What is byetta used for

You must use Byetta within 60 minutes 1 hour before eating. Your Byetta doses should be given at least 6 hours apart. You may have low blood sugar hypoglycemia and feel very hungry, dizzy, irritable, confused, anxious, or shaky.

To quickly treat hypoglycemia, eat or drink a fast-acting source of sugar fruit juice, hard candy, crackers, raisins, or non-diet soda. Your doctor may prescribe a glucagon injection kit in case you have severe hypoglycemia. 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. Symptoms of acute pancreatitis can include:. The weight loss side effect can be beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes.

Weight loss is most likely caused by Byetta making you want to eat less. However, Byetta is not a weight loss drug and should not be used solely for this purpose. Weight gain was not reported with Byetta in these studies. Some people using Byetta experience diarrhea. If you get diarrhea while using Byetta, talk with your doctor or pharmacist about how to manage it.

Drink plenty of fluids to avoid getting dehydrated when your body loses more fluid than you drink. You may find that you feel nauseated when you first start using Byetta. Feelings of nausea tend to get better with time. Hair loss alopecia was not reported in clinical studies of Byetta. However, it has been reported by some people using Byetta since the drug was approved. A literature review of safety issues with Byetta and other drugs in the same class did not find any association between pancreatic cancer and use of these drugs.

However, the long-acting form of exenatide, which is the main drug in Byetta, does have such a warning. This form of exenatide is available as the brand-name drug Bydureon. An FDA boxed warning is used to alert doctors and patients about potentially serious side effects that might be associated with a drug. Bydureon has one because it was shown to cause thyroid cancer in some animals.

However, results from animal studies do not necessarily apply to humans. The FDA has also issued boxed warnings about thyroid cancer for other medications in the same drug class as Byetta. These drugs are liraglutide Victoza , semaglutide Ozempic , albiglutide Tanzeum , and dulaglutide Trulicity.

These warnings are also based on animal studies. However, these drugs have not been shown to cause thyroid cancer in humans. This is because data needs to be collected over a very long period of time. As with all medications, the cost of Byetta can vary. To find current prices for Byetta in your area, check out GoodRx. The cost you find on GoodRx. If you need financial support to pay for Byetta, or if you need help understanding your insurance coverage, help is available.

AstraZeneca, the manufacturer of Byetta, offers a savings card called MySavingsRx, which can help lower the cost of Byetta. To learn more, call or visit the program website. Other drugs are available for treating type 2 diabetes. Some may be a better fit for you than others. They can tell you about other medications that may work well for you. You may wonder how Byetta compares to other medications that are prescribed for similar uses.

Here we look at how Byetta and Bydureon are alike and different. Byetta and Bydureon are both FDA-approved to help control blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes. They are used along with a diet and exercise program. Both of these medications contain exenatide, so they work the same way in the body. Byetta is a short-acting form of the drug that wears off after a few hours. Bydureon is a long-acting form of exenatide that works for a longer period.

Byetta comes as a prefilled multidose injection pen. You give yourself an injection under your skin subcutaneous twice a day, before your main meals.

Bydureon comes as a single-dose injection pen or a single-dose syringe. It also comes as a single-dose prefilled autoinjector called Bydureon BCise. With all forms of Bydureon, you give yourself an injection under your skin once a week, on the same day each week. Byetta and Bydureon both contain exenatide. Therefore, both medications can cause very similar side effects.

Below are examples of these side effects. These lists contain examples of more common side effects that can occur with Byetta, with Bydureon, or with both drugs when taken individually. These lists contain examples of serious side effects that occur with Bydureon, and both Bydureon and Byetta when taken individually. A boxed warning is the strongest warning the FDA requires.

It alerts doctors and patients about drug effects that may be dangerous. Byetta and Bydureon have been directly compared in a clinical study.

In this study, the effectiveness of the drugs was compared when they were both used on their own and when they were used in combination with other diabetes drugs. The study found that on average, Bydureon lowered hemoglobin by 0. Over the same time period, people treated with Bydureon had an average weight loss of 5 lb.

People treated with Byetta lost an average of 3 lb. Byetta and Bydureon are both brand-name drugs. There are currently no generic forms of either drug. Brand-name medications usually cost more than generics. According to estimates on GoodRx. Byetta and Victoza are prescribed for similar uses. Below are details of how these medications are alike and different.

Byetta and Victoza are both FDA-approved to help control blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes. They are both used along with a diet and exercise program.

Victoza is also FDA-approved to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes in people with type 2 diabetes who have heart disease. Byetta contains exenatide, and Victoza contains liraglutide. These medications are from the same drug class, so they work in the same way in the body. With Byetta, you give yourself an injection under your skin subcutaneous twice a day, before your main meals.

With Victoza, you give yourself an injection under your skin once a day, at any time of day. Byetta and Victoza contain drugs from the same class. These lists contain examples of more common side effects that can occur with Byetta, with Victoza, or with both drugs when taken individually. These lists contain examples of serious side effects that can occur with Victoza, and with both Byetta and Victoza when taken individually.

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. It is used along with other medications e. It works by helping your body make more insulin and control blood glucose levels.

Any specific brand name of this medication may not be available in all of the forms or approved for all of the conditions discussed here. As well, some forms of this medication may not be used for all of the conditions discussed here. Your doctor may have suggested this medication for conditions other than those listed in these drug information articles.

If you have not discussed this with your doctor or are not sure why you are using this medication, speak to your doctor. Do not stop using this medication without consulting your doctor. Do not give this medication to anyone else, even if they have the same symptoms as you do.

It can be harmful for people to use this medication if their doctor has not prescribed it. Non-medicinal ingredients: m-cresol 2. Available as prefilled pens: 1. Inject this medication within 60 minutes before the morning and evening meal. You can also inject this medication before the 2 main meals of the day as long as they are at least 6 hours apart.

Do not inject this medication after a meal. This medication is clear and colourless and should not contain particles. Do not use it if the solution appears cloudy or coloured. This medication is available as a prefilled pen for injection. Read the user manual for instructions on how to properly use this medication. If you are not sure how to use this medication, contact your doctor or pharmacist. If you are taking a sulfonylurea e.

Many things can affect the dose of medication that a person needs, such as body weight, other medical conditions, and other medications.

If your doctor has recommended a dose different from the ones listed here, do not change the way that you are using the medication without consulting your doctor. It is important that this medication be used exactly as prescribed by your doctor.

If you miss a dose, skip the missed dose and continue with your regular dosing schedule. Do not use a double dose to make up for a missed one. If you are not sure what to do after missing a dose, contact your doctor or pharmacist for advice. Before first use , store this medication in the refrigerator, protect it from light, and keep it out of the reach of children.

Do not allow it to freeze. After the first use , store this medication at room temperature. Discard any unused medication that is still in the pen 30 days after first use. Do not store this medication with the needle attached as this may cause the medication to leak. Do not dispose of medications in wastewater e. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medications that are no longer needed or have expired.