# Byetta



## Mojo (Aug 12, 2009)

Hello gang 

I'm interested to hear people's opinion/experiences with Byetta - this a an injection used for selected individuals with T2DM.

I only see a small handful of people on Byetta at work, so would be insterested to know how it is going down.

Thanks,

Mo


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## Steff (Aug 12, 2009)

Hi Mo
I am currently waiting to see if i go on byetta my DSN has wrote a letter to my GP she tells me it is not a cheap route to go down so im waiting in limbo at the minute to see if i get a yay or a nay , so i cant really say much about it what i do know is only what DSN sent me in a leaflet in post


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## insulinaddict09 (Aug 13, 2009)

steff09 said:


> Hi Mo
> I am currently waiting to see if i go on byetta my DSN has wrote a letter to my GP she tells me it is not a cheap route to go down so im waiting in limbo at the minute to see if i get a yay or a nay , so i cant really say much about it what i do know is only what DSN sent me in a leaflet in post



You need to chase them up about this Steff !! get on the phone or go to the surgery


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## Steff (Aug 13, 2009)

I was told October hun x


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## jo1966 (Aug 13, 2009)

I have been on Byetta but couldn't tolerate it. The side effects can be pretty vicious i.e. nausea.
I know of alot of other people who have used it and have had great results in terms of weight loss, reduction in Hba1c, reduction in BP and cholesterol but as Steff has alluded to it is not cheap.
In my area alot of GP's will not prescribe it and it is only being prescribed at Diabetes centre's where the hospitals are suppying it and thus bearing the brunt of the cost.


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## redrose (Aug 13, 2009)

Hi Ive been on Byetta since Jan this year and Im not impressed with it. I havent lost a great deal of weight and my sugars are much the same. The only thing I find good about it is it supresses my apetite slightly. Some days I dont feel like eating at all because I feel so sick after the injection.
Ive gone back to following the slimming world red day diet plan (very little carbs) and exercising. Ive been doing this for a month now and have seen a little bit of weight loss and my daily sugar readings are down to.


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## Steff (Aug 13, 2009)

hi jo and red rose it is nice to see a few names about that aint regulars, thanks both for letting me know your experiences I do hope i hear from some one soon , i am aware that some things work for others and dont for some if you get me so IF  i get it i will come on and let you know my experiences.


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## thedame (Oct 12, 2009)

Hi

I have been on Byetta for a week now and a member of another (non-diabetes) forum asked me to post my experiences here, so here goes!

I am 58, female and have been diagnosed with type 2 for about 10 years but have always been overweight and looking back I was experiencing the signs of diabetes, long before the diagnosis. After initial success with Metformin and diet, My blood sugars came down to an acceptable level but have crept up, with the weight over the past few years- I wish I could blame something other than my own lack of will power but although life has had it's ups and downs, this is about par for the course in everyone's life I guess, so when my diabetes team suggested Byetta, I was keen to give it a try. 

For those who haven't heard of Byetta, it is an injectable drug taken twice a day before breakfast and lunch and it helps to control the release of insulin and slows down the digestion of food. It helps to lower the blood sugars and can help with weight loss.

I did a lot of research, not only through medical sites but also on users forums to get the real low down on this drug which has several admitted side effects and some not so obvious. The most common one being the nausea which others have mentioned on here. I had a bad reaction to another wonder drug, Accomplia, last year - this has since been banned by the NHS so I was anxious not to repeat the experience! 

Forewarned and prepared for the nausea with a cupboard stocked with sugar-free dry ginger and cider vinegar - tips from other users to combat that sick feeling, I took the plunge a week ago yesterday - literally!

So early days for me but I am pleased to say that my fasting blood sugar has dropped from 13.9 to under 9 over the week and I am expecting to see a weight loss of about 4lb when I go to see my nurse alter this week. The nausea has been there- on days one and two it was quite noticeable and the cider vinegar and ginger did help a bit. I also found myself pole-axed after a light lunch and slept every afternoon for an hour, after which I was full of beans and no sickness-someone likened the nausea to motion sickness so maybe they were right and lie down can sort it out.

Now a week on, the nausea is far less noticeable and tiredness is getting and I feel better. I do feel comfortably full most of the time and have little desire for the munchies. I don't know if this will last but I am taking the opportunity to be very careful with my food and eat a healthy and well balanced diet. Hopefully, this habit will stick this time

I have no problems with needles but if you are a bit worried, I can tell you that the very thin needles tips which you pop onto the pre-filled dosing pen make for an almost pain-free experience. I have not had any problems with soreness after injecting - in fact I have to remind myself which spot I used last time as I can feel it after a few seconds!

Steff09 - have you got your Byetta yet? If so, good luck and I hope that your experience is good - I am keeping a journal of my own experiences so I can look back and see how far I have come - it helps me to to do this but it might not be everyone's cup of (sugar-free) tea of course. If you are getting or have got your injection pen and don't know this, ring the manufacturers on 0125 631 5999 and ask them for a free carry pouch as this doesn't come with the pen and it it is useful to keep the pen and a good supply of the needle tips in.

I will report back as time goes on


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## Northerner (Oct 12, 2009)

Thank you for posting your experiences, thedame, it is very much appreciated

Hoping all goes well with the treatment!


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## Steff (Oct 12, 2009)

thank you very much for that thedame i have not got it yet i will find out the 26th of this month , i shall let you know how i go x


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## Caroline (Oct 12, 2009)

Good luck to everyone going on byetta. I hope you all get the desired results.It's good to read everyones experiences.


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## bev (Oct 12, 2009)

Hi Lesley!

That was quick! Well done for joining and letting others hear of your experiences - i am sure all with type 2 will find it interesting if you can give updates etc..you will find this is a friendly forum - welcome!Bev


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## thedame (Oct 12, 2009)

Thanks Bev 

I have my next consultation this Thursday - should be after a month on the Byetta but they had to squeeze me in early or wait a long time - don't you love the NHS Anyway, I will report back after that. 

This is a nice forum - glad you told me about it


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## Steff (Oct 12, 2009)

Good luck for thursday x


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## thedame (Oct 15, 2009)

Hi

Have been to see the diabetes team and all good news! I have lost 6lb since I started out on Byetta 12 days ago and my morning blood reading was 6.9 - first time under 7 for a few years! I will go back to see my nurse at the end of the month after I have had a blood test for liver and kidney function and if all is well I will go onto the 10mcg dose of Byetta from the beginning of November. I might get a the bouts of the nausea I experienced at the start of the 5mcg dose but I am hopeful that it will pass as it did this time.

Steff09, I hope you get your prescription on the 26th - good luck to you and anyone else waiting to hear


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## Steff (Oct 15, 2009)

hi dame im pleased it was all good news and well done on wieght loss, hope it all goes ok at end of month, and noce again thanks i really hope its good news for me x


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## Steff (Oct 27, 2009)

forgot about this thread lol, i saw DSN yesterday but he said i had to book appt with GP so Monday morning i get the answer i have been waiting for


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## thedame (Oct 30, 2009)

Hi

Quick update: went to see my nurse today and have lost another 3lb so that is 9 in all since I started on Byetta at the beginning of the month. My blood sugars remain under 8 now - they were up to 13 last month! My nurse is very pleased and I feel really well now that the initial symptoms have gone. I am going on to the full 10mcg dose next week and I hope this will improve my bloods and weight loss even more, even if I do get a few symptoms back for a while.

Here is a little observation I have made and my nurse agrees with my reasoning - the nausea was more noticeable late mornings for me and as I am a morning person- doing most of my physical jobs before lunch, I think that I was burning more energy than I had taken in through breakfast whereas dinner, being a bigger meal, sustained me through the rest of the day with less side effects. As I don't want to eat a bigger breakfast, I am now going to take a small low sugar snack with my morning coffee if I feel a bit "limp" to ward off the nausea as this can put you off having lunch which is not a good idea. Hey, a regime where I actually have to eat - can't be bad

Good luck on Monday Steff and to anyone else taking the plunge


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## Steff (Oct 30, 2009)

great news on weight and numbers x


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## RachelT (Oct 30, 2009)

This is interesting. I'm not taking byetta myself, but i see quite a lot of it prescribed by our diabetic team. I thought only a small proportion of our patients had to stop using it beacuse of the side effects, but i don't know numbers (hey, i'm just an NHS minion  ). Good news for all you guys suffering is that there's a new pen that's just arrived called Victoza, which "claims" to have fewer side effects than Byetta, and involves only one injection a day. It's very new though, and probably still pretty expensive, i saw the first prescription with it on this morning, but i think that plan in our trust is to swap Byetta for this new pen.

Note to anybody, if you are having wierd or unusual side effects, which arn't in your patient info leaflet, do tell your doctor or pharmacist, coz they have a scheme where they can notify the authorities who can keep track on these things, you might not be an isolated case.


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## thedame (Oct 31, 2009)

RachelT said:


> This is interesting. I'm not taking byetta myself, but i see quite a lot of it prescribed by our diabetic team. I thought only a small proportion of our patients had to stop using it beacuse of the side effects, but i don't know numbers (hey, i'm just an NHS minion  ). Good news for all you guys suffering is that there's a new pen that's just arrived called Victoza, which "claims" to have fewer side effects than Byetta, and involves only one injection a day. It's very new though, and probably still pretty expensive, i saw the first prescription with it on this morning, but i think that plan in our trust is to swap Byetta for this new pen.
> 
> Note to anybody, if you are having wierd or unusual side effects, which arn't in your patient info leaflet, do tell your doctor or pharmacist, coz they have a scheme where they can notify the authorities who can keep track on these things, you might not be an isolated case.



Hi Rachel

That is a very good point which you make about reporting side effects to your health team. I am very fortunate to have a wonderful nurse at my practice who takes a keen interest in everything I tell her. She told me yesterday that she was going to read the forums to see what users are saying - as she said, she can read all the medical literature which is thrown at her but she will get the real facts about living with these drugs from patients. So far I am her only Byetta patient (but I talk enough for at least a dozen!) so I am happy to share my experiences with her.

I have just read a thread on the diabetes.co.uk forum on Victoza and there are some mixed reactions but mostly positive. However as it is so new, I would be happy to stay on Byetta while it is working for me and wait until more info is made available. One thing did horrify me - not about the drug itself, but about the prescribing of it: One poor user had been given her Vitctoza by her consultant but neither the consultant or her GP advised her about taking her BS levels- she hadn't a clue how to get a machine or how and when to use it or, would you believe, what her sugar levels were or should be  I have to say that my own consultant is a lovely chap but not very free with advice and I have to go prepared with my own research and list of questions - practically have to sit on him to get him to answer me and not look at his watch. Fortunately, I have my wonderful GP practice nurse and also access to a Diabetes Specialist nurse from a local hospital who visited my GP's surgery once before I went on Byetta and again after my first couple of weeks. 

So if anyone out there is thinking of going onto Byetta or Victoza, please take time to read the forums and make notes about anything you are not sure of- don't be put off by negative comments but be aware of what to watch for and ask for advice if anything troubles you.


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## Steff (Nov 2, 2009)

well it was a no for now but he aint totally ruled out byetta, i have started a thread about what happened


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