How is byetta used

Be sure your family or close friends know how to give you this injection in an emergency. Also watch for signs of high blood sugar hyperglycemia such as increased thirst or urination. Blood sugar levels can be affected by stress, illness, surgery, exercise, alcohol use, or skipping meals.

Ask your doctor before changing your dose or medication schedule. Use a needle and syringe only once and then place them in a puncture-proof "sharps" container. Follow state or local laws about how to dispose of this container. Keep it out of the reach of children and pets. Never share an injection pen or syringe with another person, even if the needle has been changed. Sharing these devices can allow infections or disease to pass from one person to another.

Byetta can lower your platelet counts for up to 10 weeks after you stop using this medicine. You may need frequent medical tests while using this medicine and for a short time after you stop. Byetta is only part of a complete treatment program that may also include diet, exercise, weight control, regular blood sugar testing, and special medical care. Follow your doctor's instructions very closely.

Storing unopened not in use Byetta: Keep the medicine in its original container. Refrigerate and use until expiration date.

Protect from light. Storing opened in use Byetta: Store at room temperature and use within 30 days. Protect from heat and bright light. Do not store the injection pen with a needle attached. Skip the missed dose and use your next dose at the regular time. Do not use two doses at one time. Overdose can cause severe nausea and vomiting, or signs of low blood sugar headache, hunger, irritability, dizziness, feeling shaky.

You should not mix Byetta with insulin in the same syringe. Do not use Byetta together with Bydureon. Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives, itching; rapid heartbeats; difficult breathing; feeling light-headed; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Some people using exenatide have had serious or fatal bleeding caused by low levels of platelets blood cells that help your blood to clot. Stop using Byetta and call your doctor right away if you have unusual bleeding or bruising. This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

If you take the following medicines, take them at least 1 hour before you use Byetta:. If you take these medicines with food, take them with a meal or snack separate from the meal times when you use Byetta. Exenatide can make it harder for your body to absorb other medicines you take by mouth.

Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any you start or stop using, especially:. This list is not complete.

Other drugs may affect Byetta , including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible drug interactions are listed here. Your doctor will determine the best dosage to fit your needs.

The typical starting dosage of Byetta is 5 mcg injected twice per day. After this, depending on how you respond to Byetta, your doctor may increase your dosage to 10 mcg injected twice per day. You should inject your Byetta doses 1 hour before each of your two main meals for example, breakfast and dinner. The two doses should be at least 6 hours apart. Once you decide when to have your two daily doses, try to stick with this schedule. This will help keep your blood sugar levels steady throughout the day.

Yes, Byetta is typically used as a long-term treatment. You may need dosage adjustments, depending on:. If you have questions about whether Byetta is safe for you because of your health conditions or other factors, talk with your doctor. Below are answers to some asked questions about Byetta. If you have other questions about the drug, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. No, Byetta is not approved for use as a weight loss drug. But because Byetta is used along with a healthy diet and exercise program, you may lose weight while using the drug.

Also, studies show Byetta can cause loss of appetite. This, too, may lead to weight loss. Losing weight and using Byetta along with making diet and exercise changes can reduce your blood sugar levels. It can be dangerous if your levels drop too low. If you have questions or concerns about losing weight during your Byetta treatment, talk with your doctor. It only comes as self-injection pens that are used twice per day.

To learn more about how these drugs are similar and different, see this comparison. If you have questions about which diabetes treatment is right for you, talk with your doctor.

Byetta is a liquid solution that comes in prefilled disposable pens. You can also follow these step-by-step instructions. You can also ask your pharmacist to show you how to use the injection pen if you still have questions. Instead, just skip the missed dose and inject your next dose at its regular time.

Be sure to check your blood sugar levels regularly so you can maintain steady levels. This can drop your blood sugar level dangerously low and cause serious side effects. If you need help remembering to inject Byetta on time, try using a medication reminder. This can include setting an alarm, downloading a reminder app, or setting a timer on your phone. Byetta and Victoza have been directly compared in a clinical study.

In this study, the effectiveness of the drugs was compared when they were both used in combination with other drugs to treat diabetes metformin , a sulfonylurea, or both.

The study found that, on average, Victoza lowered hemoglobin A1c HbA1c by 0. Over the same period, people treated with Victoza and people treated with Byetta both lost an average of 6.

Byetta and Victoza are both brand-name drugs. Byetta may also be used off-label for other conditions. Byetta is FDA-approved to help control blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes.

This leads to high blood sugar levels. Byetta reduces hemoglobin A1c HbA1c , which is a measure of your average blood sugar levels over 3 months. Byetta helps lower your blood sugar after eating a meal. It also lowers your blood sugar between meals. This is called your fasting blood sugar level. Byetta can also help some people lose weight. Byetta may be used on its own or with other diabetes medications. These other medications include metformin , glipizide, and pioglitazone.

In a clinical study of people using Byetta on its own:. When used with another diabetes drug, Byetta is most often used with metformin. In a clinical study of people treated with Byetta and metformin:. You take Byetta by giving yourself an injection under the skin subcutaneous of your upper arm, thigh, or abdomen. Your doctor will show you how to do this. You should give yourself an injection of Byetta twice a day, in the hour before each of your two main meals.

Most people give themselves one injection in the hour before breakfast, and another in the hour before dinner. Your second injection would still be in the hour before your dinner, as long as these meals are at least six hours apart. Byetta has to be taken in the hour before a meal. Just leave out that dose. Drinking too much alcohol can cause your blood sugar level to fall.

Using alcohol while taking Byetta could raise your risk of hypoglycemia having your blood sugar level fall too low. If you drink alcohol, talk with your doctor about how much alcohol is safe to drink while you are using Byetta. Different interactions can cause different effects. For instance, some interactions can interfere with how well a drug works. Other interactions can increase side effects or make them more severe. Below is a list of medications that can interact with Byetta.

This list does not contain all drugs that may interact with Byetta. Before taking Byetta, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Tell them about all prescription, over-the-counter, and other drugs you take. Also tell them about any vitamins, herbs, and supplements you use. Sharing this information can help you avoid potential interactions. If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Byetta makes your stomach empty more slowly. Because of this, you should try to avoid taking medications by mouth for a few hours after giving yourself the Byetta injection. This could make them less effective. This gives them time to pass through your stomach and be absorbed through your small intestine. This is particularly important for antibiotics drugs used to treat bacterial infections and birth control pills.

If you are supposed to take your other medications with a meal, you should take them with a meal when you are not having a Byetta injection. You may use Byetta with other drugs for your diabetes. Your doctor may need to reduce the doses of your other drugs to avoid this. If you use Byetta with warfarin, this could increase your risk of bleeding. Your doctor may want to check how long it takes your blood to clot after you start treatment with Byetta and after any dose increases.

Depending on the results, your doctor may reduce your warfarin dose. Byetta can be used with metformin Glucophage, Fortamet, Glumetza, Riomet to treat type 2 diabetes. This combination is safe to use together. However, you should still check with your doctor or pharmacist before using any of these products while taking Byetta. Studies in animals have shown some harmful effects on the fetus of a pregnant female given the drug. However, animal studies do not always predict what will happen in humans.

Before you start using Byetta, let your doctor know if you are pregnant or think you could be pregnant. If you are planning a pregnancy, talk with your doctor about the possible risks and benefits of using Byetta. If you would like to breastfeed while using Byetta, talk with your doctor about the possible risks and benefits. You can also call the American Association of Poison Control Centers at or use their online tool.

But if your symptoms are severe, call or go to the nearest emergency room right away. If you have type 2 diabetes , your body has trouble controlling the level of sugar glucose in your blood.

This is because the cells in your body have built up a resistance to the effects of insulin. Insulin is the main hormone responsible for lowering your blood sugar levels. Over time, your body may also produce less insulin.

When you eat, your small intestine produces a hormone called GLP As the food starts to be absorbed into your blood, the level of glucose sugar in your blood starts to rise. GLP-1 stimulates your pancreas to release insulin into your bloodstream in response to the rise in blood sugar. Insulin directs cells in your body to remove glucose from your blood, and this lowers your blood sugar level. GLP-1 also has some other actions that help control your blood sugar.

It stops your pancreas from releasing a hormone called glucagon. Glucagon normally makes your liver produce glucose. If less glucagon is produced, it lowers your blood sugar level. In addition, GLP-1 also helps regulate your appetite. It slows down the speed that food moves through your stomach and into your small intestine.

This makes you feel fuller sooner. GLP-1 also acts in your brain to reduce your appetite. The active ingredient in Byetta is called exenatide. This is a type of drug called a glucagon-like peptide-1 GLP-1 receptor agonist.

Byetta acts in a similar way to the hormone called GLP-1 that your intestine releases when you eat. This means it produces the same four effects as GLP These actions allow Byetta to help lower your blood sugar level after eating a meal and keep it lower between meals.

Byetta starts to work as soon as you inject a dose. It keeps building up an effect over the next couple of hours. Byetta has a similar effect to mealtime insulin fast-acting insulin because it makes your body produce more insulin in response to a meal. However, it also has other effects that help control your blood sugar between meals, as well as immediately after meals. This depends on your individual situation.

They may prescribe one of the many type 2 diabetes drugs that are now available, or they may prescribe insulin. Insulin can be used for both type 2 and type 1 diabetes. Byetta can be used along with a long-acting insulin such as insulin glargine. However, Byetta is not recommended for use with meal-time insulins. Type 1 diabetes has to be treated with insulin injections. Byetta works primarily by making your pancreas produce more insulin.

Byetta has other effects, such as making your stomach empty more slowly and helping you lose weight. This means it could have potential as an add-on treatment for some people with type 1 diabetes. Those who might benefit include people whose blood sugar is not well controlled by insulin and people who could benefit from weight loss.

One study in type 1 diabetes found that adding Byetta to insulin improved blood sugar control more than insulin alone. However, exenatide was shown in one study to help with weight loss, improve insulin sensitivity the way cells respond to insulin , and encourage more regular periods in women with PCOS.

You could switch from Byetta to Bydureon if your doctor thinks it would work better for your specific health situation. Also, Bydureon could be more convenient because you only have to inject it once a week instead of twice a day. Before taking Byetta, talk with your doctor about your health history. Byetta may not be right for you if you have certain medical conditions.