Bydureon Diabetes Drug, Side Effects
Bydureon is a once weekly form of Byetta, an increasingly popular diabetes medication. It has a variety of effects that make it a useful treatment for diabetes. Most importantly, it helps lower blood sugar and has tended to help people lose weight.
Effects
Bydureon lowers fasting glucose levels, has tended to result in weight loss, and helps lower HbA1c levels. Chemically, it is very similar to glucagon like peptide 1 (glp-1), which is something your body naturally secrets after eating.
Glp-1 helps you digest food as well as serve as a signal that you’ve eaten.
Efficacy
Studies have shown that Bydureon has significant effects that are positive. On a purely chemical level, 77% of those on Bydureon achieved target HbA1c levels. It also probably helps you lose weight. In one study, participants lost around 4kg on average.
How does this impact your life?
One large study gave participants a Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire, which consists of 6 items scored 0-6 and general satisfaction questions. The total score is 36. Those who took Bydureon had about an impressive 5 point change in their score, with an average improvement of 1.3 in rating of satisfaction with treatment for diabetes.
That means that treatment with Bydureon has tended to improve people’s satisfaction with their overall treatment for diabetes.
Long release versus instant release
Byetta has already been available as a twice daily injection. How does it compare to the once weekly form?
First, the most important note is that once weekly dosing is a lot easier than twice daily. Especially since Byetta is injected.
Some studies have shown superior results achieving target levels for the long release form than the instant release. In one, for instance, 77% of those on long release achieved target HbA1c levels, while only 61% of those on instant release did.
One study showed that people thought instant release and long release were about as effective. That study, however, showed that people rated long release as significantly more convenient than instant release.
Side effects of Bydureon
26.4% report nausea
17.6% report itching or discomfort at injection site
13.5% report diarrhea
10.8% report vomiting
~10% report constipation
4.7% report injection site bruising
Around 5% of those on Bydureon report a “serious” side effect.
Some people on Bydureon develop antibodies to the medication. This was mostly not an issue but could lead to allergic reactions.
Concerns
Because of how Bydureon works, it may influence your body’s digestion of other medications. This may be significantly important for contraceptives and antibiotics. Additionally, one study showed that levels of Tylenol were significantly effected by Byetta.
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I would like to be advised of any adverse reactions from this medication
Please advise me of any adverse effects from this medication
I heard a larger needle is needed for administration of the long acting version of Byetta. Is it in an oily base? Do the pen needles need priming before each dose?
Will patients be allowed to inject Bydureon themselves? Where is the injection site given the larger needle?
Diabetes and Obesity is the direct result of food chemicals that have destroyed the gut(insulin) of the people.
The Billionaire drug makers and FDA KNOW THIS and get rich off this disease.
The diabetes drug makers took in 10 billion$$$$$$ combined in one year with no cure! While the drugs caused heart failure!
A filmmaker has been reversing diabetes WITHOUT medications in now 10 countries worldwide but the drug companies do not promote this
just google SPIRIT HAPPY DIET
when will this drug be available to the u.s. market by prescription?
Please let me know when I can get this med.
Please advise me when this medication is available in the United Kingdom
Not all type 2 is from purely overweight, I was not before becoming a diabetic, my father was a DB and probably my G father!
I will have to see my doctor, she LOVES experimenting on me AND this year one of her experiments cost me 3 months of agro!!
I am on Byetta and have been for 6 years with no side effects. I am trying to find out the projected costs of Bydureon as it relates to the Donut Hole under Medicare. Is this information available even on a tentative basis?
What is the cost of this and when can we get it.
What is the cost? Will medicare cover it? When will it be available?
It is expensive, for one month with medical prescription insurance i still forked out 180.00 compared to Byetta that my cost was 50.00 but it is also like 56 less sticks in my belly with a needle, to me totally worth the money.
Bydrueon has been prescribed and not covered by Medicare for me. How do I get it.
If you go to the website there is a discount card that you can use to offset a little bit of the cost but not much.
Had bad control for sometime. However found the daily jabs made me moody and angry at being unable to eat. (was eating less than 300 cal a day at one point) Tired all the time. Whereby sleeping all the time previous years. I have always managed on 4-6 hours sleep a night. Is this new drug any better?
Yes, Bydureon is once a week injection. Pretty involved process of mixing the powdered medicine with syringe of liquid, shaking it vigorously, all while holding the syringe with the plunger extended exactly on the black line on the syringe. And, the needle is like a 10 penny nail compared to the needles on the injectible pens. Almost as complicated as assembling a bike under the Christmas tree!
It looks like a “get rich quick” for the manufactuers of diabetic medications as they can’t fail to lose with the millions of diabetic patients worldwide having to use it
I have been on Bydureion for two weeks now. I have broken out with hive all over my body and itching severely. I went to my PCP and he put me on Prednisone and somethng for itching. It quietened down and now it has come back. I have big wepts all over my waiste line, back, under arms, breast, stomach, and thieghs. I also have a funny feeling of tightness in my face and head. I am unsure wheather to keep taking it or not. I take Metformin, Gliperide, Welbutrin, Previclor, Estretest, asprin, fish oil, and recently quit taking Levemir injections.
I’m on Bydureon after 7 years of Byetta and have never had a side effect. Sounds like an allergic reaction. Contact Amylin directly and see what they recommend. Possibly see an Allergist. I would go off the Bydureon until you know. Perhaps they can do an allergy test of Bydrueon. With all those other drugs, etc you might have some kind of interaction effect.
This medication is another lot of rubbish to have to take which will also make you ill. The best thing to do is to totally ignore it and take your chances with existing medication that you take each day
I have been taking Bydureon for four weeks and love it. Insurance just approved it last week. I’m loosing weight and feeling great. Just got off a two week cruise and actually lost weight. It is a little more time consuming than Byetta but much better. Instead of twice a day injections, once a week. I”m excited about this new medication and can’t wait to see the results in a few months. Hoping my blood suger is in tact, my weight is down, and possible go off the medication.
I have been using it now for 4 weeks and I am very impressed at how well it is working, I did have the sick stomach until week 3 but it came and went. I pay 30.00 per month after insurance pays. I have been having a few headaches and for a few days my body aches Im not sure if it is a cause from the meds. But with the benifits I have been experiences it is worth it to me.
The people that leave comments about this medication have absolutely no idea what the long term prospects are because no doubt they won’t be alive to see what happens to other fools that are taking it
You are both arrogant and incredibly ignorant.
I hope that you’re still alive Pete after making such inane comments you are not a diabelic specialist after all stick to what you know best this drug is absolute rubbish and will cause extensive kidney and liver damage over long term use of it
Making defamatory claims about the drug with no supporting evidence is ignorant. Sound like you have a hidden agenda in posting here. I’ve been on Byetta for about 7 years. It eliminated my neuropathy pain after about 2 months. I’ve never had a side effect. My A1C has been below 5.5 ever since going on it. If you know so much, post the links for the research that supports your statements. You sound more like a competing drug sales person.
Wow what a stupid comment. I can’t speak to all but correct me if I’m wrong obviously we are all ill and trying to add more days of being able to see and not lose limbs. Also this is not the first drug of choice for most. So dont you think in the end we are all fighting the inevitable anyway. Yea there are sow side effects but when you are a parent you do all you can to stay healthy fir your children
I have been on Bydureon for six weeks and my blood sugar is down and have lost weight. But I have been soooo sick I feel like I’m dying!!!!!! I have all the side effects and plus some new ones. The latest one is the break outs of wepts and red bumps. Also bad lower back pain. I previously had chemotherapy and radiation for breast cancer. And with those treatments I never had days as sick as this drug makes me fill !!!!! I agree with Barry S.
I mean( feel)!!!
I am fetting nodules at the injection site, When I spoke to the nurse on the phone she said it took 27 days for them to disappear. I am getting concerned that mthey are never going away. These are on my stomach. This week I tried my arm abd so far 4 days the nodule has not appeared. Will these nodules have a lasting effect on my health? I really hate to stop this medication because I have great cpontrol with this medicine.
Dear Barry S -
In one post you say we have no idea what the long-term consequences of this drug are. In the other post you say this drug will cause kidney and liver damage over long-term use. You clearly have no idea what you are talking about. The drugs coming out to treat diabetes are great drugs – they are not for everyone – all drugs have side effects. I work in pharma advertising and actually promote the use of Victoza, Bydureon’s competitor. But you will not see me putting out incorrect information regarding any drug. All of these products are making advances in treating an incurable disease.
Please keep your ignorant comments to yourself. You are not helping anyone.
I took Byetta for several years and it worked well for me. I have been taking Bydureon now for about six weeks. No nausea. That was great. I love the once a week dosing. That is a very liberating plus for this drug. However, I’ve had swelling in legs and feet since I have been on it and pain in my legs. I have no idea if this is due to the Bydureon or something else that has started with coincidental timing. Anyone have anything similar?
i have been on this for 4 weeks now. I noticed results after week 2. I was able to cut back on basal rates and insulin to carb ratio. from week 2-3 I had nausea. it was only if I skipped a meal. now I have none. the only side effect I have noticed is extreme itching at the injection site. also there is a hard bump as well. I feel like it lasts 12-14 days for me. my endo said that I will reach peak performance around weeks 6-8. I am going on the dexcom sensor tonight so I’ll be curious to really see what post carb meal BGs are :) any questions feel free to ask me!