Controlling Nausea on Byetta

David Mendosa Living With It Medical Journalist Living with Diabetes and Author of Fitness and Photography for Fun, www.mendosa.com/fitnessblog After earning a B.A. with honors from the University of California,... Send Message Subscribe: David Mendosa

Tuesday, August 08, 2006
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Before Byetta became available, most of the so-called experts thought that its biggest problem would be that it has to be taken by injection. But for almost all users it’s no problem, probably because it is much less painful than the fingersticks to test our blood glucose. Instead, the bigges...

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Untitled Comment
Viktoria
Thursday, August 10, 2006 at 09:45 AM
This post came at the perfect time for me, as I just increased my dosage of Byetta from 5mcg to 10mcg this morning. I'd had absolutely no digestive effect from my six weeks at 5mcg, so I had no apprehension about the switch. I injected, waited about 20 minutes, then ate my low-carb/high-fiber bread with low-fat ham sandwich, and headed off to work. My commute is 90 minutes, and YIKES -- I had to stop three times to . . . well, say goodbye to that sandwich. I hope this will be a temporary effect, but will keep in mind to try half portions, and maybe to eat even closer to the injection time. That, and I'll try to avoid what would make a lizard nauseous (as soon as I figure out what that might be).

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Mindi
Sunday, August 13, 2006 at 09:49 AM
I'm curious... you mentioned (either here or in another entry) that you like to have a cup of coffee when you wake and then eat breakfast an hour later... and I also am in that habit (also a freelancer who works at home)... and just started using Byetta... so here's my question to you: do you drink coffee in the morning BEFORE injecting the morning Byetta? Does coffee count as food, basically? I have been injecting then having coffee and breakfast within the hour (as that seems to be the instruction)... and find that if I have a second cup of coffee more than an hour or so after injecting, I DO experience nausea (so I don't anymore)... just wondered whether I would be alright having coffee when I wake... then injecting byetta an hour later and having breakfast THEN. David's Response: I do drink my coffee -- or espresso -- before taking my morning Byetta shot. But I drink it black and don't add any sugar. So it doesn't have any calories. This does not count as food.

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Laurie
Wednesday, August 23, 2006 at 10:07 AM
Thank you for compiling this information, it's very helpful. I have just started my third month on byetta - one month on 5, and then I was onto the 10. My nausea and fatigue have been severe on the 10. I could hardly keep anything down for weeks. I was exhausted and felt fluish. My experience has been that gradually in between shots I have a window of feeling better. Thankfully I have turned the corner and feel better more often than not - I am back in action now. I love the effects of the Byetta. My blood sugars have never been lower. I am losing weight steadily. I had some gradual learnings for how to minimize or prevent my nasuea. I do not think I can explain or prevent all episodes though. My body seems to be going through tremendous changes to stabilize with my lower more controlled blood sugars. I wanted to say this in case there are others having a hard time too. Do not be discouraged. Sometimes I feel like there is a lot of self-blame with diabetes. If I had eaten better, exercised more... My point is that yes, there are some things you will be able to figure out and change with the nausea, and some you will just need to get through. Best wishes to all going through that part.

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Joel Price
Friday, September 01, 2006 at 03:10 PM
I found that if I do not eat enough carbs I get the nausea...I just up the carbs alittle with the meal or a snack/dessert after my meal & it goes away David's Response: Good tip, Joel. When I started on Byetta, I thought that it was the carbs that I had to watch out for to avoid nausea. Turns out that it is the fats.

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Ann Williams
Friday, September 01, 2006 at 11:19 PM
For a really yummy anti-nausea concoction, you can make your own fresh ginger root tea. Chop into very small pieces some fresh ginger. (Using a food processor gets it really fine.)If you like lemon, you can add a whole chopped-up lemon, Including the peel, to the ginger root. Cover the ginger (and lemon if you're using it)with water. Heat it to a gentle simmer, and simmer for about an hour or so. Strain out the ginger pieces, and add water (hot or cold) until it's a strength you like. Sweeten it with your sweetener of choice. I use Splenda. My daughter (who doesn't have diabetes) uses honey. I have a friend who uses Stevia. What you end up with is ginger ale without the fizz. If you want a fizzy concoction, use Club soda to dilute the ginger water. David's Response: What a great tip, Ann! Thank you again.

re: Untitled Comment
P. Kraft
Thursday, October 09, 2008 at 04:44 PM

Thanks for the great tip! I am definitely going to try it. Wish I had this recipe when I was pregnant. I did, however, chew on fresh ginger (not too pleasant, but works) and liked a plate of freshly cut lemons to smell. Also, I use xylitol (found also in dental products) as a sweetener.

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Bonnie
Monday, December 04, 2006 at 03:06 AM
I'm starting 5mg in the morning. When do you take your oral meds? Before, with or after your meal? I'm anxious to get started, but a little scared about the side effects. We are planning a long weekend away in about 6 days. I'll try the ginger tea concentrate. I've also heard that ginger snaps help. Has anyone tried Chimes Ginger Chews? Thanks, Bonnie David's Response: Anything with ginger in it is awfully popular for dealing with nausea, Bonnie. Please see my blog article about it at: http://blogs.healthcentral.com/diabetes/david-mendosa/controlling-nausea-on-byetta-2006-08-08/print

Controlling Nausea on Byetta
Rosalind
Wednesday, June 20, 2007 at 05:29 PM

I would love to think like a lizard, but what makes a lizard nauseous? I'll try the ginger ale suggestion, but I'm sure part of my problem is one of anticipation. Thanks for your research and sharing this info.

re: Controlling Nausea on Byetta
David Mendosa
Wednesday, June 20, 2007 at 06:58 PM
Dear Rosalind,

Lizards eat protein food and very little fat and no carbohydrates. I am not sure if the person who originally wrote that was joking or not, but it works.

Dear David,
blythe
Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at 04:13 AM

Thanks for your article. I think I can remember to eat and eat like a lizard if it means I'll lose weight. When I look at myself in the mirror I don't even recognise myself!

I'd like to try the Ginger route before I get into drugs. However I'm intimately aquainted with two of those durgs. Reglan and Promethazine RULE THE UNIVERSE. I get migraines and get instantly nauseated. These two drugs are the only things that work for me on that one. The alternative is barfing until you have the dry heaves, & sleeping in the bathroom floor. I have four dogs and one cat who follow me everywhere. Trust me it's not comfortable in the bathroom with them there too. I wake up with bruises all over that look just like paw prints. Seriously.

For anyone who wants to go on these I reccomend suppositories. Those are the greatest for the simple reason that they come on board almost instantly. So if it get's really bad you can rid yourself of that nausea really fast. The method of application is kind of a nightmare but eventually you become an expert and can do it before you can say caddalidic converter.

Thanks again I hope my nausea trick helps! Blythe

re: Dear David,
David Mendosa
Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at 11:32 AM

Dear Blythe,

I agree that using ginger to control your nausea before taking any more drugs is the way to go. Remember that you can get ginger in a lot of forms. Some of them, like, for example, most ginger ales, probably don't have enough ginger in them to do any good. Making your own ginger drink is probably the best way to go.

David

re: re: Dear David,
blythe
Friday, March 28, 2008 at 09:33 PM

Hi David,
How do you make your own ginger drink? Is there a recipe? Also what about gingersnaps? Another thing to everyone, how many of you guys experienced bad nausea on Byetta? I'm taking my first shot tommorow. Also how about if you just ate, can you inject right after you're done?

Thanks you guys, it is great being a member of such a lovely group of people. I don't feel like such an alien anymore! Blythe

Nausea
blythe
Friday, March 28, 2008 at 09:42 PM
Hi David, it's Blythe again. Today when I got my Byetta I was suprised to hear from my end. that phenegran, promathazine and the like are counter indicated for Byetta. She told me that they could dilute the effect of the drug. Have you heard of this? She said ginger is the way to go. I wonder which ginger is best, in pills, cookies or soda? RSVP and thank you ever so much. Blythe

re: Nausea
David Mendosa
Friday, March 28, 2008 at 09:46 PM

Dear Blythe,

No, I haven't heard that those drugs are counter-indicated for Byetta. You need to ask her, "Why?"

Still, I don't think that is generally the best idea to use a drug to counter the effects of another drug. I would also first prefer to use ginger. I don't know which form of ginger, but I would select a pretty concentrated form. In other words, I would avoid most of the ginger ales, which have very little ginger in them.

Best regards,

David

re: re: Nausea
blythe
Friday, March 28, 2008 at 10:34 PM
Hi David, what kind of ginger do you use? Thanks Blythe

re: re: re: Nausea
David Mendosa
Friday, March 28, 2008 at 10:43 PM

Dear Blythe,

I'm sorry, but I can't answer your question because I never got enough nausea myself to warrant drinking any ginger ale. All I can say is that I remember one brand of particularly strong ginger ale that I bought at
Whole Foods for my wife. But I can't recall the name now. You might do as I did for her and buy a bottle or two of all of the brands.

Best regards,

David

Nausea
Cici
Thursday, February 19, 2009 at 10:38 PM

all-

at another site several people recommended giving the Byetta injection in the thigh instead of stomach. I tried it this morning and indeed my nausea was greatly reduced--really. The thigh! I also only ate an apple--about 45 minutes after the injection. I had coffee/cream about 40 minutes prior to the injection. I had 1 little cookie (ginger snap, of course) about an hour after that with coffee/cream. NO problem.

Had lite lunch (whole grain carb and cheddar cheese). Not much food--the point, right? and virtually no nausea. Hope it works tomorrow a.m.

cheers

p.s. I am only doing a.m. because the nausea was sooo awful. Tomorrow I will do p.m. Yah I know this is not the protocol.

re: Nausea
David Mendosa
Thursday, February 19, 2009 at 10:43 PM

Dear Cici,

It is really a great idea to take it just once a day to minimize the initial nausea. I know several doctors that recommend doing just that.

And thanks for adding the tip to take in in the thigh. I had never heard that before, and it's great that it reduces the nausea.

Best regards,

David

Byetta Nausea
Anonymous
Thursday, March 05, 2009 at 09:04 AM

I have a problem that has never been addressed. I do not get nausea when I take a shot before breakfast. If I eat dinner (like last night) around 5:30pm take a shot before and then go to bed around 9 - six hours later dfepending on what I eat I wake up having to vomit and have loose bowel movements. I went off Byetta due to this problem, it is not all the time, could it be because I have eaten a fatty food or bread? What is the answer to combat this problem?

re: Byetta Nausea
David Mendosa
Thursday, March 05, 2009 at 12:04 PM

Yes, indeed the problem could be in what you eat. One solution would be to stop taking the evening shot for a few months until your body adjusts better to the Byetta. Other solutions are the anti-nausea ideas in this article. You might want to discuss both strategies with your doctor before deciding.

Best regards,

David

nausea
Deb
Saturday, May 09, 2009 at 02:02 AM

Has anyone tried or been prescribed medical marijuana for the nausea? I'm finding that I am having nausea on a regular basis no matter if I eat one minute or one hour after the injection. I only eat small amounts of food, usually half of what I would consider a normal portion and still feel the nausea. My friend has medical marijuana for her chemo treatments that caused her nausea, but I know that also increases appetite which is not what most of us want. I guess it's a balancing act. For now, I've been taking pepto bismal and I've been keeping them in business lately!

re: nausea
David Mendosa
Saturday, May 09, 2009 at 10:15 AM

Dear Deb,

That is an excellent idea! Medical marijuana is indeed very successful in controlling the nausea that people on chemo have as well as from othter causes.

I don't know how to get legal marijuana. But I used a lot of it in the 70s and 80s not for nausea but recreationally.

Pot does have a well-deserved reputation of causing the muchies, because it hightens sensations. My experience, however, was that it was the first drug that helped me to lose a lot of weight (which I regained when I stopped using it and failed to get it all off until I used Byetta).

It was one of the first times that I was high that I came to the realization that I did not want to be fat and that I didn't have to be fat. From then on I got down to a normal weight.

I think that it was the pot that also got me to exercise more and longer. I still remember swimming for hours along the coast of the Pacific Ocean, something that I never have been able to do for nearly as long before or since using marijuana.

My experience is not typical, I don't think, because I have never heard of anyone else saying how much that using marijuana helped them. But it came at a great cost in lack of clarity, and I am glad now to be off of all drugs, whether recreational or prescription.

I share my experience because of your fears that using medical pot, assuming that you are able to get a prescription for it, will necessarily lead to weight gain. It may actually help you to lose weight particularly in concert with Byetta.

Best regards,

David

re: re: nausea
Anonymous
Tuesday, July 07, 2009 at 04:45 PM

There are two tpes of marijuana. Sativas will tend to produce more of a cerebral, energetic or giggly high, while Indicas produce more of a body stone, known to enhance physical aspects such as sound and taste and can also have a relaxing effect. Maybe you smoked sativas?

Byetta and Nausea/Vomiting
Candice
Monday, June 15, 2009 at 02:34 PM

I have beent aking Byetta Since Nov. 2008 and had no side effects until the end of March, when the nausea and vomiting began. This was also about the time I started keeping my pens refridgerated. Once they were opened, I had been carrying them in my purse before that. A friend told me that when she quit refridgerating her meds, the nausea ended. Has anyone else had this result?

Timing Might Be Everything
Anonymous
Tuesday, July 07, 2009 at 04:29 PM

I started out fine with Byetta, but over the months the nausea has increased. I think I know what the problem may be: I started working out at about the same time. The workouts aren't the probem, per se, but I don't have time to get to the gym until 8 pm. I take my Byetta shot at around 7 pm, when I get home from work, then work out, then eat very late at night. I suspect my dinner from the night before is still lingering in my stomach when I take my morning Byetta shot.

However, my night-time Byetta shot makes me nauseated too. There have been evenings when I'm on the treadmill and my mouth starts to water like it does just before I vomit. It's never extreme, just annoying.

More than anything else, I worry what Byetta is doing to my liver, along with the other drugs I take. I would just like to exercise my way out of diabetes, if possible.

re: Timing Might Be Everything
David Mendosa
Tuesday, July 07, 2009 at 04:32 PM

You're right. A rule about taking Byetta is not to wait more than 60 minutes to eat after taking your injection.

Best regards,

David

re: re: Timing Might Be Everything
Anonymous
Tuesday, July 07, 2009 at 04:38 PM

I guess I could drink a protein shake before I work out....

Thanks!