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Get answers to the most frequently asked questions about BYETTA by choosing a topic below:
BYETTA Basics
Despite your best efforts, type 2 diabetes can progress over time. If you are no longer able to effectively control your blood sugar (glucose), your doctor may decide to prescribe BYETTA.
BYETTA may give your body the extra help it needs to get your blood sugar under control by working in a different way than pills or insulin. BYETTA works in at least four different ways to help you take better control of your type 2 diabetes.
Yes. BYETTA is approved for use as a stand-alone medication (monotherapy) along with diet and exercise to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes. Previously, it was approved for use only in patients who were also taking other common diabetes medications and had not achieved adequate blood sugar control.
BYETTA helps control your blood sugar in at least four different ways:
- It signals your pancreas to make the right amount of insulin after you eat
- It stops your liver from making too much glucose when your body does not need it
- It may reduce your appetite and the amount of food you eat
- It helps slow down how quickly food and glucose leave the stomach
Through these ways, BYETTA can help improve both your blood sugar levels after meals and your overall blood sugar levels.
Yes. BYETTA By Your Sidesm is a free support program that gives you tools and resources to help you better manage your type 2 diabetes. When you join the program, we'll send you information about BYETTA, let you know what to expect from your therapy, and provide you with lots of tips, tools, and expert insights that can help you gain confidence and knowledge about living with type 2 diabetes. To learn more, go to the BYETTA By Your Side Program page.
BYETTA comes in a prefilled injection pen which uses a very small needle. And since the pen device contains pre-measured doses, you don’t have to adjust the dose in that pen.
You should inject BYETTA twice daily — once before your morning and evening meals (or before the two main meals of the day, at least 6 hours apart). After each injection, you should eat your meal anytime during the following 60 minutes.
To view an interactive tutorial that demonstrates how to use the BYETTA Pen, click here. If you are new to BYETTA and still have questions following review of the tutorial and Frequently Asked Questions, you can also speak with a BYETTA specialist about using the BYETTA Pen by calling 1-800-868-1190.
Your healthcare provider should start you off with a dose of 5 micrograms (mcg) twice a day for at least 30 days, but may decide to increase your dose to 10 mcg based on your individual results.
Even though it is an injection, BYETTA is not insulin and should not be taken instead of insulin. BYETTA is not recommended to be taken with insulin. BYETTA actually helps your body make more of its own insulin.
Research has shown that BYETTA starts working as soon as the very first dose. So you can see better control of your blood sugar levels on the first day. As you continue to take BYETTA, you should see overall improvements in your A1C (a 3-month average of your blood sugar levels).
Patients taking BYETTA may feel less hungry and eat less. In clinical trials, on average, people taking BYETTA with certain diabetes pills lost 5 pounds in 30 weeks, and people taking BYETTA alone lost 8 pounds in 26 weeks (BYETTA is not a weight-loss product).* Some medicines for type 2 diabetes, such as sulfonylureas and insulin, can cause weight gain, while other drugs, such as metformin, do not usually affect weight.
You do not need to do extra blood sugar monitoring while on BYETTA. However, self-monitoring of blood sugar is important and will help you and your healthcare provider determine how well your diabetes is controlled. Blood sugar could be checked 2 hours after the start of a meal to see how well BYETTA is working.
The American Diabetes Association has guidelines that help you set goals for your blood sugar. Having better control of your blood sugar can have a positive effect on your overall health. Many studies show that the closer you are to these goals, the better chance you have of avoiding complications with your health. Talk with your healthcare provider about what blood sugar levels are right for you.
Coverage for BYETTA varies by insurance plan. Your healthcare provider can contact the Amylin Reimbursement Hotline for assistance in verifying insurance coverage or in researching alternative sources of coverage.
Information on the Medicare drug benefit is available by calling toll-free 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or by visiting .
Amylin and Lilly are committed to assisting patients with diabetes in accessing coverage for its product(s). The Patient Assistance Program is available for patients prescribed BYETTA who do not have adequate insurance and/or do not have any other financial assistance and meet the eligibility criteria. In order to be considered for the Patient Assistance Program, patients will need to complete an application form and provide information on financial status.
More information on BYETTA is available by calling the Amylin/Lilly Customer Support Center toll-free at 1-800-868-1190. Your doctor, pharmacist, or other healthcare provider can also help you find more information on BYETTA.
A diabetes educator can be found in your area by calling the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) at 1-800-TEAMUP4 (1-800-832-6874) or by going online at
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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 is not recommended to be taken with 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. The dose of your sulfonylurea 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, dizziness, headache, feeling jittery, and acid stomach. 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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