Byetta Insulin For Type 2 Diabetes Is An Injection Typically Given Twice Daily
Many people know that diabetics often treat themselves with regular injections of insulin, which helps them to control the painful side effects of drastic blood glucose fluctuation or depletion. For this reason, people sometimes think that every injectable medicine is an insulin drug, since patients inject it underneath the skin. However, there is actually no such thing as Byetta insulin; rather, it is a medication used to treat diabetes. The drug that is sometimes mistaken for Byetta insulin is actually a medication introduced on April 28, 2005. It was created to address patients that were not benefitting from the popular oral medications that were available on the market at that time. As an injectable exenatide class medicine, it is administrated with a syringe, subcutaneously, twice daily, which is why it is commonly mistaken for something it is not. An injection is typically given under the skin. A doctor or pharmacist can provide specific instructions as to how and where to use the syringe (usually in the upper thigh, stomach, or upper arm). There are also a number of precautions that patients should keep in mind after receiving a prescription: Use it exactly as prescribed, following the directions on the label Do not use in larger amounts or for a longer time period than recommended Do not administer immediately after eating a meal Never share the pen with another person Check your blood sugar levels regularly Use for no more than 30 days, and then discard Avoid drinking alcohol while taking this medicine Inform your doctor of all other drugs that you are using, including over-the-counter vitamins or minerals
It is interesting to note that the drug mistaken for Byetta insulin is actually a synthetic version of a hormone commonly found in the saliva of the Gila monster, a dangerous and venomous lizard that lives in the southwestern United States, and parts of northern Mexico. The effectiveness of the synthesized chemical is attributed to the similarity it bears to a chemical called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a hormone that is found naturally in the human digestive track, and increases insulin production when blood sugar levels are too high. Because the synthesized version has a longer half-life than the one that naturally occurs in humans, it helps diabetics control their sugar levels. However, in 2007, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began requiring manufacturers and marketers of Byetta to create additional, more prominent warning labels for the medication after at least 30 reports of the life-threatening malady known as pancreatitis were directly connected to regular use. Since that requirement went into effect, there have been several more related deaths, and the FDA has reportedly begun considering pursuing additional changes to the labels, to include the possibility of internal bleeding and cell death, among many other potential problems. If you or anyone you know has ever, or is currently taking a regular Byetta dose, consult your health care physician about changing therapies. If you experience any negative reactions to the drug, make sure to have them diagnosed and documented by your doctor before contacting an attorney.
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