BYETTA

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi Again.
Been on the Byetta injections for 9 days now and the nausea seems to be a lot less however this dinner I noticed lots of red bruises/marks at the injection sites on my abdomen. Is this common?? or is my darting to heavy?? Anyone else had problems with this.
Regards.

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi

Have just recently joined and am very impressed with the site. Its certainly good to have somewhere to ask questions as sometimes I think I must be a bit thick. One of my questions is does it matter if your injection has bubbles in it. The leaflet states not to worry about a small bubble but this morning I have loads of very tiny ones and 2 big ones. Does this affect the injecting? This is my second month and have just gone onto 10 the last 4 days. The other question I have is does anyone take vitamin pills. I take bionica 50 one a day and also glucosamine/chondroiton twice a day. I presume you can take these after breakfast and eveing meal as usual. My bloods are now down to 6.3 from 13.5, great

Many thanks for your wonderful site.

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi jengeo.
Welcome to the forum. Have a good look around and ask any further questions you wish.

In relation to your Byetta pen and air bubbles, as you rightly say there is usually one large bubble in the container. If you have lots of bubbles in there then something is amiss. Do you leave the needle attached to the pen ? If so this allows air to enter. This should NEVER be done.

If not then you need to contact the Pharmacy who supplied you and ask their advice. In either scenario the pen may need to be replaced.

Good results with your bloods BTW.

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Re the air bubbles- both of my pens have had small bubbles in - I think the second one had these from Day 1! I didn't worry too much about this as I am still here to tell the tale and don't leave the needles in. I will check this out with the pharmacy but I am guessing that they will say it is nothing to worry about. I reset my first pen after a few doses as the leaflet stresses that the arrow indicating that a full dose is delivered must be in the center of the window and it was not, but advice I got on here and from a specialist diabetes nurse was not to worry as long as I was able to reset the pen and had done the slow count to 10 before removing the needle.

Does make you paranoid all this doesn't it! Will report back when spoken to the pharmacist

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi

Well I am on day 3 of byetta and am feeling great. Cold & cough clearing up a bit now and I think through having that I didn't really notice the sickly feeling too much.

I normally munch a little between meals and have a nibble at night but I haven't even thought about doing it since I started, which is just great for me. It is now approaching time for a lunch time snack but I don't even feel like it - think I am going to have to force myself to hve it today.

I just hope the feeling stays like this.

Not showing a great difference in BS yet but not too bad.

Can I ask how much weight people have lost cos I am really hoping this to work also.

Bye for now.

RWJ

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi RWJ

Glad things are working out for you I have been on Byetta now for 37 days (one pen and one week in Byetta-speak!). I too have to force myself to have lunch which is a good thing for me! I do get the odd fancy for something mid afternoon but now feel I can't be bothered to get anything! I lost 9 lb in the first month and my nurse said she is happy with this - I am very overweight but she would prefer it to come of slowly and surely. Suits me as by not starving myself like one can do with faddy diets, I am more inclined to stick with it.

Meant to post a follow up to my previous post re the air bubbles so I am combining answers! Had a nice chat to the pharmacist - he was a bit stumped about the little bubbles so went through the whole procedure with me. We both think that I may have let in some air by not resetting the pen immediately after dosing as I tend to replace the safety cap before resetting - I don't twist it or remove the needle- just cover it to stop myself catching it while I fiddle with the knob! However this could put slight pressure on the needle so he said to reset then replace the safety cap, then complete the twist and remove procedure. He advised that when I get the next pen, monitor this and if I still get the small bubbles he will get in touch with Lillys. He admitted that he has issued too few of these pens as yet to be able to say for sure if this is a common problem.

However, what he did say was that a small amount of air injected into fat/muscle like we are doing will not harm us- this is only a problem when injecting into the blood. Excess air in the pen could affect the dose however, but if there is enough left in the pen to finish the 30 days but not by more than a dose or two, then all is probably well. What he did advise with regard to my current pen which is only one week old, is to insert the needle and dial the dose, then to hold the pen with the needle pointing downwards and flick the pen like they do on the movies with conventional syringes and this will drive bubbles away from the needle point and lessen the chance of it interfering with the dose. Hope this helps Jengeo.

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Its easy enough to get rid of the air bubbles, just dial your dose and with the needle pointing up press the button, repeat until all the air has gone.

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

peecee said:

Its easy enough to get rid of the air bubbles, just dial your dose and with the needle pointing up press the button, repeat until all the air has gone.

Click to expand...

Won't this waste the Byetta?

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi again

Just to let you know I called in at the pharmacist and showed him my pen. He was a bit concerned how many air bubbles there were and wasn't too sure whether it was important or not and as I had only just started with this pen exchanged it for another one. Lets hope it doesn't happen again. I do get a bit paranoid about it all especially as it is all so new and as I seem to be doing well on it I don't to stop. Just getting used to it all I suppose.

Have read through the anyone use byetta forum and have found is so informative. Has anyone injected at a table through trousers when they are in a restaurant or is this too soon before a meal. I am a bit reluctant to go into a toilet as I find it a bit of a squeeze to inject.

Thanks for all your advice. I am sure you will get fed up with me and my questions.

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi jengeo.

Glad to hear you got your pen replaced. Any queries about the pen such as that it is always best to consult the supplier. He has done the right thing and no doubt will send the old pen back. Do not accept anything which is not perfect where drugs are concerned. you have no idea what the bubbles may be. Contamination..... or just air....who knows.

As regards injecting through clothes this is not something I would ever recommend. Some people do it, at their own risk. I have seen the microscopic pictures of damage and contamination to needles caused by doing such a thing. As a new user don't get into what I consider to be bad habits.

On the separate point of injecting in a toilet.....why on earth would you want to go to the filthiest place you can think of and inject ? Do it discretely at the table and you are safe and no one will probably notice. There was quite a discussion on here about the subject recently and also in older posts. Do a search for, 'Injecting in Public.' Make your own mind up, as for me. No Way !! :twisted:

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

hi
i too have tiny air bubbles which turn into a larger one and i do the flicking thing with the needle pointing down so any bubbles float to the top and this works fine for me.
the tiny bubbles appear in new pens and possibly due to being cold.
i have had two pens now and they have both had the tiny bubbles in may be i am doing something wrong?

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

tabnoakes said:

hi
i too have tiny air bubbles which turn into a larger one and i do the flicking thing with the needle pointing down so any bubbles float to the top and this works fine for me.
the tiny bubbles appear in new pens and possibly due to being cold.

Click to expand...

:?

I've been injecting since January and in all that time even when taking a new pen straight from a fridge have never had anything other than a small single bubble in the pen, which is what the manufacturer points out should be there sometimes. Most of the time it is clear and bubble less. Lots of tiny bubbles may well be down to how it is handled, shaken perhaps. Definitely best to be on the safe side with drugs. I prefer to stick to the manufacturers guidelines regarding this subject.

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

thank you for the advice!

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Now I am totally confused :wink: Cold, warm shaken not stirred!!!! Think this is a case for contacting Lilly? I will get my deerstalker and pipe out........

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

hello all, new to this site and what a great site it is,however, i often get a small air bubble in the pen but just tip pen up to allow the bubble to go to back end of pen.what i do get and is sometimes a problem is when injecting i find i have to press the plunger in so it clicks otherwise i cannot wind it on to re-dose,i should state that i am injecting my wife as she is registered blind and is unable to do it herself but i find when i am injecting her i tend to move the needle when pressing the plunger and cause her some pain,do others have this problem with their pens.ps. she has been on byetta for six months and on ten pen and doing well has lost two and a half stone,bs down to 6.5-7.5 from over 13.

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Have just started on Byetta after 6 months of trying to get it. (I think the cost was the issue even though my tax bill pays for a years supply in about 2 days). I've been on insulin for 7 years, combined with Metformin and Gliclazide....they just didn't seem to be doing the job and my control was getting worse ; even though I'm a fairly careful eater.

Last week my sugars were at 13-15....oooops. After 48 hours on Byetta they're down to 6-7 and I feel FAB !!!!

My questions relate to the side effects and taking the jab 1 hour before eating...

- I'm out of my house, having eated breakfast, 40 minutes after getting up. How do people
manage this....does it matter if there is only a 20-30 minute gap
- I'm hanging on for those dreaded side effects....how common are they ?

Great site, and after 7 years on insulin, I'm hoping for a change.

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

musicman said:

problem is when injecting i find i have to press the plunger in so it clicks otherwise i cannot wind it on to re-dose,

Click to expand...

Hi musicman.
Welcome to the forum.

:?
Not quite sure what we are talking about here ? What do you mean by re-dose ? Is this before or during the injection ?

BTW, a small bubble in the pen, as previously stated is quite normal.

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

thedame said:

peecee said:

Its easy enough to get rid of the air bubbles, just dial your dose and with the needle pointing up press the button, repeat until all the air has gone.

Click to expand...

Won't this waste the Byetta?

Click to expand...

If you point the needle upwards and flick it with your finger the air bubble will rise, depending on how much air is inside the pen only air should be expelled when you push the button, i normally repeat until i get a stream of byetta. I only have to do this once or twice in the 30 days i use the pen.

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

NickR said:

My questions relate to the side effects and taking the jab 1 hour before eating...

- I'm out of my house, having eated breakfast, 40 minutes after getting up. How do people
manage this....does it matter if there is only a 20-30 minute gap
- I'm hanging on for those dreaded side effects....how common are they ?

Click to expand...

Hi NickR.
Welcome to the forum.

The instructions for Byetta are that you can inject at any time in the hour before your main meal. Some of us here inject and wait until the hour is almost up but most seem to inject in the 20 min period prior to food. I myself now inject and eat within 5 minutes. Works for me.

The side effects are not mandatory. Apart from a few odd moments very early on I haven't had any. Others have been plagued by them, especially nausea. Just hope that you stay side effect free and it continues the good work.

Anyone use Byetta

Hi everyone

Has anyone injected AFTER having a cup of tea but not a meal. I like a cup of tea about half an hour before my breakfast and then like to inject after and I am not sure if this is doing any harm. Many thanks for all your advice. I don't know what I would have done without you all.