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

BYETTA

Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi Sammi,
I don't know where the £270-300 a month came from because Byetta has never been that expensive. Byetta costs the NHS £68 per month (both the 5μ and 10μ pens cost the same). If you have to buy it on private prescription, as I did for the first 9 months the cost is between £92 and £104 depending on which chemists you get it from. I was originally prescribed it by a consultant and my GP wasn't prepared to put it on NHS prescription until he had seen whether it would work for me. It has and he did!

Hi Powerboatman,
A number of people seem to find that after an initial weight loss, it stops for a while, then resumes. I have been on Byetta since last August (so was one of the first in the UK on it) and have found that both my weight loss and appetite suppression seems to hesitate for a few weeks, then come back. Many in the US, where it has been available for nearly 3 years report the same.

Hi Ian and Ponty,
Good to have you with us. Like Ian I was surprised that a type-1 should be prescribed Byetta, because (a) it is not licenced in the UK for use with insulin and (b) because it's primary function is to trigger the pancreas to start phase 1 production of insulin, which of course a type-1's pancreas can't do. Although the other things it does, like appetite suppression, glucagon suppression and slowing down digestion, would benefit both type-1 and type-2s.
 
Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Isnt it wonderful, all these specialists at the click of a mouse :lol:
 
Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi again

I was put on Byetta by my consultant (10 days ago) because I asked if their was any new medication that could control my debates and also allow me to drive a PCV or HGV vehicle. I stopped using insulin and inject twice a day using Byetta. I turned diabetic about two years ago follwing an operations two remove three large Glucagonoma tumours from my pancreas which means I only have the head of the pancreas left.
 
Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Thanks Dennis.

There are some mentions of Pancreatitis in Byetta users, but no proof of a distinct connection as far as I can see, well a quick Google to be honest. The 30 cases mentioned here
http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c ... rspective/
in the US can hardly be called an epidemic.

Ponty monty, most interesting, I hope it works for you OK. What are you bg levels if you dont mind me asking?

ian
 
Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi Ponty,
You certainly have my sympathies, but I am quite intrigued by your situation. The only way that your body can get the insulin that it must have to metabolise the glucose in your blood is for the pancreas to produce it, or for it to be injected. If your pancreas doesn't produce insulin and you have stopped having injections, then how are your blood sugars being controlled? Your situation is one that I haven't come across before on the forum and I am curious!

Hi Ian,
It appears that, although there were some cases of pancreatitis discovered last year amongst patients on Byetta, the numbers affected were only a couple of percentage points higher than the incidence of pancreatitis amongst non-byetta users. So these were patients who may well have developed it in any case. So far there doesn't appear to be a proven link between pancreatitis and byetta, although the US medical authorities are keeping a close eye on the situation.
 
Re: Anyone use Byetta?


I am just guessing here, I am not a doctor, but as in my wifes case her body cant do anything with Insulin, even nearly 100U per day has no effect (or not the desired effects) so its as if she has NO insulin like Ponty above. The Byetta had only marginal effects at first but as she lost weight and increased the metformin and gliclazide so her bg has come down to an average of about 11 mmol/l not good, but a lot better than 25-35 .

ian
 
Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi

Since turning diabetic I have kept my bg count very good with my hospital readings over the two year period range in from 5.8 to the highest 7.2. I only injected 12 units of insulin in the morning and 10 units with my evening meal. I still have the head of my pancreas so I have the ability to produce Insulin. I didn’t ask the consultant to many question about Byetta when he put me on it I was just happy that I might be able to get my PCV licence back. One question for anyone if they no the answer would the DVLA allow anyone using Byetta to hold a PCV licence ?
 
Re: Anyone use Byetta?

i dont know the rules regarding driving licensces

maybe ask dvla directly but point out its not insulin

ian
 
Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi Ponty,
The current position of the DVLA is that they will treat anyone who takes byetta in combination with a sulphonylurea medication the same as if they were taking insulin. This is because sulphonylureas can cause hypos, just as injected insulin can. Here is a link to the appropriate DVLA web page
http://www.dvla.gov.uk/medical/Treatmen ... rds=byetta

As long as you are on byetta on its own, or byetta in combination with metformin or a glitazone med, then it seems that your PCV licence is safe.
 
Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Thank you Dennis and ins1

For looking. It’s the answer I was hoping for I currently take byetta in combination with metformin, so I should be O.K. I lost my licence when I started to inject Insulin so I would have to apply to get it back. I will keep you updated and once again thank you
 
Re: Anyone use Byetta?

I've been using Byetta for 12 months and have found that it does all it claims to do. Had problems with insulin and was on massive doses of various long acting anologue insulins.

Have lost 30+ kilos in weight and HbA1C levels are excellent.

It is also very cost effective as it works out cheaper than the insulin I was using.

I only got it by being a pest and asking for it at the clinic I attend. Less bother than insulin easier to control the diabetes.
 
Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi Mason1604,
Its good to hear from you. Its interesting to hear that Byetta can be cheaper than some of the insulin treatments, and does make you wonder why GPs will always look to insulin as opposed to Byetta on "cost grounds". My suspicion is that they really don't have a clue what Byetta is or how it works, so they go with what they are familiar with, whether or not it is the appropriate treatment for the patient!
 
Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Byetta is not a cheap treatment when looked at in isolation. Its about £68 per month. The 24 hr insulins are about £40 per month for normal dises 40/50 units but I was way above that (190 IU's)so it was cheaper.
Gp's are like anyone else, they have 'comfort zones' for drugs they prescribe the ones they 'know'. If yours won't prescribe asked to be referred to a diabetic clinic, there will be one nearby, they tend to look at the use of new drugs more readily but you still have to push. They cannot just refuse without a valid reason nowadays. They have to look at each patient on an individual basis. Cost is not the only factor

With regard to the other part of your query, Byetta helps your body to do what its suppoed to do to help type II's produce insulin in the pancreas. It may have to be used in conjunction with other drugs. Its big advantage for some, like me, was its weight negative benefits, it causes weight loss and apart from Metformin, all other can cause weight gain.
However Just read in 'Balance' of a new drug to replace gliclaside which is weight positive, so I know what I'll be talking about at my next appointment.
 
Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi Sarah,
Thanks - I hadn't spotted that article but personally I'm not concerned by it. This was news that originally came out earlier this year and when it was properly investigated it was found that the incidence of people on Byetta who suffered from pancreatitis was no higher than that of diabetics who are not on Byetta! Six cases of pancreatitis out of a diabetic population of around half a million now on Byetta is 0.0012%, which is the normal percentage for pancreatitis amongst diabetics.

It's a bit like saying that six diabetics died after falling off ladders, so being diabetic must make you prone to falling off ladders!
 
Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi

Have just been reading through all the posts regarding Byetta. I'm type 1, and my consultant has suggested starting me on byetta.
DSN has raised the issue that it is normally used in Type 2 treatment, and the long term effects aren't known. I'm in my mid 20's.
Are there many more people who are using this along with insulin now? Does anyone know when its due to be licensed for use like this, as the clinic said it will be eventually.

thanks
 
Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Dont know were CHM/MHRA/NICE are on this one but the SMC reviewed Exenatide on its last full submission from Eli Lilly and the results are here:-

http://tiny.cc/exenatide_smc_review

It mentions insulin but does not actually say its licensed for use WITH insulin here in Scotland.

If you are interested, the CHM EAG which includes Diabetes medicines, meets again on Oct 2nd 2008 and the chap that is concerned with safety of Diabetes medicines (and therefore has a big say in recommendations) is

Professor Philip D Home B.A, D.Phil, M.A, B.M.,B.Ch, MRCP, D.M
Professor of Diabetic Medicine/Consultant Physician, Newcastle
Click to expand...

So maybe worth writing to him c/o the MHRA http://www.mhra.gov.uk/index.htm

ian
 
Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi,
I am currently in the process of persuading my GP into prescibing Byetta.

Does anyone have any hints on accesing the 'generous' side of their Diabetologist?

All advice gratefully recieved.
 
Re: Anyone use Byetta?

Hi Alchemist,
From what people have said it appears that diabetes consultants fall into two camps - those that favour Byetta and those that don't. I'd start by asking a general question along the lines of what does he/she think of the newer incretin mimetic treatments and has the consultant had any success with patients on these. If they praise them then you are in with a good chance. If they rubbish them then you could try Chris's suggestion.

Unfortunately most GPs will not prescribe Byetta unless they are asked to by a consultant, hence the need to get the consultant on-side.
 
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.…