[jacobsam622]

Originally Posted by matingara

hmmm. i take a drug that is not on the list - but is in the sulfonylurea class.

it is called Diamicron MR (modified release). its active ingredient is "gliclazide".

the spiel says that it is "protective" of the beta cells as well as stimulating them into action.

it works for me (with a lower carb diet)

no side effects at all.



-- Joel.

I began this post more then three years ago so the drug was not around or not well known at the time.

[Achilles]

Originally Posted by Hammer

If you want to try an oral med for your post meal spikes, there's always Prandin. I was taking Prandin, but like the metformin, it started to upset my stomach so I switched to Byetta. They both work the same way....slowing down the absorption of food in your body.

Thanks for the tip on this Hammer. I was reading up on Prandin and it is not in the sulfonylurea classification. Obviously, I'm not a Dr. but this may be appealing to me without having to inject Byetta or worry about a hypo as would be the case with the sulfonylureas.

That long lasting (1 week) Byetta would be "the bomb". I hope it works based on the many positive responses I've seen with Byetta. A one week injection would be a dream for many.

I don't believe Diamicron is available yet in the United States according to Wikipedia.

[matingara]

Originally Posted by jacobsam622

I began this post more then three years ago so the drug was not around or not well known at the time.

yes. i am aware of that.

nonetheless, i rarely see "gliclazide" (diamicron) mentioned at all. it is available in the US - but perhaps it is not that well known?

-- Joel.

[alicat61]

Hi,
I'd be dead without the meds I'm on. LOL Lantus and Humolog have been a lot better than the old actrapid and protophane. I love humalog as no waiting for meals ( a big plus when I'm at work as don't get a proper meal break) Metformin well it is the best if I forget a dose the insulin doesn't work nearly as well. As for side effects I don't know if it is the Metformin, Byetta or just years of shift work. It's managable
Byetta well I haven't used any less insulin, but my hunger has lessened and my BSL's have improved so I 'm happy with it

[jacobsam622]

I had my doctor change my meds again I am now taking byetta more later.

[jacobsam622]

Originally Posted by jacobsam622

I had my doctor change my meds again I am now taking byetta more later.

I went to the doctor yesterday as I reported in another thread. A lot of people would be thrilled to have an a1c of 6.1
and weight loss of 10# don't get me wrong am thrilled but it was a lot of work and the numbers on the weekends were not as good as I would like so I started looking for a new drug one that would also help the weight loss go quicker. I think it is important be proactive with diabetes. When I started out 4 years ago I had lowered my a1c to 5.4 and for about three years my aic was fine. about 7 months ago the meds started working less and less. To get the same control I had 4 years ago I went from 1 mg of Amaryl and 15 mgs of actos to taking 6 mgs of Amaryl and 100mgs of Januvia. I came to the realization that while I could tighten control a lot more with the Amaryl I was fighting a battle that I would lose in the long run. So I am going to start out taking 5mcg twice a day of Byetta and if I am not at the control that I want I will have my doctor increase my dose to 10mcg twice a day and if I have to I can add 1 mg of Amaryl.

[jacobsam622]

I know there is a lot more people then this 35 replies in 3 years. How are we suppose to stay on top of all the drugs if you dont tell us what works. My doctor gave me two sample byetta pens and only five needles It took four phone calls to get more.

[jacobsam622]

Today was my one week anniversary on Byetta. My one week avg is about 119 not bad for first time using new med. I have never been big on needles but the Byetta pin Is so small I can't even feel it. The thing I like the most about Byetta is that It allows me to lower my bg before I eat. I am not getting as sleepy after meal. The doctor put me on blood pressure medicine but I took myself off them they made it hard to urinate and made my whole body hurt. I have enough pain to deal with because of my back and legs. Its not a good idea to start two different drugs at the same time.

[Axel Slinger]

I take what seems to be a lot of diabetic meds, but my Doctor may be cutting the dose of some of them soon as I finally got with the program and started eating better and exercising more so my test results have been better recently.

Here's the meds:

Breakfast:
Actos 15mg
Byetta 10mcg
Glipizide 10mg
Lyrica 50mg
Metformin 850mg
Precose 25mg
Prevacid 30mg
Tricor 145mg

Lunch:
Metformin 850mg
Precose 25mg

Dinner:
Aspirin 81mg
Byetta 10mcg
Glipizide 10mg
Lisinopril 10mg
Lyrica 50mg
Metformin 850mg
Precose 25mg
Simvastatin 40mg

There are various side effects with some of these meds, but nearly all of them had gone away within a month or so. The main thing that still happens is occasional stomach problems, which is what the Prevacid is for. And of course, I add a little Tums, GasX, and Imodium in there for good measure. I do not take Insulin.

I go for an hour to an hour and a half long bike ride in the morning, which is typically about 4 to 7 miles depending on which way I go. I mapped out several different routes for a variety of difficulty and scenery. Some routes are flatter and take les effort so I ride farther on those, while some are shorter but much more difficult. If you have ever taken a cross country bike trip you probably know the old saying "Cross country bicycling is basically 99% uphill and 1% downhill", which is somewhat true if you think about it in "99% peddling and 1% freewheeling" terms. But as exercise goes, it sure is a lot of fun.

I have been eating a lot better than I used to as well. I used to eat whatever sounded good at the time. Now I pay more attention to my meter readings and tend to eat things that don't send them through the roof. I also test more frequently now days too. I used to "play it by ear" as guitar players say. And that's fine for playing guitar, but it isn't a good plan for keeping track of your diabetes. Now I live by "Test, don't guess", which makes a lot more sense anyway...

According to my OneTouch UltraSmart meter, for the last 60 days my average test results are 134. If I am not mistaken that would translate into an A1c average of 6.3% IF it was accurate. Which it probably isn't because it's an average of test results, not an A1c test result. But it still gives me hope that my A1c results might be better this time around. My last two were 8.4 and 7.1, and I hope it's a 6.x this time.

And by the way, jacobsam... It took about three months before Byetta really started working for me. One month of 5mcg twice a day and two months of 10mcg twice a day. Judging by the length of time this thread has been around and you're still pluggin' away at it, you seem to be a "patient patient" as my Doctor would say. Give it some time.