Comments on: Newbie here…

By: Debra Willene

Debra Willene — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 05:32:23 +0000

I didnt have any problems when going on Metformin either, back when it
was brand new*G*
I was started on 1/2 a 500 tablet and then worked up. I think doctors
are starting people on too big a dose and that is why there are so many
having GI problems.
One doc started a resident where I work, on 1000 x2!!!!!!!! Poor guy
was pooping his pants all day long. I finally convinced them to ask the
doc to lower the dose and work up to the higher one. Resident felt much
better*G* I am the only diabetic on staff so they are always coming to
me to figure things out. They had an insulin vial that they couldnt get
any insulin out of. come to find out they werent shooting air into the
bottle. I shot it full of air and they used the rest of the vial. Scary!!!

By: Traci Mcgee

Traci Mcgee — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 11:22:56 +0000

George perhaps you and I are among the only ones with no adverse side effects
from Metformin?
Before joining this list I really had no idea how many folks dealt with the
side effects that have been shared… doesn’t sound fun at all.

I’ve been on it for several years, can’t recall exactly how many now and
fortunately have yet to have any of the GI side effects, or any others for that
matter.

Actually, I’m doing very well, with no noticeable side effects. But I also
had no side effects from metformin when I started that… go figure.
_____

How are you feeling on the 10?

I was on 5 units for a month, and 2 weeks ago, I started on 10 units. I
think its working ok.

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By: Traci Mcgee

Traci Mcgee — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 07:05:00 +0000

I’m curious, why do you say you wait an hour to eat after you take your
Byetta. The instructions say to eat within an hour. Everything I’ve read says
that Byetta loses some effectiveness if you don’t eat within an hour of taking
your shot.

Kendall

You can call the Byetta help line for your meds if you want but, I take my
Byetta in the morning. Wait about an hour (more or less just depends on the
morning) then I eat. After I eat I take my metformin. Then in the evening I take
my Byetta. I have a snack before bed and take my evening pills with that. I have
had better results since doing that. I hope this helps you. Just try different
things and check your meter.

I had a complecated morning routine where I got up and took my metformin.

Waited an hour and took my byetta and then waited and then ate. My bg was very
high during that time. Not so good.
Pam

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

By: Gonzalo Felisa

Gonzalo Felisa — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 04:31:10 +0000

George perhaps you and I are among the only ones with no adverse side effects
from Metformin?
Before joining this list I really had no idea how many folks dealt with the side
effects that have been shared… doesn’t sound fun at all.

I’ve been on it for several years, can’t recall exactly how many now and
fortunately have yet to have any of the GI side effects, or any others for that
matter.

Actually, I’m doing very well, with no noticeable side effects. But I also
had no side effects from metformin when I started that… go figure.
_____

How are you feeling on the 10?

I was on 5 units for a month, and 2 weeks ago, I started on 10 units. I
think its working ok.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

By: Heather Chavez

Heather Chavez — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 20:55:35 +0000

I’m curious, why do you say you wait an hour to eat after you take your Byetta.
The instructions say to eat within an hour. Everything I’ve read says that
Byetta loses some effectiveness if you don’t eat within an hour of taking your
shot.

Kendall

I had a complecated morning routine where I got up and took my metformin. Waited

an hour and took my byetta and then waited and then ate. My bg was very high
during that time. Not so good.
Pam

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

By: Traci Mcgee

Traci Mcgee — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 16:23:35 +0000

You can call the Byetta help line for your meds if you want but, I take my
Byetta in the morning. Wait about an hour (more or less just depends on the
morning) then I eat. After I eat I take my metformin. Then in the evening I
take my Byetta. I have a snack before bed and take my evening pills with that.
I have had better results since doing that. I hope this helps you. Just try
different things and check your meter.

I had a complecated morning routine where I got up and took my metformin.

By: Bertram Lashonda

Bertram Lashonda — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 05:08:25 +0000

How are you feeling on the 10?

I was on 5 units for a month, and 2 weeks ago, I started on 10 units. I
think its working ok.

_____

By: Bertram Lashonda

Bertram Lashonda — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 14:27:00 +0000

I did reduce the number of carbs I ate today (and last nite) and haven’t
been over 165 all day. Since I’ve been running over 200 most days lately
this is a big deal! That’s with 5mg x2 byetta and only 500 mg metformin a
day. Yee haw!

I try to eat a lower carb Way Of Eating…

_____

By: estela_130

estela_130 — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 04:20:56 +0000

Suzanne wrote…
I’ve also started experiencing some mild
nausea a few hours after breakfast and wish I had some sugar free ginger candy.
I’d go anywhere and pay most anything for hard candy made with stevia or
some other natural sweetener.

Altoids has a very low carb…I think it’s 1 carb per 2 pieces… ginger candy.
They are quite hot, but only 1 works well for me. And they’re handy to carry
in their metal case.

If you can’t find them locally you can find them to order on line by going to
Google. I just asked my local grocery, where they carried other Altoids, if
they would order them. One nice thing about living in a small town, he did
order and I see I’m not the only one buying them.

By: beverley90

beverley90 — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 00:40:18 +0000

Nothing has changed in my life or eating habits. This is a
progressive disease and sometimes we can do everything right and yet
it still progresses. Albeit slowly. I had read about Byetta and
chose to try that instead of raising my Metformin or adding
Actos/Avandia (which now seems a great decision!)

Hi Jennifer, All
I am 63 now and was diagnosed when I was 34 and in spite of taking good care
of myself much of the time I’ve developed neuropathy in my feet and had to
stop walking for exercise about five years ago after I had what they call a
diabetic chargot event. I was walking five miles a day on broken bones in my
foot and never knew it until I came home one day to a very swollen foot. After
eight months in an air cast I was pretty depressed and had gained a lot of
weight. It took me two years of not exercising and out of control BG before I
said "enough " and started to walk in a warm shallow pool at the Y. Nowadays

I also swim three times a week. I felt awful on metformin and took actos and
insulin for a long time. The Actos made my legs swell and my doctor took me
off of it. Eventually I needed more and more insulin and gained more and more
weight as a result and my last A1c was 7.00, my highest, in a long time. So
we decided to try the Byetta which so far has been a great decision. My FBG
was 240 this A.M so I know I’m going to need to add something to the Byetta.
I have an appt with an endochronologist on Sept 6 and am hoping to do alright
until then, as my primary physician is off to Paris for two weeks. My BG
drops below 150 two hours after I take the byetta and I get dizzy from the drop
in glucose if it is too sudden. I’ve also started experiencing some mild
nausea a few hours after breakfast and wish I had some sugar free ginger candy.
I’d go anywhere and pay most anything for hard candy made with stevia or
some other natural sweetener. I don’t think splenda is all that good for us
and try to eat mostly natural and organic foods.

Anyway, I’m really grateful for all the support and good information
provided on this list. When you get to be my age and you’ve had diabetes as long
as
I have things can start to get scary; even if you are doing the best you can,
as Jennifer says. My Mom spent the last ten years of her life battling one
diabetic ulcer after another. I have diabetes everywhere in my family; all
four grandparents, my mother and brother, aunts and uncles, cousins,etc.

Actually, considering how long I’ve had diabetes, I’m doing reasonably well,
except for the neuropathy and some mild arthritis pain. My eyes and kidneys
are fine and I’m otherwise reasonably healthy. I might have avoided some of
the nerve damage if I did a better job keeping my weight and sugar down but
I’m planning on being around at least another 20 years. My Mom was 83 when
she died and her mother was 98. My father’s mother also lived into her 90’s
with diabetes and that was before they had many medications.

I just dropped a $100 at Trader Joe’s and stocked up on nitrate free turkey
bacon, chicken, eggs, tofu, fish, brown rice and veggies. I’ve decided to go
even lower on the carbs and see if I can’t get that morning sugar down. I
don’t think I’m eating more than 1200 calories a day but my BG is still so
high. I’m willing to give metformin another try and maybe now that I have
Prilosec I’ll be able to handle it better, but I have to wait a whole month to
do
that. Oh well, will just keep at it. Hope everyone is well. It’s hot and
muggy here in Western Massachusetts with some thuder storms on the way.

Suzanne