Bydurion or Exanatide

[revenant]

Hi. New around here but I've been Type 2 for about 12 years. I'm currently on 4 x 500 mg Metformin SR (which is to continue) and 100 mg Sitagliptin (which is to cease - see below).

I've been offered Exanatide daily injections or Bydurion weekly ones combined with the current dose of Metformin. This is because my sugars have steadily risen from 5 to 13 since Rimonabant was taken off the market (that was the magic bullet for me and alas there is no replacement).

I have a choice between daily injections and weekly ones. When it comes down to how many times you want to stick a needle in yourself it's a no-brainer, but I wanted to ask about people's experiences with side effects. I understand that nausea can be a problem with both of them (which I am not looking forward to) but in people's experiences is it any worse with one form or the other?

My diabetic nurse also informs me that the injection sites with Bydurion (weekly) form soft pea-sized swelings which take a clouple of months to go down. Has anyone had a probem with this?

The weight loss aspect of Exanatide/Bydurion sounds great - but does it only work because you feel too sick to eat?

 

[Fraddycat]

Hi Revenant, welcome to the forum. I'm sorry I don't know the answer to your question but I will bump your post up so someone else might see it and answer.

 

[fairylights]

I have not tried the weekly injection but I have been on byetta (exenatide) since June (after being on insulin for a month following diagnosis in May).
For me it is a wonder drug - I really had no side effects - maybe felt a bit queasy for the first week - but I found that if I didn't eat so much then it wasn't so bad - the dietician did tell me to stop eating as soon as I feel full. I have never felt hungry since I have been on byetta, most days I eat between 1200-1600 calories and I have lost over 4 stone since June.

 

[revenant]

For me it is a wonder drug - I really had no side effects - maybe felt a bit queasy for the first week - but I found that if I didn't eat so much then it wasn't so bad - the dietician did tell me to stop eating as soon as I feel full. I have never felt hungry since I have been on byetta, most days I eat between 1200-1600 calories and I have lost over 4 stone since June.

Thank you, that's very encouraging.

 

[Welshie]

Hi there this is my first post on here and I have been on Bydureon for several months now. There was some sickness feeling at first but this wore off after a few weeks and wasn't severe enough to bother me to much. Now I find if I eat to much Its like a "stop signal" the feedback from your stomach is pronounced and you know you have to stop. As far as my weight is concerned I'm down about a stone in weight despite regular golf and gym attendance so I find this a little soul destroying but hey such is life.

I was (still remain) a needle phobic and struggled with the fact I had to go on injections, so once a week as you say was a no brainer, and despite my phobia I have not faltered once with my injections, something I'm very proud of. The little pea size lumps are nothing really although it seems strange feeling them under the skin they don't cause any bother and are a little funny to me. The one good thing regarding this treatment is that in the first three months of taking it my numbers dropped considerably and that is a relief for me, currently I'm waiting for a re visit to find out my current numbers and I will keep people posted



kind regards

Anthony

 

[Dennis]

Hi Revenant,

I can't help you with Bydurion, but I was one of the first in the UK to be given Byetta (exenatide) in 2007 and am still on it. Yes, it can cause nausea but this seems to vary between the sexes (women seem to suffer more than men) but can be alleviated by timing when you inject. With Byetta you can inject up to an hour before eating, but the closer to eating you inject then the less risk there is of nausea. Obviously that wouldn't apply to Bydurion as you would only inject once a week.

Both Bydurion and exenatide slow the rate at which food is absorbed in the stomach, so make you feel fuller. This in turn makes you go for smaller portions, which helps you to lose weight.

Dennis

 

[benedict]

Just for info -which may be helpful if you need to discuss with your GP or a specialist.

Exenatide is the medical name for both Byetta and Bydureon

Byetta is a form of exenatide that is taken twice daily
Bydureon is a form of exenatide that lasts over the course of a week -and is therefore injected once a week

So it is essentially the same drug with the same mechanism of action (way of working).

The main differences are that Bydureon need only be injected once a week rather than twice daily but may be more expensive for your GP practice -partly on account of it being a newer form of the drug.

In terms of detail about differences in side effects, it may be worth looking at the following site -a site developed by the manufacturer of Byetta and Bydureon
http://www.bydureonhcp.com/

All the best
Benedict

 

[Osidge]

Hi

I was on Byetta for a period, with no side effects (and the injections are twice daily not daily!) and I lost a load of weight. As a consequence my metformin went down from 1850mg to 500mg per day and my blood pressure medication was decreased. Great. I then went on Bydureon with its once a week injection (with a much thicker needle and, for me, bleeding from the injection sites) - oh and the bumps. My HbA1c got lower but then I started to put the weight I lost back on. I am awaiting an HbA1c result but I have just negotiated with my HCP to resume Byetta to see if I can get my weight back down. As Benedict says, Byetta and Bydureon are the same drug but, in my case, did not have the same effects.

Regards

Doug

 

[DogPsyche]

Re: Bydureon or Exanatide

I've just taken my first dose of Bydureon after a very successful trial of Byetta. Just thought I'd pop on here and check for side effects... :crazy:

The best thing is that I no longer have to eat if I'm not hungry just to take my meds! Yay! :thumbup:

Edited to add: OK, a few hours later & not a sign of sickness or nausea... Mmm.. suspicious but quietly pleased!