Friday, March 28, 2008

Hello/GoodBuy--Byetta


Though I haven't talked about it in any great detail here, I have started Byetta to control my Insulin Resistance and PCOS. It was a tough choice--the doctor's agreeing to put me on it was not necessarily for the same reasons that I wanted to be on it (he wants me to lose weight, I want to stabilize my weight and then go from there).

I have been on it for about three weeks now. It's a pain because it's an injection pen. The injection is barely noticeable, except for the fact that I now have a couple of bruises on my stomach from the injection sites. They don't hurt, they're just there.

I was fearing the worst in terms of side effects. Luckily my body (which has had its share of medicine chucked at it over the years) was resilient and I have yet to have any really disturbing effects. Some nausea, but to be honest, I'm nauseous half the time anyhow.

I have noticed that it has decreased my appetite immensely--which during my trip to Vegas made the trips to the buffet a little less economical. One plate for $25 is not the same as if I had stocked up. Nevertheless, I was dilligent for the first half of my vacation. I gave up the last few days. It wasn't any real choice--I just forgot.

But I have noticed my weight stabalizing, even after the great Lyrica Disaster of 2008. I may have even dropped a few of those added pounds, which would be nice. But more importantly, I feel as if my hunger isn't driving me unnecessarily now.

Sometimes with insulin resistance, part of the problem is not only that your body can't process carbs, but that your body craves them uncontrollably. I learned this after first being diagnosed with IR and reading the Insulin Resistance Diet. Once you get the insatiability under control, I've noticed, you're better focused and less tired. I feel like the Byetta has helped me do just that.

This has played into my whole Thin Line of Fat situation, though. Now that I've stabilized and that I've made progress with the PFD--am I ready to go back to the gym? Am I ready to tackle a low carb, high protein diet? Will it even matter? I guess only time can tell.

For now I'm just catching up on life post-vacation. One small step for me, one giant leap for my insulin resistance.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

You might want to check out this website for some more help with Byetta and

http://diabetes.blog.com/771702/?page=last#cmts

This Discussion Forum is for discussion of PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), a disorder involving insulin resistance that may affect women.

Anonymous said...

I recently came across this site which features an article on the so-called "Fertility Diet." It includes eating foods high in unsaturated fat, protein (from vegetables), iron, and high-fat dairy foods. It's also supposed to contribute to those who have poor blood sugar control due to insulin resistance. Some examples the article gives of food that promote fertility in women are canola oils, veggie proteins (tempeh, tofu) butter, cheese, legumes, and meats!