Diabetes Education and Research Center
Back Chats
On Thu May 31 13:15:03 2007 () said:
I took Byetta when it first came out and it was wonderful
everything was fine until yes until I started losing weight My body
went CRAZY I lost 75 pounds in 6 months Dr took me off Byetta and
Im still losing weight I went from 280 pounds down to 170 pounds I
feel great look awful (smile) To much lose skin hanging. Neck,Under
arms,Belly,Legs and at my age 58 I don't like it.The fat kept me
smooth no wrinkles.Good luck with Byetta if I had to do it over
again I would.My blood sugar is good 125-130 still taking Metformin
and Glybride once a day.
On Wed May 30 12:37:08 2007 connie (skinnycj@hotmail.com) said:
I am a first time chatter so bear with me. I would like to find out
more about the digestive problems Panda has experienced. I have
just been diagnosed with diabetic gastropathy and have suffered
alot in the past 4 weeks. Is this what you have?
On Fri May 25 17:16:26 2007 Sam (raneysam@yahoo.com) said:
I have been on a Medtronic Minimed "Paradigm" insulin pump for
years. It's been great! But I run it. I take into consideration my
exercise level, count carbs only, watch my health. If sick, there
are things that need to be done differently. The pump does good
things, but I tell it what to do. I have a "basal" level, and I can
skip a meal if I need to, and I "bolus" when I eat. Constant
monitoring on the meter is needed, to see where you are. Takes
awhile...but I have heard it's only for type 1 diabetics. I may be
wrong. Good luck to future pumpers!
On Fri May 25 10:02:04 2007 . (.) said:
I've been on a pump for 8 years and it's the best thing I've done
to control my disease. I will admit, it was overwhelming at first
-- mainly because it was new and different. I would never go back
to injections (I was taking 8 a day), but be aware that a pump is
not a magic device. It still requires you to monitor your blood
sugar and calculate carbohydrates. A pump is simply another tool to
manage your disease. It absolutely does not aleviate your
responsibility for the disease. I think there is a misconception
among some people that an insulin pump is the next best thing to a
cure. It's the closest thing we have to mimic a pancreas, but it
definately requires user attention to detail. I would recommend you
visit the Medtronic Minimed website (medtronicmimimed.com) - - they
have a ton on information. Best of luck!
On Fri May 25 09:28:35 2007 () said:
I'm thinking about getting a pump, I think it's time. I can't
control my blood sugars, never could. Does anyone have any advice?
I have been doing some looking and reading on the net. I would want
something that is so easy a little kid could use it. Guess that is
why I have never gotten one, I'm afriad of them. How stupid is
that.
On Fri May 25 08:57:40 2007 () said:
That feeling in your leg or arm could be anything. Of course, one
thing it could be is neuropathy.
On Thu May 24 22:33:17 2007 gloria courtney
(gloria0834@hotmail.com) said:
Well I just found out i am diabetic and i am raly up set I need to
lose 50 before the doctor will let me go off the meds amd i get a
tingle or needle sharpe pain in my leg or arm and now i wonder if i
might have this neropathy?????????????
On Wed May 23 10:49:22 2007 () said:
Do you have to inject Byetta? (Does it hurt?)
On Wed May 23 09:13:20 2007 () said:
Alot of people on byetta say they like it and have had really good
luck with it. I haven't heard of anyone taking it where I live. Is
it just the dr's in the big city's that will give it to you? I have
alot of problems and think I could be helped by taking this drug.
Guess I'll see what the dr says
On Tue May 22 22:57:07 2007 Panda (prollings@insightbb.com) said:
I have been taking Byetta for several months now and I LOVE IT. My
Blood Pressure is now normal, and my most severe problem was that
my digestive problems were so bad that I could not leave the house.
My sugars have gone down and for that I am truly grateful but
Byetta has given me a chance at life and I love the "lizard spit"
and just hope the doc keeps me on it!
On Tue May 22 22:35:21 2007 Jay Scarsi (jay@escapesquare.com) said:
Just wanted to drop a quick line to the Philadelphia area about an
upcoming fundraiser and interactive diabetes health fair in your
area. Lights, Camera, Cure is coming to the Regal King of Prussia
Theater on June 16th. Lights, Camera, Cure was founded by my wife
and I in the Chicagoland area in 2004 to raise funds for diabetes
research. We experience a great deal of success and decided to turn
our little event into a Non-For-Profit corporation in 2005 and
since then we have held events in Chicago, Sacramento and
Indianapolis. At our event, participants can take part in an
interactive diabetes health fair (run by local Diabetes Youth
Adovcates) and attend a private screening of a family film. At our
Philadelphia event, we will showing the new Sony Pictures' film,
Surf's Up. Tickets for the event are available now at
lightscameracure.org or by calling 888-255-5524. Please contact my
wife Jenna or I with any questions or if you know of a child with
diabetes who wishes to participate as a youth advocate. Thank you
for your interest, Jay Scarsi
On Sun May 20 14:19:33 2007 Nick () said:
There is this new drug, still in research (late phase) which is
looking good as a cure for T1D. I have written information which
will be updated as soon as more is released. Check it out at
http://diamyd.blogspot.com It may be FDA approved within 2
years.
On Wed May 16 17:46:48 2007 () said:
A person should never do anything that is written here. It is only
what works for one person or a suggestion. Always follow your dr's
advice and use your head.
On Wed May 16 14:48:02 2007 () said:
Because some people may read "Mr. Emergency's" posts on here and
make the assumption that it is sound medical advice. Coming from
someone who is not licensed to practice medicine, this is
dangerous.
On Tue May 15 09:18:35 2007 () said:
Neil is Mr. Emergency. What difference does it make. When you try
to say something and no one listens to you, you use a different
name hoping someone might read it
On Mon May 14 13:58:03 2007 () said:
Mr. Emergency sounds like another reincarnation of "Neil/Kiana".
You can look at chat archives from last year and see the
similarities between what Neil posted and what Mr. ER posts today
-- almost identical, including the number of times a day he injects
insulin and the apparent need to have everyone with diabetes follow
his exact regimen.
On Mon May 14 13:35:25 2007 . (.) said:
Mr. Emergency: The fact that you regurgitate bits and pieces of
information that you so obviously cut and paste in order to make
yourself appear intelligent is only further proof that you are, in
fact, a moron. Your "plan" works for you. Great. Leave it alone.
You have no licence, no degree, and no credibility. I am a
certified diabetes educator and you sir, frighten me. I applaud
your committment and obvious effort to control your disease, but
your pathological need for people to follow your regimine is truly
psychotic.
On Mon May 14 09:13:12 2007 () said:
Mr. Emergency -- you inject insulin 11 times a day. Is that not a
medication?
On Mon May 14 08:13:11 2007 () said:
Thanks for the info, Mr. Emergency, but I'll continue to get my
medical advice from a licensed doctor, not from some stranger with
issues who posts crazy messages on the Internet. I'm glad you found
something that works for you. What works for me is to follow my
doctor's advice -- he is someone I know and trust (unlike you).
On Sat May 12 05:32:51 2007 () said:
Mr. Emergency, have you considered a pump?
On Sat May 12 00:09:36 2007 Mr. Emergency () said:
The medical community wants to medicate us to death and they seem
to be succeeding with death that is.
On Fri May 11 23:55:20 2007 Mr. Emergency () said:
Hi. I am the moron, and I am back. With a more aggressive approach
to diabetes, we could save 150,00 lives per year. I suggest a high
veg diet, exercise and assurance enough insulin is present.
Metformin is bad in my opinion and here is why I believe that.
Metformin slows down the liver, but the liver is a critical organ,
which must function correctly for good health. I threw that crap
away and with insulin I became very healthy, but this took a lot of
effort and almost two years to recover from the damage. Second,
this look at the Cori cycle. We eat, the food gets converted to
glycogen stored in the liver. The glycogen passes into the blood
stream and into the muscles. The glycogen breaks down and turns to
lactate. The lactate then moves to the liver, where insulin is
needed to restore the broken down glycogen. Third. Once in shape,
the insulin-like growth hormone take a key role, 10 percent
stronger than insulin. The body fat level, physical condition,
stage of disease, sex, time of day and the right amount of food
play a key role. I eat every two hours over a 12 hour period, but
small amounts. Too little food, and this growth hormone will be
insufficient. Fourth, the type of exercise, the intensity and
duration all play key roles. Very intensive exercise will drive the
glucose up because of adrenalin. Slow even exercises will bring the
glucose down. Mix the exercise and my glucose stays within 20
points during the workout. Fifth, Americans just want the doctor to
fix it with a pill. But instead, doctors should evaluate every
patient to ensure enough insulin is produced type 1 or 2. Sixth,
foods like peanut butter, green vegs all help increase insulin
sensitivity. Magnesium in peas and diabetics often experience a
depletion of vitamin e. Real peanut butter, ground up peanuts works
best, no veg oil. My approach will never fly though because too
many diabetics refuse to try such an approach, make excuses about
exercise and the drug companies air lots of advertisements and
spend between $8,000 and $11,000 per doctor to tell you how happy
you will be. But in fact dompamine produced in the brain is
essential for full happiness, logical thinking and a sense of joy.
But adequate insulin is required for the cerebral cortex to produce
the right amount of dopamine. So I ask any of you here who deny my
plan has any merit. Have you tried it? If you are so sure it will
never work and have not tried it, then who here is the real moron?
Go ahead and give me an answer. I am sick of diabetics living in
denial, killing themselves slowly because of inaction. I have been
a diabetic since my high school years, using inulin injections
about 11 times per day. So I say: "Real men inject, have normal
sexual relations with their mate and blaze through life as if they
are not diabetic except for
On Fri May 11 11:00:51 2007 Sam (raneysam@yahoo.com) said:
Shannon...being on an insulin pump has nothing to do with your
reproductive system. It goes on, and yes, you can have children.
Your insulin needs may change, if pregnant. I have been on a
Minimed Paradigm insulin pump for years. I can answer SOME
questions. Feel free to write. Sam. (I am a F.)
On Fri May 11 09:02:01 2007 () said:
does anyone take reaglan
On Wed May 9 14:12:46 2007 Linderb () said:
Thanks for your advice. I'll keep trying.
On Wed May 9 07:16:09 2007 () said:
Linderb, you could try a limiting-your-carb experiment. Try cutting
out anything made from flour, no matter that it says "whole
grains". Pasta, breads, rice (even brown), potatoes, oatmeal,
breakfast cereals, cakes/cookies/crackers/pretzels/chips. And
anything overly sweetened, like sweetened non-fat yogurt, fruit
juices (even if they are 100% juice). Just try it for two days or
so. You'll end up eating mostly vegetables, whole fruits, lean
meats and fish, eggs, nuts (and peanut butter), beans, unsweetened
low-fat dairy (low-fat milk, plain yogurt, low-fat cottage cheese,
etc.) Do it as a short experiment. Try eliminating those high-carb
foods then see how it affects your readings.
On Tue May 8 22:16:29 2007 Linderb () said:
Okay, I'm trying real hard to eat "right". I've increased my
activity level and I'm taking Glipizide 5mg and I still have
readings around 150 - 200 mornings and evenings. What's wrong?
Help!
On Mon May 7 21:28:01 2007 shannon (bearboo@fuse.net) said:
Hey im shannon I have had type 1 diabetes for about 8 years. Im 13.
I would like to know how people deal with telling a boyfriend or
girlfriend about it. I have the pump so they do notice and ask me
before i tell them. Once i had some ask me if i could have
children. He was my ex boyfriend. I was unhappy about this and it
struck me hard. I wasn't sure how to answer. So if you could share
some thouoghts that would be great.
On Mon May 7 19:55:44 2007 () said:
What can you do for insulin resistence? And what about a stomach
that doesn't digest food?
On Fri May 4 15:29:14 2007 () said:
I am also suffering from large doses of insulin do insulin
resistance. I could stand to lose a bunch of weight, will have to
mention it to my dr.
On Fri May 4 14:44:43 2007 Birmingham, Alabama () said:
I don't know, this med is a whole new thing for me. Maybe they have
me taking it with insulin since I'm so powerfully resistant to
insulin and have to take such large shots? I'm also concurrently
using metformin to try to lower resistance. I'm happy about the 4
lbs I have lost this week on the med. Have a nice weekend to
all!
On Thu May 3 20:20:58 2007 () said:
I thought you could only take byetta if you where a type 2. I
didn't think someone on insulin could take it. When you are type 1
your body no longer makes insulin so you have to take shots. When
you are type 2 your body still makes it's own insulin but you need
the pills to stimule it to make the insulin
On Thu May 3 19:54:43 2007 Linderb () said:
Got a question. Why do some need to take insulin shots and others
pills? Is it if the pills don't work to get the levels down you
need to go to the quicker working shots? Maybe a stupid question
but I'm just learning.
On Thu May 3 17:39:27 2007 Birmingham, Alabama () said:
I found something about Byetta on the home page of this web site!
It's way down close to the bottom of the page in an article about
new meds. I'm going to read up on it - so far, all I've read is
that it is made from gila monster venom. Sounds scary - I'm glad I
didn't know that sooner, or I would have been afraid to try
it!
On Thu May 3 17:31:13 2007 Birmingham, Alabama () said:
Hello All! I never heard from anyone using Byetta yet, so I want to
post an update in case anyone else is interested in it. This week,
my BS plummeted, and since starting the med on Saturday, I have
come down from 200 units insulin/day to 120 units. That is good,
but unfortunately however, instead of 2 shots, this doubles the
number to 4 shots/day. It came in a pre-filled pen and can't be
mixed in the syringe with insulin. There is quite a bit of nausea,
but at least I have lost a pound. Overall, I'm happy with the BS
readings and reduced insulin dose. Dizziness is a listed side
effect, but I am unsure if my dizziness this week is because of the
med or because of the plummeting BS levels. I have been testing
every couple of hours to make sure I do not go too low. Again, I
would really appreciate hearing the experience of anyone else who
is using Byetta. Thank you.
On Thu May 3 15:19:28 2007 Linderb () said:
Energy, wow that sounds great! I sure hope so
On Thu May 3 15:06:40 2007 Julie () said:
Glipizide, I think that one increases insulin, 5 mg sounds like a
small dose. I've been on Glucophage/Metformin which gave me a lot
of stomach grief esp. if I ate too many carbs at one sitting. Your
170 is a lot! better than your 200-250 from a few weeks ago. Maybe
getting more sugar into your muscles will give you more energy too
:)
On Thu May 3 11:47:14 2007 Linderb () said:
My doctor has put me on Glipizide 5 mg. Has anyone taken this? My
levels are hanging around 170 in the mornings with diet and
exercise so I sure hope this gets me down to normal so I can
maintain on my own. I'm just a baby to diabetes II and I desire
anyones comments and support. Thanks
On Wed May 2 21:39:03 2007 Linderb () said:
I hate to say that I don't know what the medicine is yet. I turned
it into the drug store and will pick it up in the am. I'll post it
tomorrow. Should I try to go to a diabetic specialist doctor
instead of a general physician?
On Wed May 2 19:17:03 2007 Sam () said:
Linderb...good job! I'm glad you got to the Doc. There is a lot to
learn, so don't let it overwhelm you. There is much info here. It's
not a "live" chat, but the people are very aware & helpful. I
know a lot, but I am a type 1 on an insulin pump. Also...got a
cortizone shot in my kneecap today...OWCH! I begin P.T. next week.
I forgot how cortizone raises sugars.
On Wed May 2 17:48:42 2007 Julie () said:
Linderb, can I ask you what meds? It's ok if you'd rather not
say.
On Wed May 2 16:26:29 2007 () said:
If you are diabetic and have never had a reading over 200 you are
very lucky. And must be type 2. Type one's are harder to control
and can often get a high reading for no reason. So if you have
never had one count your blessings
On Wed May 2 16:01:02 2007 Linderb () said:
Well, I finally got my Dr's nurse to call me back and my doctor
wanted to see me today. She confirmed that I am now have diabetes
II and has given me some medication. I'm going to try to take the
medication until my levels are normal and then try to control it on
my own with exercise and diet. She's kinda concerned with the
symptoms I've already had but now maybe I'll be able to keep a
handle on it. Thanks so much. I'll keep a part of this chat site
and learn all I can.
On Wed May 2 14:31:15 2007 () said:
I have diabetes and I've never had a reading as high as 200 in my
life.
On Wed May 2 14:03:04 2007 () said:
Linderb...if your sugars are running over 200+..you have diabetes
and are probably a type 2. Go to your Library and get a book or 3
on what to do, eat, ect. P.S. blood sugar levels below 140 are
normal. What is this clinic doing? This is wrong!
On Wed May 2 07:50:23 2007 Linderb () said:
Thanks for your comments. I feel kinda alone on this. I do have a
doctor's appointment but it's not for 3 more weeks and I really
don't want to wait to get answers. I'm very dissappointed that her
nurse doesn't return my calls just for info. I was hoping since I
couldn't do the other test that she would go ahead and order the
A1C level test. I guess I'll keep trying. I'm glad I found this
site, I've already learned alot about something I don't even know I
have yet. I'll keep you posted. Thank you again! Have a great
day!
On Wed May 2 05:43:34 2007 () said:
Hi Linderb. Oh, it's scary all right! Your doc is the best place to
find an answer for your question, "Do I have diabetes?" But if your
meter says your blood glucose is over 200 every day, you have
diabetes-level sugars roaming your bloodstream. That sugar can
cause damage, so it's a good thing you're working to get them down.
Congratulations on your success so far!
By the way, sugar comes from 2 places, what you eat, and what your
liver makes. So if you've been cutting back on eating sugar and
starches but your meter still reads high, it could be that your
liver is pumping it out. Also, your cells may be becoming resistant
to insulin, insulin helps get sugar out of the blood and into
cells. That could be a third reason your meter reads high.
Scroll down to Sam's comment "That meter reading, and A1C level are
all that count." He's absolutely right. I don't see why you
couldn't get a blood test now for your A1C. It would tell you how
your sugars have been for the last 3 months or so.
On Wed May 2 00:28:57 2007 Linderb () said:
Also, how long should it take to get down to normal levels with
strick dieting and increasing activity? I've been at it for a week
and it's only dropped 50 points and is still over 200. Can't get
into see the doctor for 3 weeks and I have so many questions. It's
scarry
On Wed May 2 00:06:11 2007 Linderb () said:
I just had a yearly routine blood work done and it showed my sugar
levels had spiked real high. I was told to get a home tester and
test every morning. I was then to have a 3 hour test done at the
lab to determine if I have diabetes. Well, every morning my blood
sugar has been over 200 - 250 and they can't do the test at the lab
unless it's 140 or less. I can't get my Dr's office to call me on
what to do. Do I have diabetes just because my levels are so high
day after day? Thanks
On Tue May 1 15:12:14 2007 Birmingham, Alabama () said:
Does anyone have experience using Byetta injections with insulin
shots and metformin? I just started taking it this week and would
like to have some user reviews. Didn't find anything on the 'net
from users, but found plenty of online pharms selling it. I would
appreciate hearing about it from actual users. Thank you!
On Tue May 1 13:12:53 2007 Sam () said:
That meter reading, and A1c level are all that count. How you get
to different levels is individual. We are all different. I got type
1, juvenile onset at 50! I had been exposed to a toxic chemical,
while a kid in grade school. It stayed in my bones and attacked my
weakest system..endocrine..late in life. Excercise is important. I
wear a pump, and use Novalog in it. After awhile it's an easy thing
to do...for me. Humalog & Novalog are both fast acting analog
insulins. Many of us use different methods of dealing with this
disease, but the results are what count. The reading on your meter.
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