Sub Avandia with What?

HISIRISHGEM · 09-24-2007, 02:18 AM

I'm on Avandia and 40 units of Lantus twice a day. Before that I tried met and the side effects left me afraid to leave my home for fear of accidents. Anyways, I took Lantus and that wasn't working. Nothing worked until I added avandia, which started AF for the first year this year since I was 16 years old and I'm 33 now.

NOW, we moved back to the NYS area and are awaiting my husbands medical to kick in for the month of Oct. In the process of finding a dr. , I have to figure out what to change to now that avandia and actos aren't ok to take. I'm so infuriated because this is the first drug thats actually worked!

So now what. What have you Avandia ladies switched to and is it working? I need something other than Met. I'm miserable with it no matter how healthy I eat.

Thanks everyone!

Bek

quizzicalxx · 09-24-2007, 11:20 AM

HISIRISHGEM,

I've never taken Avandia (or Actos), but I thought I'd tell you what's been working for me. Years ago I took met (actually, I took the brand name Glucopahge) and then just decided to stop. About 18 months ago my dr. put me back on it but I couldn't tolerate the 2000 mg. dose without the horrible side effects.

In April of this year, my doc and I decided to reduce the glucophage and add in 100 mg of Januvia. We've tweeked the timing of the doses a little and now I'm taking 500 mg Glucophage and 50 mg Januvia with lunch and the same doses with dinner. The glucophage side effects are gone yet I still get the benefit of it -- including regular AF. I LOVE the Januvia! I have tons of energy, and have lost 26 lbs. since April without really trying. (Just think what I could lose if I actually started a regular exercise program!) I'm the first patient that my doc has put on Januvia and I had to agree to be monitored every 8 weeks for the first year (just because she wanted to keep close track of the changes/improvements). Well, after the first 4 months of being on it, she said she was seriously considering putting 5-6 of her other diabetic patients on it.

I know there are a few threads on here about Januvia. You can also take a look at this site: http://diabetes.blog.com/1162417/?page=14#cmts

It's a diabetes board and that is the direct link to the Januvia pages. There's a lot of great information on that entire board.

I hope this information is helpful and you find something that works for you.

Deb

HISIRISHGEM · 09-24-2007, 10:21 PM

Deb,

Thats AWESOME! Is Januvia a fairly new drug? Why did you have to be monitored for the next year? Do you have to mix glucophage with januvia?

Thanks so much...I'll take a look at that site!!

Rebekah

quizzicalxx · 09-25-2007, 01:03 PM

Rebekah,

Januvia became available in the summer of 2006, so it's relatively new. In April, my dr. wanted to put me on Avandia or Actos but I had done some reading about both of those drugs and I didn't really like the side effects. I had read about Januvia so I asked if she would give that to me. I think she just wanted to monitor me more closely than usual because she had never prescribed it before and neither had any of the other doctors in her practice. Because I've had such luck with it, she's a convert now!

I'm not sure what you mean by mixing glucophage with Januvia. Are you asking if Januvia has to be taken in conjunction with another diabetes medication? If that's your question, then no, some people only take Januvia. Others combine it with gluc/met, some combine it with insulin.

Januvia is a small pill and can be somewhat pricey depending on what kind of insurance coverage you have. Even though I have prety good prescription coverage, to save money, I get the 100 mg pills and split them in half and take 1/2 pill just before lunch and the other half just before supper.

If you have any other questions, just let me know.

Deb

HISIRISHGEM · 09-25-2007, 01:31 PM

Deb,

Thanks so much!! We have awesome insurance. My husband is a nurse at the hospital. He just graduated this past may and now is finally in his new career. SO, the hospital he works at has a tier and we get prescription drugs at their pharmacy for much less. Thats the first time we've ever had anything like it and we're very greatful.

Now all I have to do is find a good endo here.

flyfisher · 09-30-2007, 01:03 PM

Hello HISIRISHGEM,

I don't know anything about avandia, but I can tell you the experience I've had with Januvia. My endo put me on 2000mg met a few years ago. At the beginning of this year, he lowered my dose of met and added Januvia. He took me off januvia back in August because it wasn't doing what he thought it would. It worked at first, but then as I got use to it, it didn't work at all. So he took me off it and upped my dose of Met XR back up to 2000mg and put me on Byetta. I've only been on byetta for a month and half. I go for an A1C in November, so I wil know then how it is working. I check my blood sugar several times a day and haven't noticed much of a change. I guess we will see what happens. I hope you have good luck on Januvia.

HISIRISHGEM · 09-30-2007, 01:47 PM

Thank You.

I've heard of byetta. I tried to get on it this past year and the PCP back in Ohio wouldn't let me get on it.

Now that I'm here in Central NY, I'm gain for anything thats effective and safe.

I'm on Lantus 40 units twice a day but it's not effective by itself. With avandia it worked like a charm.

Can anyone tell me if it's possible to get off long lasting insulin once you' ve been on it awhile? Is it possible to get back to oral with diet and exercise with hopes of maybe getting under control so much to get rid of meds altogether and just do diet changes?

I've heard of people lowering their oral meds, but wondered about those on insulin.

Thanks

Rebekah

flyfisher · 09-30-2007, 07:21 PM

I know someone that is type 2 and was on insulin for years. He decided one day that he was going to start exercising. He ended up losing a lot of weight and is totally diet controlled now. He is completely off every medication he was once on. He was told that he would one day have to be medicated again, possibly. But for now he is off everything. I think it totally depends on your body. I hope this helps and let us know what your doctor says. Good Luck

HISIRISHGEM · 09-30-2007, 07:24 PM

Thanks so much

I'm excited now!

I have to wait for my dr.'s appointment, but I'm excited to start working on things. Thanks everyone!!