetite seems to have
returned in all it’s glory. :sigh:
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
March 31st, 2007 at 3:26 pm
Donna, as you know, the injections should be at least 6 hours apart. There
is no benefit to going longer than that to my knowledge but you should find
the schedule that best fits your lifestyle. The more important part is to
no inject more than 1 hour before eating. Byetta should always be taken
before the meal and since some people are more sensitive to the nausea that
can occur than others, most find that if they inject immediately before
eating that the nausea is reduced. My doctor says that to achieve the best
result, you should try to inject 30-45 minutes before you eat so that the
medication can start to be absorbed by your body. The other thing to
consider is that since Byetta slows your digestion, if you take oral meds at
the same time, you should alter those and take either 1 hour before your
injection or a couple hours after your meal. Otherwise they might not be
absorbed properly.
March 31st, 2007 at 7:56 pm
Thanks for your response!
I do take my oral meds an hour before injecting. I should also
mention I’ve stopped taking Actos.
Donna
April 1st, 2007 at 12:14 am
I’m a former smoker, so I know how preachy I can get on that subject.
However, you’re off base on this one. I’m very careful about what I
eat, especially since starting Byetta as there are some foods that
don’t settle well now. I have no problem avoiding sugary, fatty, high
calorie food. I eat lean meats, lots of veggies, some fruit, and only
whole grains. Fruit is my "ice cream" now.
So, even though I have the appetite to eat more sometimes, I don’t.
I’m extremely pleased with 3.5 pounds loss for 2 weeks!
Donna