Byetta Injection: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Byetta Injection (exenatide) is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist used along with diet and exercise to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. It is not insulin and is not used to treat type 1 diabetes. It is given as a twice-daily injection before meals and comes as a prefilled pen.

What is Byetta Injection

Byetta is an injectable prescription medicine used along with diet and exercise to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. It is not insulin and is not used to treat type 1 diabetes.

Byetta Injection uses

• Type 2 diabetes.
• Improving blood sugar control with diet and exercise.
• Additional glucose control when other diabetes medicines are insufficient.

Benefits of Byetta Injection

• Helps lower blood sugar.
• Improves glucose control.
• Supports diabetes management.
• May reduce appetite.
• May help with weight reduction.

How Byetta Injection works

Byetta acts like a natural gut hormone called GLP-1. It helps the pancreas release more insulin when blood sugar is high, lowers the amount of sugar released by the liver, and slows down how quickly food leaves the stomach. Together these actions help lower blood sugar after meals.

Byetta Injection dosage

Inject under the skin of the thigh, abdomen, or upper arm; do not inject into a muscle or vein. Inject twice a day, at any time within 60 minutes before the morning and evening meals, or before the two main meals of the day, about 6 hours or more apart. Do not take this medicine after a meal.

If a dose is missed, skip it and take the next dose at the next scheduled time; do not take an extra dose or increase the next dose to make up for a missed one.

Do not mix insulin and this medicine together in the same injection, though they can be injected in the same body area if not right next to each other. Rotate injection sites with each dose rather than using the same spot each time. Do not share the pen with other people, even if the needle has been changed.

If taking oral birth control pills or antibiotics, take them at least one hour before injecting this medicine; if those medicines must be taken with food, take them with a meal or snack at a time when this medicine is not also being taken.

Use only if the liquid is clear, colorless, and contains no particles.

Available forms and strengths

• Prefilled pen (5 mcg per dose, 60 doses, 1.2 mL)

Side effects of Byetta Injection

Common

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Feeling jittery
• Indigestion (acid stomach)
• Constipation
• Weakness
• Excessive sweating
• Decreased appetite

Serious

• Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), including rare fatal or severe forms
• Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), especially when combined with a sulfonylurea or insulin
• Kidney problems, including worsened kidney function or kidney failure, sometimes requiring dialysis or transplant
• Severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis, angioedema)
• Low blood platelet count that can lead to serious bleeding
• Gallbladder problems such as gallstones or gallbladder inflammation
• Severe gastrointestinal problems
• Increased INR (blood clotting measure) with warfarin use, sometimes with bleeding
• Risk of food or liquid entering the lungs during surgery or procedures using anesthesia or deep sedation

Warnings and precautions

• Byetta can cause pancreatitis, including rare fatal or severe hemorrhagic or necrotizing cases. Stop using it and seek medical care right away if you have severe stomach pain that does not go away, with or without vomiting.
• This medicine should not be used instead of insulin, is not for people with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis, and using it together with insulin has not been studied and cannot be recommended.
• This medicine is not recommended for people with a history of pancreatitis, as it has not been studied in this group.
• Using this medicine with a sulfonylurea increases the risk of low blood sugar; your doctor may need to lower the sulfonylurea dose.
• This medicine is not recommended for people with severe stomach or digestive diseases, such as delayed stomach emptying.
• Serious allergic reactions such as anaphylaxis and swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat have been reported. Stop the medicine and seek medical help right away if this happens.
• This medicine can reduce the number of platelets in the blood, which can cause serious bleeding that could be fatal.
• This medicine can increase the amount of warfarin's effect on blood clotting, sometimes with bleeding, so clotting levels should be checked more often after starting or changing the dose.
• Tell your surgeon or anesthesiologist you are using this medicine before any planned procedure requiring anesthesia or deep sedation, since it may increase the risk of food or liquid entering the lungs.
• It is not known if this medicine is safe for an unborn baby. It should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.
• It is not known if this medicine passes into breast milk. You and your healthcare provider should decide together whether you will take this medicine or breastfeed.
• This medicine should not be used in people with severe kidney problems or end-stage kidney disease, and should be used carefully in people with a kidney transplant. Caution is needed when starting or increasing the dose in people with moderate kidney impairment.
• No studies have been done in people with liver problems, but since this medicine is cleared mainly by the kidneys, liver problems are not expected to affect its levels in the blood.
• There are no known interactions between this medicine and alcohol, but alcohol can affect blood sugar levels, which can affect diabetes control. Talk to your doctor about how much, if any, alcohol is safe for you.

Storage

• Store your new, unused pen in the original carton in a refrigerator at 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C)
• After first use, keep the pen at a temperature cooler than 77°F (25°C)
• Do not freeze the pen; do not use it if it has been frozen
• Protect it from light
• Use a pen for only 30 days, then throw it away even if some medicine remains
• Do not use past the expiration date printed on the label
• Keep the pen, pen needles, and all medicines out of the reach of children

When to see a doctor

• Get medical help right away if you have severe stomach pain that will not go away, with or without vomiting, as this could be a sign of pancreatitis.
• Seek medical help right away if you have symptoms of a severe allergic reaction, such as swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat, trouble breathing or swallowing, severe rash or itching, fainting or dizziness, or a very rapid heartbeat.
• Call your doctor right away if you have nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea that will not go away, or if you cannot keep liquids down, as you may be at risk for kidney problems.
• Stop using this medicine and call your healthcare provider right away if you notice unusual bleeding or bruising, which may be a sign of a low blood platelet count.
• Tell your healthcare provider right away if you develop symptoms of gallbladder problems, such as pain in the upper stomach, yellowing of the skin or eyes, fever, or clay-colored stools.
• If you take too much of this medicine, call your healthcare provider or poison control right away, or go to the nearest emergency room, since it can cause a rapid drop in blood sugar or severe nausea and vomiting.

Alternatives

• Victoza
• Ozempic
• Bydureon