What Is Byetta Used For? (Cont.)

Byetta as Part of Diabetes Treatment

The main goal of any diabetes treatment is to lower your blood sugar levels (as measured by your hemoglobin A1c [HbA1c]) enough to reduce your risk for developing problems related to diabetes (see Diabetes Complications).
 
Any type 2 diabetes treatment begins with lifestyle changes (such as weight loss, a diabetic diet, and exercise). If lifestyle changes alone are not effective at managing diabetes, diabetes medication, such as Byetta, may be necessary. Some diabetes medications force the pancreas to produce more insulin regardless of blood sugar levels (see Byetta Alternatives). These medications are effective, but can cause dangerously low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Because Byetta increases insulin only in response to high blood sugar, the risk of dangerously low blood sugar is low with Byetta (see Byetta and Blood Sugar). However, combining Byetta with certain types of diabetes medications can increase your risk of low blood sugar.
 
(To learn about controlling diabetes through lifestyle choices, click on any of the links below:
 

Is Byetta Used in Children?

It is not known if Byetta is safe or effective for use in children. Talk to your healthcare provider about the benefits and risks of using Byetta for type 2 diabetes in children.
 

Off-Label Byetta Uses

On occasion, your healthcare provider may recommend Byetta for something other than the condition discussed above. This is called an "off-label" use. At this time, there are no universally accepted off-label uses for Byetta.
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;