Help for Nausea From Byetta

Byetta is a relatively newer injectable drug used to control blood sugar in diabetic patients. The biggest side effect experienced with this medication is nausea. However, there are ways you can deal with the nausea. It is often remedied by making small lifestyle changes that take little effort and make a big difference in the way you feel while taking Byetta.

Byetta Facts

• Byetta was developed by Amylin Pharmaceuticals to help control blood sugar levels in diabetic patients. This is accomplished by assisting the pancreas in producing insulin more efficiently than it does naturally. Byetta is used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, though in some cases it is used with other medications to achieve a desired result. Byetta is typically injected twice daily, in the morning and in the evening, and it should be taken within an hour before eating, and doses should be given at least six hours apart. The problem with this dosage is that it can cause upset stomach because of the spacing of meals, so people who take the medication and physicians who prescribe it have come up with effective ways of dealing with the nausea associated with this medication.

Small Meals

• Eating several smaller meals, rather than three large ones, has been proven to help with nausea. This is likely because it helps regulate blood sugar throughout the day instead of having large peaks and valleys. One of the side effects of Byetta is that is causes hypoglycemia, or a drop in blood sugar, which aside from causing nausea can be extremely dangerous. Eating small meals several times daily keeps the blood sugar more constant and the risk of nausea down.

When to Eat

• Another pattern that is found in patients taking Byetta is with the time they waited to eat after taking the medication. Patients taking Byetta have reported that waiting more than an hour after taking it can cause severe nausea. This is likely because the medication has already begun to lower the blood sugar, and hypoglycemia can result. According to clinical trials, patients experienced less nausea the quicker they ate after taking Byetta.

Avoid

• There are certain foods that should be avoided when you experience nausea. These are foods that are extremely fatty, greasy or spicy. These foods are known to cause stomach irritation in normal circumstances, and become more of an irritation with medications such as Byetta. Because patients taking Byetta are more likely to develop nausea than those who aren't, spicy, fatty and greasy foods should be limited or avoided altogether.

Calming Foods

• People who experience nausea for various reasons, including medication, pregnancy and illness, have found ginger to be effective when dealing with an upset stomach. There are various forms of ginger that can be taken, including ginger ale, pills, gum and snaps. Other helpful foods include saltines, mints, slowly sipping hot water, and chamomile tea. It is recommended that you check with your health care provider before using anything for nausea, as many foods can affect your blood sugar, hence interfering with the benefits of the Byetta.