I had mentioned in a prior post that at the advice of my doctor I had begun taking Byetta to help control my Type2 Diabetes. I have just seen an FDA warning about Byetta causing Pancreatitis in 30 reported cases. So far, no deaths…but do I want to be the first?

Byetta works great for controlling my type 2 diabetes. Made as a synthetic version of the Gila Monster’s saliva, it assists in the way that your stomach empties, causing a slower release of glucose into your system and it also stimulates the part of the brain which sends the signal of feeling full to your stomach.

It has been shown that Byetta can cause modest weight loss in those who take it. Byetta is like an appetite suppressant and a diabetes medication all in one. To good to be true right? Right.

The FDA released a warning earlier this week advising that Byetta has been linked to 30 confirmed cases of acute inflamed pancreatitus. The drug companies, Amylin and Eli Lilly, who co-developed this product will need to add this warning to it’s Byetta warning labels.

Before we all get crazy about the FDA’s warning about Byetta let’s look at the facts:

• Over 700,000 people use Byetta twice daily and of that amount only 30 cases of pancreatitis have been presented so far
• Of the 30 cases…none involved death. That’s always a good thing.
• Only 5 of the 30 cases of pancreatitis involved more serious complications like kidney failure.
• 22 of the reported pancreatitis cases involved the patient returning to full health once the Byetta was stopped.

I also wonder if the diabetic people in India taking Byetta have been notified about this warning.

The FDA also went on to report that 27 of the 30 cases also had at least one other risk factor for pancreatitis…yeah, I think it’s called diabetes? Anyway, it seems that while serious, pancreatitis is treatable. If you are aware of the possible risk for pancreatitis while taking Byetta you will be able to spot it at early onset.

Warning Signs Of Pancreatitis

• Pain in the upper middle part of the abdomen
• Pain in upper left or upper right of abdomen
• Pain throughout the abdomen
• Pain traveling straight to the mid-back region

A bit vague? Yes. So I guess the best advice to follow would be that if you are on Byetta and you start to experience any severe abdominal pain, in any area of the abdomen, that you contact your doctor immediately.

As for me, there was a period of a couple of days that I thought I was going to stop using Byetta all together. Then came the rise in my blood glucose level and I decided that for now, I will continue to use Byetta. The small risk of Byetta induced Pancreatitis seems acceptable faced with the alternative of having high glucose levels causing permanent damage to my organs.

Related Posts

1. How Byetta Helped My Out of Control Diabetes
2. What Does the Diabetes Drug Byetta and the Gila Monster Have in Common with Causes Weight Loss?
3. BYETTA Let’s Talk in Boston

Unfortunately Type 2 Diabetes has the highest denial rate of any disease known to man. I know this to be true from my own experience.

When I was diagnosed with having diabetes in the year 2000, I did not change anything about my lifestyle for a long time. It wasn’t until I started having more pronounced symptoms that I made any changes.

What I find interesting is that most doctors believe that denial is part of the normal process in which a patient must go through in accepting the responsibilities of this disease. It’s as if your brain just cannot grasp, at one time, all of the lifestyle changes that will need to be made in order to battle diabetes.

Some of the effects of denial associated with diabetes would be not testing your blood glucose level regularly. You may think that you know what your level is by the way you are feeling. Another would be not changing your diet. What would one bite hurt? As anyone with diabetes knows, testing your levels and eating an appropriate diet are fundamental responsibilities for diabetes care.

Once you get over the initial denial and make the necessary lifestyle changes you will see that you will be happier and healthier for it. But another risk pops up… complacency. When you are having success in your battle of diabetes you may fall back into denial because you think everything is ok. Your sugar levels have been fine so why do you need to keep checking them so often? You haven’t had any sweets for so long, what would one dessert hurt?

It is very common for this to occur. The best thing that you can do once you have noticed yourself slipping is to just get back on track. The longer you go without really taking care of yourself the more long term damage you are doing to your body.

Be proactive, be aware and most of all be happy.

Related Posts

1. How Byetta Helped My Out of Control Diabetes
2. Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes – What Do I Do Now?
3. Getting Back On Track With Your Diabetes Care

Small amounts of alcohol will not hinder your control over diabetes but there are some precautions that diabetics should take to make sure that alcohol can be safely enjoyed. If you are diabetic and are currently treated with either tablets or insulin the main risk that you face with consuming alcohol is that alcohol could make you more prone to hypoglycemia. Despite how I feel this morning after getting wasted last night.

Hypoglycemia, which most diabetics already know, is when your blood sugar level drops down to an unsafe level.

The problem is, how is someone going to tell if you are experiencing hypoglycemia or if you are just drunk? Many of the early warning signs of hypoglycemia are mimicked by alcohol. Your friends may not seek help for you until you lose consciousness and maybe not even at that point. Come on, you’ve never seen anybody pass out drunk? Sometimes beer and diabetes don’t mix.

Another problem with a Diabetic consuming alcohol is that if done on a regular basis it can cause you to gain weight. Gaining weight while battling diabetes is pretty much the opposite of what you need to be doing. Weight gain is going to cause a diabetic to lose control over their disease.

Let’s not forget that when you are drunk your judgment could become impaired. This impaired judgment could lead to you eating a whole bunch of things you shouldn’t be eating. Oh, I don’t know, say you’re out on the town and before you know it…last call. Next thing you know you are stumbling into a sub shop that’s open late and stuffing your face with a foot long sub. Not good.

Moderation, awareness and good judgment are key when a diabetic is consuming alcohol. It’s good to remember that just because you may be out having a grand old time doesn’t mean that you are taking a vacation from your diabetes.

You still need to be checking your blood sugar levels and being very aware of any early signs that something is not right.

As for the moderation piece, experts consider a sensible drinking limit to be about 3 alcoholic drinks per day. So 21 per week. Here’s my question: Can you save up all of your daily drinks for consumption on Saturday night? Joking…kind of.

Related Posts

1. How Byetta Helped My Out of Control Diabetes
2. 100 Beers That Can Raise Your Blood Sugar and Produce Hyperglycemia
3. I Drink Alcohol Not Green Tea to Reduce My Diabetes Risks

Jason Statham in “diabetes”

A sweet summer blockbuster guaranteed to get your blood sugar level rising.

Jason Statham stars in diabetes

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1. Reader Email – I am a 56 year old diabetic…

Filed under: Care

diabetes doesn’t have to limit your options. You can still enjoy your life while minimizing your chances of complications. This time of year, it is especially important to be mindful of your health because illnesses can quickly become serious.

When your body is fighting an infection, it produces stress hormones that counteract insulin. Therefore, you may need more insulin to keep blood sugar levels down. People with type 2 diabetes who normally take oral medications may temporarily require insulin injections.

To better manage your diabetes, try these tips:

• Monitor your blood sugar. Practice good blood sugar control by monitoring your blood sugar levels regularly. You should also have a glycosylated hemoglobin test ever three to six months.
• Practice good health habits. Visit your doctor and dentist regularly, exercise often and eat a healthy, varied diet.
• Have an annual eye exam. This should be done from the time of diagnosis in people with type 2 diabetes, and starting five years after diagnosis in people with type 1 diabetes.
• Avoid illness by staying up-to-date on your immunizations.

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Filed under: Care

Recognizing the symptoms of diabetes can often help you get a proper diagnosis and treatment. There are currently 5.7 million people who have undiagnosed diabetes in the United States, according to the American diabetes Association.

Symptoms of type 1 diabetes usually come on quickly within days or weeks. The following can be signs of type 1 diabetes:

• Your appetite has increased, and you’re still losing weight.
• You’re fatigued or irritable.
• Your vision is blurry.
• You’re dehydrated.

Once diagnosed, you will still experience high and low blood sugar levels. High blood sugar levels develop slowly. Low blood sugar levels can develop in minutes. Symptoms of low blood sugar include sweating, weakness and hunger. Symptoms of high blood sugar include increased thirst and urination.

Check out AOL Health for more information on diagnosing diabetes.

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Filed under: Diet, Lifestyle, Exercise

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes in the United States, but it is also the most preventable kind of diabetes.

Here are eight simple tips to lower your type 2 diabetes risk.

1) Lose 10 pounds.

2) Walk. People who exercise about 35 minutes a day dropped their risk of diabetes by 80% according to a Finnish study.

3 Eat the right cereal. Look for cereals that are high fiber, watch for hidden sugars and skip those that list brown sugar, corn sweetner, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, high fructose corn syrup, invert sugar, maltose, malt syrup, molasses, sugar and sucrose as the first three ingredients.

4) Ditch the drive-thru. Regular fast-food splurges increase your risk of diabetes.

5) Grab some veggies. Women who ate read meat at least five times a week had a 29% higher risk of type 2 diabetes than those who ate it less than once a week. Eating processed meats like bacon and hot dogs five times a week raised type 2 diabetes risk, too.

6) Relax. Chronic stress can send blood sugar levels soaring. Start your day with yoga or meditation, take deep breaths and devote some quality “me” time to make your life easier.

7) Sleep just enough. Getting too little or too much sleep increases interferes with hormones that regulate blood sugar.

Keep Good Friends. diabetes affects women who live alone more than those who live with a partner, other adults or children. Those who live alone are more likely to have poor eating habits and drink or smoke more.

Check out AOL Health for more diabetes prevention tips

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Filed under: Adult Onset, Research

Women who have a diabetic sibling are more likely to develop gestational diabetes than women who have two diabetic parents, according to a recent study in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Gestational diabetes occurs in about 135,000 U.S. women each year, usually when they are around 24-28 weeks pregnant. Often, stress from pregnancy affects the mother’s ability to produce insulin, and she develops abnormally high blood sugar. There can be several pregnancy complications related to this illness, including having a larger-than-normal baby.

“Sibling-only history may be a greater risk factor than previously documented,” study author Catherine Kim of the University of Michigan Medical School and colleagues wrote.

The results, based on a study of 4,566 mothers, showed that when a woman has a diabetic sibling, she is seven times more likely to develop gestational diabetes. When both of a woman’s parents have diabetes, her likelihood of developing gestational diabetes only doubles.

Researchers now believe that gestational diabetes may follow a different inheritance pattern than type 2 diabetes. If both of a woman’s parents have diabetes, she is eight times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.

Women are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes after they have had gestational diabetes; but, more studies are needed to determine which women who have had gestational diabetes are particularly high risk for type 2 diabetes.

Visit AOL Health for more information on diabetes care and management during pregnancy.

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Filed under: Care

Most people make resolutions to lose weight in January. For diabetics, sticking to a meal plan is more about staying healthy than looking great.

Your diet should be low in saturated fats, cholesterol and sweets. It should also be high in fiber, fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Your dietitian can help create an individualized meal plan, but the basics will be the same regardless of your health status.

People with diabetes should get most (45-55%) of their daily calories from complex carbohydrates including vegetables, whole-grain breads and cereals. The simple sugars found in low-fat dairy and fruit are included as healthy carbohydrates, too.

It’s important to remember that blood glucose levels can be affected by how foods are prepared. Raw veggies are digested more slowly than those that have been cooked. Fruit juices will affect your blood-sugar level faster than eating a piece of fruit.

Make sure to limit your sugar and alcohol as well as fats. Diabetics can consume sugar as long as they plan for it and adjust their insulin dosage accordingly. Alcohol must be treated in a similar way.

Those with diabetes should opt for polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats reduce LDL cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol.

Dietary goals are different depending on the type of diabetes you have. Check AOL Health for more information on how to improve your diet.

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Filed under: Complications

If you’ve been avoiding your annual flu shot, it’s time to get a vaccine.

Today has been designated the National Influenza Vaccination Week’s vaccination day for people with chronic health conditions. This year, vaccinations against H1N1 or swine flu and regular influenza are recommended.

It’s extremely important that those with chronic conditions get the vaccine because they are at higher risk for serious flu-related complications like pneumonia. High-risk chronic conditions include asthma, diabetes, heart disease, kidney and liver disorders, neurological disorders, blood disorders, cancer and HIV or AIDS. A pneumococcal vaccine to prevent pneumonia is also recommended for people with diabetes.

After you get your flu shot, remember to take any antiviral medications your doctor might prescribe. Also, follow general best-practice strategies for flu prevention like washing your hands and covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze. Typically, the flu season last until May, but it’s especially important to be vigilant during the winter months.

Check out AOL Health to learn about other diabetes complications.

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