Where and How to Inject Byetta
From byetta.com:
*Where should I inject BYETTA?***
BYETTA should be injected into your upper leg, abdominal area, or upper arm
using the injection technique recommended by your healthcare professional.
*How do I prepare my injection site?***
Always wash your hands and clean the skin area where you are going to
inject. Your healthcare professional may give you more specific information
on how to prepare your injection site.
*Do I need to change my injection site? ***
If the injections do not bother you, you do not have to change the general
area of your injection site. If your skin gets irritated, you can choose a
different injection site each time, using your upper leg, abdominal area, or
upper arm.
August 24th, 2006 at 9:54 pm
Here are some hints that work for me.
I inject about 6 inches from my belly button. I don’t even feel it.
Any closer and it stings.
I always inject sitting down. It hurts more when I am standing. Go
figure.
I wash my hands and use a fresh needle, no alcohol. Why sterilize a
fresh needle?
My sugars are waaaaaaaaaaay down. Starting week 4! Not one bit of
nausea. No appetite, though. I forget to eat and have to be reminded.
Food that used to call my name have forgotten I exist. No cravings. No
food desires. I passed up ice cream for dinner tonight and munched on
a carrot. My husband is starting to call me "Pod Woman".
Mary
Needlephobic but getting resigned…
August 25th, 2006 at 1:33 am
Mary, My bg is still high. A few weeks ago I had to take a prednisone pack
for a swollen tonsil. That was the end of normal bgs for me. It hasnt changed
yet.
Can you keep injecting into your stomach without it getting sore? That seems
to be the least sensitive place for me. Ive been sliding the needle in on an
angle. Im afraid to go straight in. I have been very nauseous and thats hard to
take. One of my problems is that when we are out, if it gets late, we stop
to eat dinner and then I haven’t taken a shot of Byetta. Last time that
happened after I came home I waited a couple of hours and then took it and had a
snack. I wouldn’t have had that snack if that handout happened because I wasn’t
hungry. I dont have the insulated carrier yet and I dont know how long you can
carry the pen with you. What if it is hot out? Last night I tested at bedtime
and it was 150. I woke up over 200. Was I eating in my sleep or what? Ev
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August 25th, 2006 at 7:29 am
Ev,
I struggle with morning highs also.
I have done the snack and shot a couple of times. When I ate what I thought was
a snack and it turned
out that it should have been dinner. You can carry the pen with you after the
first shot. Too hot is over 77 degrees.
Pam
Mary, My bg is still high. A few weeks ago I had to take a prednisone pack
for a swollen tonsil. That was the end of normal bgs for me. It hasnt changed
yet.
Can you keep injecting into your stomach without it getting sore? That seems
to be the least sensitive place for me. Ive been sliding the needle in on an
angle. Im afraid to go straight in. I have been very nauseous and thats hard
to
take. One of my problems is that when we are out, if it gets late, we stop
to eat dinner and then I haven’t taken a shot of Byetta. Last time that
happened after I came home I waited a couple of hours and then took it and had
a
snack. I wouldn’t have had that snack if that handout happened because I
wasn’t
hungry. I dont have the insulated carrier yet and I dont know how long you can
carry the pen with you. What if it is hot out? Last night I tested at bedtime
and it was 150. I woke up over 200. Was I eating in my sleep or what? Ev
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
August 25th, 2006 at 10:09 am
Hi Pam, It will probably be over 77° here before we know it. I live in
northern NJ in the hills but the weather has been so extreme in the last couple
of
years that I expect summer to start soon. I hate the heat and humidity. If I
get one of those insulated carriers can I carry the pen with me in summer heat?
I doubt I could leave it in the car though when its hot because it gets
stifling hot in there during the summer. How long have you been on Byetta? It
hasnt
been a week yet for me and already Im panicking that it wont work. I used to
go to an endo, that kept telling me that the pancreas is like a sponge and it
will run out of insulin sooner or later. Ive been dreading that ever since. I
dont go to her anymore.
By the way does anyone know how they discovered that lizard saliva would help
diabetics? That is mind boggling. Ev
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August 25th, 2006 at 8:23 pm
Ev,
Some of the people have gotten the coolers. Others get a thermos to put the
Byetta pen in a zip lock bag or two and then put it in the thermos with ice.
(Check the archives). I asked byetta on the website to sent me the travel pack
but never got it.
I have been on Byetta for 4 months. I started the day before Thanksgiving with
a week off when I changed insurance and needed a doctor’s letter. I
occasionally get nauseous but not too bad. I usually either ignore it or chew
mint gum. That seems to help me feel better.
I would agree that a summer car is not the place for Byetta. Can you keep it in
your purse if you are in cooler air conditioned places? Although when I lived
in Texas I kept my home at 80 so I still would need to refrigerate it. I
actually refrigerate it because I don’t want to deal with my kids moving it or
the summer months. But I am glad they relaxed the rules so we can have an
easier time if we go out.
I feel much better. It is not quite doing it all the way for me. I added back
Glyburide. I am also on Metformin and Avandia. I am also working with South
Beach. I am doing a phase 1 and sometimes 2 if my sugar level is low enough.
I am working on exercising at least 5 days each week.
Don’t worry about it. I have three months to get this under control or I will
be on insulin. I am upset about that but that doesn’t help so I count my
blessings that at least there is insulin to go on and hope that I can make the
Byetta work. Sometimes we can make the good choices and it works and sometimes
it doesn’t. That feels hopeless but, I will do everything I know so that at
least I know I fought the good fight as they say.
Good luck to you.
Pam
Hi Pam, It will probably be over 77° here before we know it. I live in
northern NJ in the hills but the weather has been so extreme in the last
couple of
years that I expect summer to start soon. I hate the heat and humidity. If I
get one of those insulated carriers can I carry the pen with me in summer
heat?
I doubt I could leave it in the car though when its hot because it gets
stifling hot in there during the summer. How long have you been on Byetta? It
hasnt
been a week yet for me and already Im panicking that it wont work. I used to
go to an endo, that kept telling me that the pancreas is like a sponge and it
will run out of insulin sooner or later. Ive been dreading that ever since. I
dont go to her anymore.
By the way does anyone know how they discovered that lizard saliva would help
diabetics? That is mind boggling. Ev
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
August 26th, 2006 at 4:32 am
Ev,
1) As for the injection site, I personally prefer my thigh but
will use my abdomen if necessary. I use the 5/16" 31G pen needle
by BG and have only felt it when I inject too close to my navel or
on my arm. As long as you pinch up some skin, you shouldn’t have
to worry about going too deep.
2) Byetta no longer needs refrigeration as long as the ambient
temperature it is storred at does not exceed 77 degrees so you
should be able to take the pen with you and just excuse yourself
to the restroom long enough to do an injection. I’ve taken mine
out to eat twice now. Even though it doesn’t require
refrigeration, I did purchase a Medi-Fridge MICRO-COOLER which
will keep the pen cool for up to 16 hours so I can toss it in my
car and go. Just don’t leave it where the temperature is below 32
degrees or the pen can freeze.
–Michael
August 26th, 2006 at 8:49 am
Ev,
Byetta will send you a cooler if you go to their website:
www.byetta.com/welcome and fill out the form. However, the one
they give you is only rated to keep the pen cool for a few hours
(a quick trip to a restaurant) so if you need something to keep it
cool for longer than that, look into a FRIO or Medi-Fridge brand
cooler. The Medi-Fridge uses frozen gel packs and the FRIO
contains a special crystal that will absorb water and then cool
the pen using through evaporation. You can find these through
Google or other search engines.
–Michael
August 26th, 2006 at 4:14 pm
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August 27th, 2006 at 2:01 am
Remember the Special K commercials from the 70s and 80s where they
talked about "can you pinch an inch"? Well, just pinch up about
an inch of skin so that you’re being sure to inject into the fat
layer and not into muscle. Unless you’re extremely thin, most
folks can do this around the tummy area. And, for those very thin
folk, there is an even shorter pen needle available.
–Michael
> Could you please explain "pinch up some skin"?
August 27th, 2006 at 5:08 am
Michael,I just want enough spots that they dont get sore from injecting too
often. So far Ive had better luck with my stomach as my thighs are kind of
hard.
Where did you purchase your cooler?
Ev
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August 27th, 2006 at 9:26 am
Thanks Michael, I will google those brands . Ev
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August 27th, 2006 at 2:55 pm
I actually ordered mine through www.diabetesstore.com as their
price was lower than the manufacturer. Shipping from Florida to
Alaska was only $7.95 for FedEx 2-Day.
I haven’t had any problems with a site becoming sore from over
injection. I always rotate to a new site each day and have only
had some minor bruising but that’s because I have low platelets
and bruise easily anyway.
–Michael
August 27th, 2006 at 10:20 pm
Michael , I went to the diabetes store site. Is the medi fridge micro
refrigerator small enough to carry around in a purse? I dont think t here were
measurements but it did say something about plugging in a car. I guess that wou
ld
be in the cigarette lighter. Ev
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AOL now
August 28th, 2006 at 5:54 am
My understanding is that you don’t need to pinch any skin based on the DVD I saw
and the info that comes with the pen.
Melodie
–Michael
> Could you please explain "pinch up some skin"?
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
August 28th, 2006 at 10:12 am
Hi Ev,
Welcome to the group. I just got my "free" travel case in the mail yesterday.
It took it about 6 weeks to get here after ordering online. I wasn’t impressed
as the gel packs are really bulky. Given that it can be kept out of the fridge
to a certain temp, I am not going to worry about it for short trips of three or
less hours (yeah Mike, I know–we live in Alaska–there is no such thing as a
SHORT trip HA HA) and am going to look for a more compact way to carry it.
I don’t want to have to haul a big bag around just to carry that small pen.
Melodie
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
August 28th, 2006 at 11:13 am
I watched a dvd in the drs office and they didnt exactly pinch skin but
grabbed it before injecting. I stuck the needle straight in today instead of
sidewards and it was fine. Ev
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AOL now offers
August 28th, 2006 at 3:31 pm
Thanks for the welcome, Melodie! The nice thing about that medi fridge is
that you can plug it in in the car and then just take the pen with you into a
mall or wherever if you dont want to come back to the car. My bag weighs a ton
now. Im not putting a refrigerator into it. LOL. Ev
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August 28th, 2006 at 9:01 pm
Melodie, my diabetic educator told me the video show the
ultra-short pen needle and those aren’t recommended for anyone
overweight so I use the medium length and do the skin pinch to
make sure it’s going into the fat layer and not into muscle
tissue.
–Michael
> My understanding is that you don’t need to pinch any skin based
> on the DVD I saw and the info that comes with the pen.
August 29th, 2006 at 1:18 am
Ev, I bought both the Micro-Cooler and the Micro-Refrigerator to
use when I travel for business. The refrigerator is about 4" wide
x 8" long x 6" high. It would probably be too large to fit in
your purse but it could easily fit in a carry on bag or a
briefcase if flying. It comes with both a wall plug and a 12v
cigarette lighter plug so you can use it in your car. However,
they say it won’t work properly if in a hot parked car so you
wouldn’t want to leave it in there for an extended period. The
cooler is about the same size as the refrigerator but even with
the ice pack and pen inside, it only weighs about 1/2 pound and
looks like a tiny lunchbox. There’s a flap on the top where you
can store pen needles and alcohol swabs and it’s all black so
fairly discrete for taking to a restaurant with you.
–Michael
August 29th, 2006 at 5:36 am
Melodie, I had someone ask me the other day why I am worried about
the temperature since I live in Alaska but I travel to Fairbanks
about every-other week on business (even flying it takes about 4
hours from the time I leave my downtown office until I get there)
and in the summer it can get quite warm up there. Even in my
Russian Jack apartment, when the summer sun moves around to the
north about 9pm, it regularly gets to 85+ inside so even at home I
would need to refrigerate. I bought the micro refrigerator mainly
for travel but found it is more convenient to leave it running on
my bathroom counter with my other meds than to store my pen in the
butter compartment of the refrigerator.
Glad to hear others are finally getting their travel tote from
Byetta. I figured they forgot about me since it hasn’t shown up
yet and I’ve already received the one that I purchased online.
–Michael
August 30th, 2006 at 3:34 am
I haven’t eaten out much since I started Byetta. I went to dinner at someone’s
home about an hour away from my house. I just took the Byetta and injected in
the car. I did not want to tell them about it since it was people my husband
worked with. The times we have gone out I told my husband I had an hour to eat.
We have done fine with that so far. I think I would use the bathroom in a
resturant. I don’t at home. I just do it in the kitchen.
Yes I am on Avandia. I have lost some weight since being on avandia. But only
about 3 - 5 lbs.
I did not ask that. I guess if it goes down a lot then I can negotiate what I
want to do. I should ask but, I won’t feeling better is the goal at this point.
Pam
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
August 30th, 2006 at 7:52 am
I haven’t eaten out much since I started Byetta. I went to dinner at someone’s
home about an hour away from my house. I just took the Byetta and injected in
the car. I did not want to tell them about it since it was people my husband
worked with. The times we have gone out I told my husband I had an hour to eat.
We have done fine with that so far. I think I would use the bathroom in a
resturant. I don’t at home. I just do it in the kitchen.
Yes I am on Avandia. I have lost some weight since being on avandia. But only
about 3 - 5 lbs.
I did not ask that. I guess if it goes down a lot then I can negotiate what I
want to do. I should ask but, I won’t feeling better is the goal at this point.
Pam
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
August 30th, 2006 at 12:10 pm
Melodie, my diabetic educator told me the video show the
ultra-short pen needle and those aren’t recommended for anyone
overweight so I use the medium length and do the skin pinch to
make sure it’s going into the fat layer and not into muscle
tissue.
–Michael
> My understanding is that you don’t need to pinch any skin based
> on the DVD I saw and the info that comes with the pen.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
August 30th, 2006 at 4:27 pm
Michael,I just want enough spots that they dont get sore from injecting too
often. So far Ive had better luck with my stomach as my thighs are kind of
hard.
Where did you purchase your cooler?
Ev
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
August 31st, 2006 at 9:43 pm
I have been taking insulin for over 2 years and have done every
injection into my abdomen. Dont shoot into the same spot every time. You
will build up scar tissue and then the medicine cant be absorbed. You
can shoot from your back all the way to a hands width from your naval.
Some place are more sensitive than others. I "test" with the tip of the
needle. If it hurts I dont shoot there. Sometimes I get a small drop of
blood, but that doesnt usually mean anything bad.
I save the left side for my Lantus and the novolog goes in the right so
that I am sure they never mix. Only once have I had a spot get sore and
I have no idea why. I just remember where it was and dont use that spot
anymore.
Some injections bruise, but most dont. I havent shot into my thighs as
that seems like it would hurt greatly. There is just too much muscle there.
Unless you are very thin you should be putting the needle straight in,
not at an angle so the medicine goes right into the fat like it should.
Pinch up a wad of skin and shoot straight in. Release the wad and inject.
September 1st, 2006 at 10:59 am
First time I took my pen to a restaurant, I went to the men’s room just
after I placed my order and just opened the front of my jeans and did the
injection in my thigh. I got a strange look from the guy standing at the
urinal since I didn’t go into the stall to open my pants but I figured I
couldn’t be seen from where I was standing unless someone actually walked in
and I really didn’t care if someone looked at me strange or not. The second
time I just rolled up my sleeve and did it in my upper arm while sitting at
the table. The lady at the next booth glanced over momentarily but then
went about her business. The only thing about the arm is that it actually
hurt where I don’t feel it in my thigh or abdomen. If I had been at a
regular table, I would have probably used the belly but being overweight and
in a booth, I didn’t have a lot of room to maneuver around so figured the
arm was a better choice at the moment.
September 1st, 2006 at 2:55 pm
Ev, what do you eat? Have you changed your eating habits to reduce the
carbs that keep your numbers high? Granted people can eat more carbs on
Byetta, but you still have to cut back on things like potaotes, bread,
pasta and rice. Soda pop that is not diet will shoot numbers up no
matter what you do as will fruit juice.
What goes in your mouth determins what you numbers will end up being. I
know when I eat a baked potato I will have very high numbers. If I eat
salad I "should" be ok. I say should be because I never am really sure
what will end up happening, especially when eating out. It seems they
put sugar in everything! I just keep checking and adjust the insulin and
glipizid to meet what is needed.
We are running a race with no end so we just have to keep staying ahead
by testing and eating what doesnt give us high numbers. Of course
exercise helps too, but I dont tend to do enough of that to make any
difference*G* Hang in there and before you know it you will be at the
front of the race.
September 1st, 2006 at 7:13 pm
Ev, what do you eat? Have you changed your eating habits to reduce the
carbs that keep your numbers high? Granted people can eat more carbs on
Byetta, but you still have to cut back on things like potaotes, bread,
pasta and rice. Soda pop that is not diet will shoot numbers up no
matter what you do as will fruit juice.
What goes in your mouth determins what you numbers will end up being. I
know when I eat a baked potato I will have very high numbers. If I eat
salad I "should" be ok. I say should be because I never am really sure
what will end up happening, especially when eating out. It seems they
put sugar in everything! I just keep checking and adjust the insulin and
glipizid to meet what is needed.
We are running a race with no end so we just have to keep staying ahead
by testing and eating what doesnt give us high numbers. Of course
exercise helps too, but I dont tend to do enough of that to make any
difference*G* Hang in there and before you know it you will be at the
front of the race.
September 2nd, 2006 at 5:24 am
When I called for blood in my pen, they asked me if I pinched to inject, which I
did. The lady said not to do that. I haven’t since then and have had no
problems.
My understanding is that you don’t need to pinch any skin based on the DVD I saw
and the info that comes with the pen.
Melodie
Michael <bigbear@acsalaska. net> wrote:
Remember the Special K commercials from the 70s and 80s where they
talked about "can you pinch an inch"? Well, just pinch up about
an inch of skin so that you’re being sure to inject into the fat
layer and not into muscle. Unless you’re extremely thin, most
folks can do this around the tummy area. And, for those very thin
folk, there is an even shorter pen needle available.
–Michael
.
September 3rd, 2006 at 9:59 pm
Ruby, I have cut down a lot on what Im eating since I started Byetta. Im
making an appt with a dietician. Ive been diabetic for over 7 years but Ive
never
done that so I will do it now. I do love carbs. That is a problem. Ive been
having a slimfast for breakfast for years. They used to have a soy based formula
which was very low in carbs but they discontinued that one. Now I use the
optima and I know it is higher. Sometimes I have it for lunch also. I dont eat
meat except for poultry and fish so dinner is usually one of those. Going out to
dinner can be my downfall. I love pasta. Ev
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