User Reviews for Byetta (exenatide)

I have been on Byetta for four months. I did experience Nausea when going from the 5mg pen to the 10mg pen. After I began the 10mg pen, my liver enzyme labs began to spike. After ultrasound, cat scan, MRI, and Hepatitis tests, I was taken off the Byetta with an immediate result of lower liver enzymes. I assume I will be taken off the Byetta now, I've lost 50lbs on it combined with Weight Watchers. Has anyone else experience high liver enzymes?

It caused a slow emptying of the stomach and I had to take reglan along with nexium. I noticed that it actually worked similar to Alli drug for weight loss, except taken along with Glugophage it increased the excessive bathroom visits.

I have gone trough 2 of the 5mcg tubes, and in the begining of a 10mcg syringe...I had some nausea in the begining, but nothing to get into a twist over. Since the second or third day, I have adjusted well. The first thing I noticed was my appetite was definitely under arrest. I have managed to go from 316lbs. to 282lbs. I have to mention that I play basketball once a week and walk everyday (half an hour or so).

I read all the reviews and I became concerned about taking Byetta because of the reports of nausea and vomiting. I finally psyched myself up and I started my 5mcg injections in the thigh as people had suggested that it would alleviate the nausea. I am pleased to say that I did not even feel the injection, and there was no nausea until later in the day and it was more of a queasy feeling than nausea and as soon as I ate a small snack it went away. Five days into this I feel great, no bad side effects at all. I highly recommend this and I've discovered that the incidences of nausea and other undesirable side effects is very minimal compared to the number of people who take the drug with no discomfort or complications. Read More Read Less

I have been taking Byetta for about a year with good success. There is a side effect of moderate to severe nausea so you must follow the directions of eating within the hour of taking your shot. It does help bring down the BS and I have lost a moderate amount of weight (about 20 lbs). It certainly does suppress your appetite.

Endocrinologist in Oregon put me on 5mg dose several years ago and it worked great. Tried uping dose to 10 but that appears to be too stong...cut back to 5mg and is working great. A1C stays 5.8 to 6.0. Then moved to NM and went to VA. The system wanted to try something cheaper and numbers have been much higher and am gaining weight fast..even with eating less. So am going back on Byetta so long as can find the money to pay for it...no insurance.

Reduced sugars substantially, kept me off insulin for 3 years

I started this drug on July 14th. I had terrible nausea and diarrhea. Then I went to headaches and constipation. I found that with other reviews the leg injection site works much better for the nausea. I also altered what I ate and when. I tried doing the thigh for injections, eating a half hour after the injection and not eating carbs for the first meal after the injection. I found that by doing this there was next to no nausea and the headaches were reduced. I am currently taking the injection only in the am because the second dose in the pm was too much to start. I have lost 4 pounds. I found that mentally I had to reset my eating habits. I have metabolic syndrome and fatty liver disease. My blood sugar is elevated but not in the considered diabetic range. I was ready to give up on the medicine until I read the reviews about the thigh. Hopefully these ideas will help someone who reads it.Read More Read Less

Run fast and run FAR away from this drug. I experienced dangerously low numbers which caused me to pass out. Causes delayed Gastric emptying, essentially causing food to back up. Gas so bad that burps smelled like feces from all the rotting food. After taking it for 1 year I started vomiting all the time. I stopped taking it and the vomiting stopped and back to normal. I would DEFINATELY THINK TWICE BEFORE TAKING THIS MEDICINE! Insulin is safer.

I have been on the 5mg for one month. First week some nausea and diarreah then both went away. Fasting sugar 120 down from 173. Will go to 10 next week, hope it is not too much, so far so good.

I started taking this drug three weeks ago and ever since I started it I have had horrific headaches, terrible nausea, alternates between diarrhea and constipation. I also have been feeling tired and run down and mood swings. To those who have posted before, the mood swings do happen. It also can bring on panic attacks. I am going tonight to talk to my doctor about it. I haven't lost a single pound and varying my times for meals and what I eat has not done much at all. I am considered pre diabetic and am wondering if all this hassle is really worth it. I have been diagnosed with metabolic syndrome. I am considering the holistic approach. I have sinus infections over the winter time and will need to take antibiotics. From what I have read here it isn't a good mix.Read More Read Less

This medication has helped me to keep my numbers where they should be and I've lost weight from a size 16 to a 10 and that's a good thing...

I was one of the first to be offered Byetta 5mcg and I used it for 3 years. Twice my doctor upped the amount to the 10mcg - I started vomiting blood - both times. I am suffering from bloating in my stomach area, pain, cramps, doubled over. I have seen 5 doctors so far with no diagnosis. It is the area where Byetta was injected. I have no idea!

I am worried as I have seen many announcements on TV about the dangers of this drug.

I had some nausea at first but that is subsiding. However, the constant diarrhea is getting me down. I never know when it's going to hit.(Will it ever go away?!) It has decreased my appitite somewhat but I don't know if I've lost any weight yet. But even with the diarrhea it is a much better choice than Humalog. I threw on 40 pounds in a matter of weeks and was constantly hungry. I was eating all the time. If I can weather the awful diarrhea I will stick with it because my numbers are really great, especially in the mornings and I don't have those sudden and frightening drops in sugar level causing the shakes, sweating and hunger any more and I don't feel hungry anymore. Sometimes I have to remind myself to eat a little something. If I had to grade Byetta on a scale of 1 to 10 I would give it a solid 8.Read More Read Less

I have been on Byetta for a few years now along with Glucovance and Lantus, at first on the 5mcg dose I started experiencing nausea and stomach cramps but continued with the dosage. I have lost several pounds now since I started the 10mcg dose, the nausea and cramps have gone away and my blood glucose readings and HbA1c have been very good. Recently my VA Endocrinologist talked me into stoping Byetta because of known pancreatic problems and to increase my Lantus. So far my numbers have been all over the chart (very high to very low) Last night I had 2 bouts of lows (49 and 58). She said there are new side effect factors to Lantus now also. I want to go back to Byetta and am seriously considering it.Read More Read Less

I have been taking Byetta 10mcg for 90+ days. I have lost 28 pounds and have had mixed results with my bs daily readings they range from 220 50 64 in the same day. I also take amaryl 2 x a day. If i make sure to eat 50 minutes after the injection I don't have any side effects. I have had to adjust considerably my food intake as I cannot eat the quantity of food I used to in a setting, if I do I am miserable. About 15 days ago I started getting red itchy blotches at the injection site. Every injection causes a red itchy blotch and leaves a small scar. No other side effects are occurring with this issue. I have noticed that my immunity is lowered since the introduction of Byetta. I am a person that never gets colds or flu and have had two colds since starting Byetta. The last cold I had before starting Byetta was more than 2 years ago. Other wise I like it. I will get my 1st A1C reading in late July since starting Byetta. Before Byetta it was 7.1.Read More Read Less

First took it a few months ago, but had horrible runny diariaha and made my stomach hurt so bad, I didn't want to eat. I lost 25 lbs in a month and told my doctor no more. Tried it one more time, worked okay for about 1 week. Wasn't hungry and numbers were okay. Then I broke out in hives all over with swelling from my head to toes. Should have listened to my body the first time and said NO to the second request from my doctor.

Since I have only taken the 5 dose once and am now on the 10 dose, I'm only going by what has happened so far. My appetite has reduced significantly, but I wasn't necessarily aware that I was eating that much. After these two doses, I have lost 17 pounds. This makes me feel fantastic. I had slight nausea with the 5 dose, but none with the 10. My morning dose seems to affect my noon meal also. I have had to reduce my insulin dosage for meals almost by half and my evening dosage is down 4 units without a hypoglicemic incident during the night. They expect my 1ac to be greatly affected also.Read More Read Less