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BYETTA and Lantus (insulin glargine)
BYETTA is approved for use with Lantus (insulin glargine), which is a long-acting
insulin, but should not be taken with short- and/or rapid-acting insulin. BYETTA
is not insulin and should not be taken instead of insulin.
BYETTA can help lower your A1C level. In a clinical study, BYETTA helped 57% of
patients achieve an A1C level of less than 7% compared with 30% of those taking Lantus
alone.
Although BYETTA is not a weight-loss product, it may reduce the amount of food you eat.
On average, patients who used the 10-microgram dose of BYETTA, in combination with certain
diabetes pills or Lantus, lost 4 pounds over 30 weeks. Taken on its own, Lantus
has been shown to increase weight by 2 pounds over 30 weeks.
The most common side effect of taking BYETTA is mild to moderate nausea, which decreases
over time for most people. The risk of getting low blood sugar is higher if you
take BYETTA with another medicine that can cause low blood sugar, such as certain
diabetes pills or insulin.
In clinical studies, fewer than half the patients taking BYETTA and Lantus experienced
nausea. Some common side effects that occurred more often in patients taking BYETTA
with Lantus than in patients taking Lantus alone include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea,
headache, constipation, and weakness.
Consult with your doctor before you stop taking any medications. Your doctor will
most likely add BYETTA to your treatment plan for type 2 diabetes while keeping
you on any pills you are currently taking for diabetes in addition to Lantus. Of
course, the decision is up to you and your doctor.
It’s important to tell your doctor about all the medicines you are taking. BYETTA
can slow down how quickly some medicines taken by mouth get into your bloodstream.
Ask your doctor. If your A1C level is less than 8 when your doctor prescribes BYETTA,
your doctor may reduce your dose of Lantus. An A1C blood test is used to determine
your blood sugar control by providing a 3-month average of your blood sugar levels.
BYETTA comes in a simple, prefilled pen, so it can conveniently fit into your life.
You don’t have to measure out each dose or adjust your dose based on the size of
a meal or different levels of physical activity. Instructions for using the BYETTA
Pen can be found here.
Talk to your doctor to see if any changes are necessary.
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BYETTA is an injectable prescription medicine that may improve blood sugar (glucose) control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus, when used with a diet and exercise program.
BYETTA is not insulin and should not be taken instead of insulin. BYETTA can be used with Lantus® (insulin glargine), which is a long-acting insulin, but should not be taken with short- and/or rapid-acting insulin. BYETTA is not for people with type 1 diabetes or people with diabetic ketoacidosis.
Important Safety Information for BYETTA® (exenatide) injection
- Serious side effects can happen in people who take BYETTA, including inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) which may be severe and lead to death. Before taking BYETTA, tell your healthcare provider if you have had pancreatitis, stones in your gallbladder (gallstones), a history of alcoholism, or high blood triglyceride levels. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have pain in your stomach area (abdomen) that is severe, and will not go away. The pain may happen with or without vomiting and may be felt going from your abdomen through to your back.
- Your risk for getting low blood sugar is higher if you take BYETTA with another medicine that can cause low blood sugar, such as a sulfonylurea or insulin. The dose of your sulfonylurea or insulin medicine may need to be lowered while you use BYETTA.
- BYETTA should not be used in people who have severe kidney problems and should be used with caution in people who have had a kidney transplant. BYETTA may cause new or worse problems with kidney function, including kidney failure.
- Before you use BYETTA, tell your healthcare provider if you have severe problems with your stomach, such as delayed emptying of your stomach (gastroparesis) or problems with digesting food.
- Do not use BYETTA if you have had an allergic reaction to exenatide or any of the other ingredients in BYETTA. Severe allergic reactions can happen with BYETTA. Stop taking BYETTA and get medical help right away.
- Tell your healthcare provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if BYETTA will harm your unborn baby. Talk to your healthcare provider first if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.
- The most common side effects with BYETTA include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, feeling jittery, dizziness, headache, acid stomach, constipation, and weakness. Nausea most commonly happens when first starting BYETTA, but may become less over time.
These are not all the side effects with BYETTA. Talk to your healthcare provider about any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.
Please see the BYETTA Prescribing Information and Medication Guide.
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