• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

BYETTA

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi Youseff.

The diabetes nurse showed my how to use Byetta and that I have to take it one hour before eating.
Click to expand...

What the Nurse said is incorrect. Check the Patient Information leaflet supplied with the Drug.

The correct instructions for Byetta is to inject at ANY time WITHIN the 60 minutes BEFORE your morning and evening meals. You do not have to wait for an hour !
 
Re: Anyone use Byetta?

I started taking Byetta 2 weeks ago. First week was really bad with sickness etc :| but this week has been alot better but I'm so tired. I'm nornally a late night person but the last 2 weeks been in bed by 9pm. Anyone else found that???? :|
 
Re: Byetta with Insulin

Hi Milly,

I'm afraid you have been alarmed unnecessarily about pancreatitis. Last year there was an article in a US paper claiming that people who take Byetta have been dying from pancreatitis. The US drugs authorities, instead of checking whether there was any truth in the story, immediately instructed the manufacturers to publish a warning that Byetta can cause pancreatitis.

When the FDA finally investigated the situation they found that patients who take Byetta are actually TEN TIMES LESS LIKELY to suffer from pancreatitis than people who don't take Byetta!! Unfortunately when stories like this newspaper report become known, they tend to stick, regardless of whether or not they may be true. I find it interesting that this US news item was published shortly before a rival manufacturer announced that they would soon be marketing a rival to Byetta. It does make you wonder just who it was who paid the journalist to fabricate a lie about Byetta just at that particular point in time!

So, whilst your doctor's advice to seek help if you suffer from unexpected stomach pains is very sensible, the chances that the pains would be pancreatitis are a great deal less than they would have been if you weren't on Byetta.
 
Re: Anyone use Byetta?

I have been on Byetta now since i was diagnosed christmas eve 2007 i also take 3 1000mg of metformin to go with it,i have to say i have had no real problems or side effects with it and all my readings are good,i was with my endocrinoligist about a month ago and he is happy with my progress,he has cut my blood testing down from four times to once a day and i dont have to go back to him for a year although he did say he wont always be able to leave it that long,he was going to switch me from byetta to another similiar drug which you only inject once a day as he decided not to put me on it i didnt ask about it just wondering if anyone has heard of a rival to byetta which is injected just once a day?
 
Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi Nabser,

You have been on Byetta almost as long as me!

The new once-a-day injection is called liraglutide (brand name Victoza). I was just about to post a link to the thread but I see Ken beat me to it!
 
Re: Byetta and alcohol

hi all,

I am on my third month of Byetta and also have taken Metformin for over two years. Has any of the long time users of Byetta had any trouble with mixing Byetta and alcohol? I dont mean excesive drinking, just a couple of drinks once a month!! Thank you. :?
 
Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi traceyH.

For what it's worth. Not at all. I usually have a meal and a couple of pints of Guinness each Friday. I inject just before the meal and whilst I have had a drink. No problems at all. Bg levels rise minimally then back to normal a couple of hours later.
 
Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi Dennis,

Thanks for your response re pancreatitis. I have to say I did wonder if it was a bit over the top and after reading all the other comments I think I have really made up my mind to go with the Byetta.

My husband is a little concerned but I have told him about all the comments made by everyone else on here, which has been a great help.

Thansk once again.

Milly
 
Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Yippee!
After 8 weeks on Byetta, I saw my GP this morning, he is amazed at the difference in my results, and he has agreed to prescribe it now, so no more private prescriptions
Vivienne
 
Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Brilliant news, congratulations and all that maybe you can spoil yourself with something nice instead of paying for the Byetta.


some good news at last

Phil
 
Re: Anyone use Byetta?

hi i am new to this site and was hoping for help as i feel like giving up byetta and going back to lantus. i have been on byetta from june 13th have lost 2 stones have blood sugars of 15 am on metformin and have had glicizide added couple of weeks ago. have no energy get headaches and suffer nausea. on sunday i injected and had a croissant 1 hour later had to go to bed had terrible headache and felt sick took about 4 hours to feel a little better. have not taken byetta since. would be grateful for any advice thanks
 
Re: Anyone use Byetta?

my daughter has been on the new byetta and has lost 5kg her sugars have gone down too. she is decreasing her lantus and novarapid as they are the best figures she has ever had since being diagnosed 6 years ago, has lot more energy too. she gets them on perscription ur gp can now do this , dont get more than 3 pens at once you wont need them. our GP didnt realise and gave her 10 but the nurse at the hospital said three is ample. shes a lot happier and more energy.
 
Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi shazscot and welcome to you. I have to say that if you are taking Byetta and still have BS levels of 15 then it sounds like your diet needs a thorough overhaul. There's only two things that can cause high blood sugars:
- too much carbohydrate in your diet creating an over-supply of glucose, or
- too little carbohydrate causing your liver to manufacture glucose to counteract the shortage.

The usual culprit is too much carb - generally as a result of following the terrible medical advice we are all given of "make sure you eat plenty of starchy carbs with every meal" - the worst possible advice that can be given to a diabetic. As far as the headaches are concerned, these could simply be the result of your hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) - I know I would have have an awful head and just want to lie down if I had BS of 15. If you can give us an idea of the type of things you would eat on a typical day then maybe we can come up with something that will reduce your BS levels and stop those headaches.
 
Re: Anyone use Byetta?

hi dennis i would first like to apologise for the time it has taken me to reply, this was due to problems with computer which my daughter has hopefully resolved. yes you are correct i was told to have carbs with every meal and have never been told to restrict them nor count them. i took 2 injections yesterday but had to make myself sick 1 hour after 2nd injection. had to do same this morning. usual day would be 1 slice toast 2 biscuits for breakfast 2 slice bread with cold meat for lunch and pastsa bolognese and crusty bread for dinner also couple of packets of crisps as snacks. again i would be grateful for any help thanks
 
Re: Anyone use Byetta?

HI
I am very new to the forum
I have had type 2 since the birth of my second child in 1997 and ahve been controlled over the last 2 years by gliclazide and Actos. I have put on 3 stone and feel totally awful
I was initially elated that my consultant has given me Byetta (yesterday) but i'm really worried about starting it, as I am a Midwife and dont want to be throwing up whilst i'm working.
I delayed it yesterday as I had a long night shift to do, but am not working for a few days now, so am going to start this evening ont he 5 mcg dose
Ive taken on board the advice to avoid spicy stuff.... is there anythng else i can do to help myself..
ive waited for this day for months..and now i'm quite frightened....
i am still taking 80mg gliclazide twice a day for the moment

Posts: 1
Joined: 9 minutes ago
Private message
 
Re: Anyone use Byetta?

I was worried too when I first started Byetta but I I was ill for 30 mins thats all, maybe I was lucky and when I uped the dose to 10 mg I had the sams 30 mins illness again and Ive been fine since then so maybe not everyone gets real bad effects, good luck and I hope it works well for you too as it has for me

Phil
 
Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Nurse Gladys,
I felt scared too, but having been on Byetta 5mls for nearly 9 weeks, it has been an excellent change to my medication mix, I've been very lucky as none of the sickness, nausea, diarrhoea symptoms have materialised. My BS, cholesterol and general health have all improved, not to forget weight loss of 13 kilos!
So I wish you luck too.
Vivienne
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…