I am considering byetta along with my metformin. Has anyone else tried this combo and what are your thoughts? I am hesitant simply because I hate to think of adding another medication into the mix but losing a bit of weight and controling my blood sugar would be nice.
I am considering byetta along with my metformin. Has anyone else tried this combo and what are your thoughts? I am hesitant simply because I hate to think of adding another medication into the mix but losing a bit of weight and controling my blood sugar would be nice.
Corollary Question: Do you have to be on metformin or another diabetic/insulin sensitizing medication in order to be prescribed Byetta?
I read on one of my group that Byetta was not [FDA] approved as a stand-alone medication and that you have to be on metformin or perhaps another diabetic medication in order to be prescribed byetta -- I guess in a not-offlable way, (if what I read was true) - although I am personlly interested in the possibility of byetta for PCOS/IR without diabetes, which would be offlable in anycase. Also does being on another medication make a difference in terms of the likelyhood of byetta being covered by insurance?
By the way this is what I found on the subject:
Press Release: Amylin and Lilly Announce FDA Approval of BYETTA(TM) (Exenatide) Injection
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved BYETTA(TM) (exenatide) injection as adjunctive therapy to improve blood sugar control in patients with type 2 diabetes who have not achieved adequate control on metformin and/or a sulfonylurea, two common oral diabetes medications.
(perhaps something has changed since then)
Also,
FDA Approves BYETTA(R) (exenatide) Injection for Expanded Combination Use
Millions of People Using Thiazolidinediones Now Have New Treatment Option to Manage Type 2 Diabetes http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/st...4496223&EDATE=
Quote:
SAN DIEGO and INDIANAPOLIS, Dec. 22 [2006] /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Amylin
Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: AMLN) and Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY)
announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has
approved BYETTA(R) (exenatide) injection as an add-on therapy to improve
blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes who have not achieved
adequate control on a thiazolidinedione (TZD).
I was just told by a friend who also has PCOS that I should ask to be put on Byetta. I am currently on 2000mg of Metformin.
She said that it is supposed to help with IR and weight loss.
I haven't made a doctors appointment yet, but plan to very soon.
What do you guys think, should I ask for Byetta?
Is it covered by insurance?
Is it expensive?
Does it really help with weight loss?
I began Byetta this week. I am not diabetic, and I already take Met. My doc wants it to help with insulin levels, slightly elevated blood glucose levels (110 fasting), and weight loss. It is not *supposed* to be used primarily for weight loss, but I think that is the biggest reason I was put on it.
My doctor said he has had great luck with it. It really suppresses the appetite. The day I was prescribed he said he had seen a patient who had been taking it for two weeks and had lost 16 pounds.
I think the key with Byetta is eating a very healthful diet as well. A lot of the research I have seen shows an average weight loss of 35 pounds. Now, I will be ecstatic if I lose 35 pounds, but that is just the beginning of what I need to lose. From people I have talked to/read about, they lost about 15-20 pounds not changing anything (except eating less as a result of the decreased appetite). The people that seem to lose 50 or more pounds are those that really concentrate on eating well in addition to the medication.
I had lost 11 pounds in three weeks prior to starting byetta. I hope that the byetta helps me to lose weight more quickly, but I am not counting on it as a cure all. You take the injection before breakfast and before dinner. You can take it 15-60 minutes prior to eating. One of the principal side effects is nausea. My doc said the more you eat the worse nausea you will have. There have also been a few posts on other discussion boards that say the closer to the injection you eat the less nausea you will have, but the longer you wait the more appetite suppression takes place.
I have been on it less than a week, but I can attest to the decreased appetite. I eat much less than I did before. I notice the biggest difference at dinner...so far I have not been able to finish my "firsts," let alone think about seconds. I have not had an issue with nausea. I have noticed the more carbs you eat the more nausea takes place, kind of like met.
It is expensive...walgreens price is $216.99 for the medicine and 31.99 for needles every month. My doc had a coupon for a free first month (meds, not the needles), so it didn't cost me anything this time. It is on my insurance company's formulary, so I hope it will be covered. I will not find out for sure until I need the refill in April. I do not know if they cover needles either. I think walmart may be a little cheaper, but I chose walgreens because it's easier for me to get refills anywhere.
I hope that answers your questions...I think it is something anyone with IR should discuss with their doctors. It is so difficult for us to lose weight, yet weight loss is the key to combating IR. It is a Catch-22. I hope this will be a much-needed solution to taking off extra pounds and developing a diet that works for me long-term.
My doctor said I can't have Byetta. I asked her today and she said that my insurance probably won't cover it because my insulin levels aren't really high.
So I am bummed.
Instead she prescribed me Actos to take along with my met. Has anyone heard of Actos?
Anyone on Met and byetta? 
