Anyone ever use Byetta while OTR?

I'm not diabetic but I can tell you what I've seen and where it fits in the scheme of things.

If you think of the timeline from taking in sugar to the production of insulin as a series of steps, each one fair game for intervention by some drug, then Byetta is a first for the particular step in the process that it reacts with.

While it moves science forward and adds another weapon to the arsenal, it doesn't appear to be more effective than many other generics on the market. This combined with the fact that most people would rather take a pill than inject a drug makes it pretty unpopular as a first line medication. I have not seen many, if any patients that use only that medication, or many that used it for more than a couple months. If oral meds were not well tolerated then it would be worth considering as an alternative to insulin itself, but not superior. Also if you had an unusual condition where you had an unusual release of glucagon, a stored form of sugar, into the blood then it would be recommended. But that is not usually the case.

It is also terribly expensive. You probably will not end up on that drug unless you've tried many other things and can't seem to get your blood sugar under control. But, at that point you'd be on insulin, the natural and proven effective method anyway.

 

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Physical Qualifications Division
Position on Use of Byetta by Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers
Byetta is not insulin and is permitted under FMCSA rules and should not affect a driver's qualification to drive a commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce. Byetta is a new injectable drug that improves glycemic control in people with Type 2 diabetes by reducing fasting and postprandial glucose concentrations. Byetta is indicated as adjunctive therapy to patients who are taking metformin or a combination of other oral agents. Byetta used in conjunction with a sulfonylurea has an increased risk of hypoglycemia.
We recommend that drivers taking Byetta provide a written statement from their treating physician to the Medical Examiner and that they be monitored frequently.
If you need further assistance or have other questions, you may contact a Specialist in the Physical Qualifications Division on (202) 366-4001 or write to [email protected]

 

Iv been on byetta for five years it's been a god sent for me my a1c is 6.5

 

Byetta is now under investigation for possibly causing thyroid nodules and tumors.