BYDUREON ONCE WEEKLY EXENATIDE

[Osidge]

Re: weekly Injection

You are fortunate being given Bydureon. My Local NHS Trust will not allow the prescribing of Bydureon other than by consultants until NICE finally say it is policy to do so - expected in February 2012.

Regards

Doug

 

[Steve D]

Re: weekly Injection

Yes, I think my life style helped, I do miss taking my tablets, sometimes my own fault as I get involved in something and skip meals so skip meds and at other times due to work. I can go 7 or 8 hours before next meal from breakfast. A once a week injection would solve that problem and I believe a side effect is the reduction of weight from around the waist which would be great. Although not looking forward to injecting I am looking forward to getting back to some sort of normality.

 

[Helenababe]

Re: weekly Injection

Does this mean in 2012 we will all be offered it, or will we have to ask for it?

Helena

 

[Steve D]

Re: weekly Injection

probably have to ask as it's more costly

 

[Osidge]

Re: weekly Injection

I agree with Steve that we will probably have to ask for it but I have read somewhere that it will not be the most costly of the new diabetes treatments. If you are under the care of a diabetes consultant there is the possibility that you might get it before February if you can make a case for having it.

Regards

Doug

 

[SJW63]

Re: weekly Injection

I went for my annual review (diabetes specialist nurse at my surgery) and was ready for a fight to get Byetta and would have asked for a referal to my consultant if necessary. I didn't even get to ask, I was immediately offered Bydureon! I was amazed as previous requests for Byetta had been dismissed as I 'wasn't bad enough'.

I have finally got Metformin off my prescription - I just can't cope with the side effects
I had previously been told that I didn't 'qualify' for other treatments if I didn't take them in conjunction with metformin and that if I stopped taking metformin Januvia would be withdrawn!!

I suspect this sudden prescribing of Bydureon has come about due to me taking part in a Diabetes trial last year. I chatted a lot while I was at the hospital for that, and established that no, I didn't have to take metformin to qualify for other treatments, and that Byetta or Bydureon would be ideal for me. The hospital wrote to my GP once I had finished the trial .....

 

[sam101]

Hi,

I am planning to ask for taking BYDUREON in place of byetta..Can anyone update me how effective the drug is any side effects..ANy issues with needle size..And also is the drug effective for 1 week

Please update me,

Sam

 

[stephenT2]

Hi Sam,

I'll post my answer here though you have posted the same question twice on a different thread too!

I've been on Bydureon now for around 8 weeks, after being on Byetta for 3 years. The needle is about the same length, but it is thicker. Occassionally it catches me out, and I have to make two 'stabs' to get the thing in. In addition, it does make me bleed a little but this is primarily due to another driug I am on called Warfarin which is a blood thinner. I'm sure 'normal' people won't have that issue.

As for blood sugar control, it is the same as I was getting with Byetta, though the convenience of injecting once/week instead of 14 times/week is just huge. I've experienced no significant side effects, and am now looking forward to the development of the 'monthly' version!

I would definitely ask for it - it's a real lifestyle improvement over your current daily routine...

 

[Osidge]

Hi all

Just an update. I had my 3-monthly diabetes checkup yesterday and, following asking for Bydureon 3 months previously, I was offered it. My GPSID wants me to remain on 3-monthly review as I am her first patient on Bydureon and she wants to track my progress. My last Byetta injection was this morning and my first Bydureon injection was this evening. It took a while to set the injection up and the needle is thicker than that on a Byetta pen. I bled a small amount but pressure soon stopped that. No more injections for a week. Yippee!!

Doug

 

[stephenT2]

Well done Doug. It took me 4 weeks before I was confident on the procedure for getting the injection prepared without the aid of the very good instruction booklet. The freedom of only having to inject once/week is wonderful - I'm sure the results will work out for you...

You're probably aware, but there is a dedicated website set up for Bydureon users were you can register to get a text sent to you as a reminder to take it (you select the time/day of the text)

https://www.bydureonbyyourside.co.uk/login_form

The 'activation code' is BYDUK - best wishes,

Stephen

 

[Colinmc]

Hi all this is my first post so please bear with me

I see there are various questions about the drug Bydureon and side effects etc.

I have been taking the once weekly injection for just over 2 years (I was on the trial)
I still take Metformin and Glycazide and am managing my levels well below 10 but rarely below 5

I hate needles so once a week is brilliant.

Side effects for me have included the odd lump in stomach but these slowly disappear. Some nausea still and definitely a reduction in what I eat etc and even if I want to eat.Often the evening of the injection i do not want to eat. Has resulted in the loss of about 10kgs

Otherwise going on fine.

 

[Lizardfan]

I started my Bydureon on Feb. 15, so far, so good! My blood sugar levels have started creeping up a bit, the DE said it was normal and could be that way for up to six weeks. Anyone have their numbers start out really good and then start rising? I am having no other issues with it at all. Byetta made me really nauseated at first but Bydureon is not making me ill at all. Thanks for your help.

 

[Lizardfan]

Bump?

 

[Jude]

TO ALL THOSE WHO SWITCHED FROM TWICE DAILY TO ONCE WEEKLY

I have recently had to go back on Byetta 5 due to feeling so dreadful in the mornings on 10 (please do not offer any advice - have been on Byetta for 18months on its own then back on it 12 months now alongside insulin!)

I am going to ask if I can change to Bydureon and would like to hear from people who have been on byetta then changed - how long did it take your body to adjust to the change? Have you tolerated it better with it being distributed 24/7? I am wondering if the bydureon works better to help weight loss? After losing 14 kilos on byetta originally I was then put onto insulin due to bgs and I put that 14 kilos back on virtually overnight so now the Consultant ha put me back on byetta to try and help the weight but it has NOT helped at all.

Thank for any advice. Jude

 

[Jude]

Back again!

Have spoken to my diabetes nurse and she is coming to see me next week to discuss going on to Bydureon. I asked her how many patients she had that were on it and she said none! She said no one wants to go on it when they see the size of the needle!! I definitely need some positive comment from thoe of you who are experienced!!

Many thanks, Jude

 

[Osidge]

Hi Jude

The needle is certainly thicker. It has to be, however, as Byetta is a liquid but Bydureon is a suspension with tiny time-release "balls" in it. Whereas with Byetta the needle almost drifted through the skin, I have found, through trial and error, that the easiest, and painless, way to inject Bydureon is via a quick, hard jab. *****-footing around seems to cause more pain - but, even then, not a lot. I do have the Bydureon "bumps" but they do go away after a number of weeks.

Hope this helps

Doug

 

[Jude]

Hi Doug

Many thanks for your response - how long have you been on the bydureon and have you benefitted in other ways as well as only one injection a week? As I said on my other post, I was succeful on byetta with losing 14kilos but the bgs did not come down enough and I was put onto insulin - this did the trick with the bgs but my weight came back virtually overnight! If I knew then what I know now I would have asked to go on insulin alongside the byetta ....... anyway, I am hoping the bydureon will help with me not wanting to eat because it will be dripping into my system slowly - I do hope my logic is correct!
I have recently had to change back down to the 5 byetta due to feeling so unwell in the mornings and although the nausea has now gone I am still very sleepy until about 12.30pm so am hoping again that the way the bydureon is dripped into my body will help these issues too.
When do you take your injection? I am thinking that before bed would probably be the best for me. My consultant has also referred me to a bariatric consultant to see about a gastric band because I have become so dispondent about my weight but I would prefer to do it myself and am hopeful that the bydureon will help me!!
Anything you think might be of help please tell me.

Many thanks, Jude

 

[Jude]

Bump!

Would someone please get back to me with some advice??

Thank you

Jude

 

[Jude]

I am very disapointed that no one has got back to me on this thread. However, my hospital consultant said I could have it but our hospital does not prescribe it and my GP has written to whatever the local committee is to see if she can prescribe it for me. I am sure they will not precribe it for me and I am totally fed up. I am b ack on byetta 5 because I get such a bad reaction in a morning so to try and improve m y control am giving myself 2 injections of the byetta 5 in the evening as that dose does not cause me any trouble.
My local chemist said it would cost me £100 a week to buy it privately so that is definitely out as I am ill-health retired with a very small pension. :cry:

 

[Osidge]

Hi Jude

If your area are happy to prescribe Byetta then it would make no sense in not allowing Bydureon as there is little cost difference and it does have NICE approval. My HbA1c is now down to 5.8 and my metformin is down to 500mg once a day. I have lost about 10kg of weight and I am reducing my BP meds.

Regards

Doug