Any Type 1s out there that have used Byetta?
My goal in using it is better BG control and mostly weight loss (about 25-30 pounds overweight). I had been trying to Victoza but insurance wouldn’t cover and really expensive.
Insurance also wouldn’t cover Byetta (currently only approved for Type 2s) and I’m appealing that currently. Don’t have high hopes they’ll cover it but I may pay for it outright for a few months to lose the weight.
Have you tried Symlin? It’s a synthetic form of amylin, another hormone that gets knocked out of the pancreas with Type 1. It’s not critical, but it’s helpful because it signals to your body that you’re full. It works super fast. You inject it just as you start to eat, and within like 2 minutes you are FULL, and you literally cannot eat anything else. And you stay that way for a few hours. Lots of leftovers and doggy bags! I started it a few years ago and thought, “Oh, is this how normal people feel when they eat too much?” I used to eat and eat and eat, with little to no feeling of fullness. When you take it, you program your pump to take a portion of the insulin up front, then the rest you dual wave over a few hours. And it reduces your insulin needed, too. The amounts vary by person. Ask your doc about it to see if it might be good for you.
I did try Symlin a number of years ago for a relatively short period of time. The nausea wasn’t great but I understand that dissipates over time. At the time I was mostly going for better BG control and not weight loss.
When I went to my doc last month it was actually with the intent of exploring using Symlin again and that’s when she recommended Victoza. Might be worth revisiting the Symlin conversation again particularly if the Byetta is not covered either.
Thanks for your reply.