Byetta injection

BYETTA is an injectable medicine used to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 (non insulin dependent) diabetes mellitus.

Garvan

Pharmacist - M.B.A. (Public Health) D.I.C.

Byetta injection

Why have I been prescribed Byetta? BYETTA is…

Garvan J. Lynch
MBA (Public Health)

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Why have I been prescribed Byetta?

  • BYETTA is an injectable medicine used to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 (non insulin dependent) diabetes mellitus.
  • BYETTA is used with other diabetic medicines called metformin and/or sulphonylureas .Your doctor is now prescribing BYETTA as an additional medicine to help control your blood sugar. Continue to follow your food and exercise plan.

How does it work?

You have diabetes because your body does not make enough insulin to control the level of sugar in your blood or if your body is not able to use the insulin properly. BYETTA contains a drug called Exenatide which helps your body to increase the production of insulin when your blood sugar is high.

When and how do I take it?

  • BYETTA should be injected at any time within the 60 minutes (1 hour) before your morning and evening meals, or before your two main meals of the day, which should be about 6 hours or more apart. Do not use BYETTA after your meal.
  • BYETTA is injected under the skin (subcutaneous injection) of your upper leg (thigh), stomach area (abdomen), or upper arm.
  • See the accompanying Pen User Manual for instructions for using the BYETTA Pen.

What’s the dose?

Two presentations of BYETTA are available: BYETTA 5 micrograms(μg) and BYETTA 10 micrograms(μg). Your doctor may tell you to use BYETTA 5 μg twice a day to start with. After using BYETTA 5 μg twice a day for 30 days the doctor may increase your dose to BYETTA 10 μg twice a day. One injection of your pre-filled pen will give you your dose. Do not change your dose unless your doctor has told you to.

Could it interact with other tablets?

  • BYETTA slows stomach emptying and can affect medicines that need to pass through the stomach quickly.
  • Ask your doctor if the time at which you take any tablets (for example, antibiotics) should be changed. For tablets that you need to take with food, it may be best if they are taken at a meal at a time when BYETTA is not being administered.
  • Please tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription.

Herbal products should also only be taken after talking with your doctor.

What are the possible risks or side-effects?

Like all medicines, BYETTA can have side effects although not everybody gets them.

Very common, more than 1 in 10 patients experienced:

  • nausea, (nausea is most common when first starting BYETTA, but decreases over time in most patients),
  • vomiting or diarrhoea.

When BYETTA is used with a medicine that contains a sulphonylurea, episodes of low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia, generally mild to moderate) can occur very commonly. The dose of your sulphonylurea medicine may need to be reduced while you use BYETTA. The signs and symptoms of low blood sugar may include headache, drowsiness, weakness, dizziness, confusion, irritability, hunger, fast heartbeat, sweating, and feeling jittery. Your doctor should tell you how to treat low blood sugar.

Common, less than 1 in 10 but more than 1 in 100 patients experienced:

  • dizziness
  • headache
  • reduced appetite
  • weight decreased
  • feeling jittery
  • pain in the stomach area
  • bloating
  • indigestion
  • increased sweating
  • loss of energy and strength
  • heartburn
  • injection site reactions (redness)

In addition some other side effects have been reported:

  • angiodema
  • hypersensitivity (rashes, itching and rapid swelling of the tissues of the neck, face, mouth or throat)
  • decrease in kidney function
  • dehydration, sometimes with a decrease in kidney function
  • unusual taste in the mouth
  • drowsiness
  • constipation
  • burping
  • flatulence
  • hair loss (rarely)
  • Changes in INR (measurement of blood thinning) have been reported when used together with warfarin.

Can I drink alcohol while taking it?

  • There are no known interactions between alcohol and Byetta.
  • Always ask you doctor or pharmacist however as other medications you are taking may have a bearing on this.

What if I’m pregnant/breastfeeding?

  • It is not known if BYETTA may harm your unborn child. Tell your doctor if you are, you think you might be, or are planning to become pregnant as BYETTA should not be used during pregnancy.
  • It is not known if BYETTA passes into your milk. BYETTA should not be used if breast-feeding.


If you have any more questions please ask your Pharmacist.

Remember to keep all medicines out of reach of children
Please Note:
We have made every effort to ensure that the content of this information sheet is correct at time of publish, but remember that information about drugs may change. This sheet does not list all the uses and side-effects associated with this drug. For full details please see the drug information leaflet which comes with your medicine. Your doctor will assess your medical circumstances and draw your attention to any information or side-effects which may be relevant in your particular case.

References:

https://www.byettahcp.com/

http://www.byetta.com/

http://www.drugs.com/byetta.html

http://www.medicinenet.com/exenatide/article.htm

http://www.drugwatch.com/byetta/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exenatide

 

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