Exenatide and Heartburn: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• August 28, 2014

For Type 2 Diabetes "Had taken my 4th injection of Bydureon. No problems at the injection site, but after my 3rd injection, I began to feel sick all the time. No appetite at all, not even coffee. Had persistent bloating, heartburn, and a bad taste in my mouth. Stopped craving sweets and carbs. A1c went from 8.5 to 6.3 in 4 weeks. Blood sugars down from 166-180 to 120-125. Love the way this medication works, but can hardly tolerate the discomfort in my belly and nausea. Not sure if I can continue or not."

• Lan...
• July 21, 2015

For Type 2 Diabetes "I had liver damage from Lisc/HCL, so I became type 2 diabetic. My M.D. put me on Bydureon to take the load off my liver to allow it to heal. I have dropped 18 lbs. My nurse practitioner/Bydureon rep taught me how to eat properly: WATCH YOUR CARBS, NOT CALORIES!!! I was only eating between 1,000-1,400 calories a day and gaining weight. My NP taught me about carbs, my 120-calorie snack had 110 carbs in it!!! As a diabetic, I was only to shoot for 150 carbs a day. I did this, the weight is melting off. My liver enzyme test came back perfect! After two years of fighting!! The Bydureon is working!! It did give me some heartburn, diarrhea, and lumps at the injection site, but I feel this is worth it!! I have been on it for 6 weeks now! Count your carbs!"

• ALV...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 9, 2014

For Type 2 Diabetes "I started on this medication 4 months ago. Followed instructions and take the Bydureon out of the refrigerator the night before. My wife gives the injection as I would never be able to do this myself. The needle is huge! It burns going in, and the nodes take many weeks to go away. To this day, heartburn, painful gas in the lower abdomen, pain at the base of the neck, very low energy level where I must lay down about every three hours. I am 5'9" 172 lbs. I walk 40 minutes on the treadmill every morning and do jumping jacks and burpees for exercise. My A1c went from 8 to 8.3 on the third visit to the doctor. Waiting to see what the numbers will be next week. Just this last week my nipples got swollen, enlarged, and are very painful."

• dab...
• April 12, 2014

For Type 2 Diabetes "This is an update from my previous posting. I need to correct that I take 1000 mg of Metformin, NOT 2000 mg a day. On Thursday, I took my 4th injection of Bydureon. At first, I had some nausea and heartburn. By my 3rd injection, that has subsided. As far as weight loss, I've only lost 9 lbs so far. My fasting sugar in the morning the day after injection is about 118. However, as the week goes on, they tend to spike. The highest I've had is 185. Before Bydureon, I ranged between 120-150. I've also noticed that my ankles swell by the evening time, which is somewhat new. During these four weeks, I had stopped my Actos because I couldn't afford the copay, but I was able to restart it this week. I put a call into my doctor. I'll see what she has to say."

• sug...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 31, 2013

For Type 2 Diabetes "I have been on Bydureon for 3 months now. I have lost 10 lbs. Without trying, my blood sugars stay around 100-120. I also take 2000 mg of metformin. The mixing is a pain, but it's only once a week. Bumps at the injection site and heartburn are my only reactions to the medication. I think it's working great!"

• Wor...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 20, 2018

For Type 2 Diabetes "My husband took his 7th injection of Bydureon in early June 2018. Within 24 hours, he became very ill. Extreme nausea and vomiting, dizziness, excessive heartburn, and burping. He also passed out without warning. It is now mid-September, and every 2-3 weeks, all those side effects are still there, just like flipping on a light switch. He will feel fine, and then all of a sudden, without warning, he can't function. The sickness is beyond extreme. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON HOW LONG THESE SIDE EFFECTS CAN LAST?"

• taz...
• April 17, 2016

For Type 2 Diabetes "I started this 4 weeks ago, I am ready to quit, my nausea is so bad, it is hard to deal with. I was told it would go away, not! My sugars are running a lot lower, and I stopped the actos. I feel like it is a huge rock in my stomach, and looking, smelling, or trying to eat makes me want to gag. I am hanging on one more week. My daughter is a nurse and does my injections, you need to do stomach and pinch up the skin, making sure you don't see any veins. I have lost 10#. When I lay down to sleep, I get heartburn really bad. I can't even sleep, I toss and turn, sometimes the whole 8 hours, I am miserable!!!"

• New...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 6, 2016

For Type 2 Diabetes "After 10 years on oral medications for Type 2, I was finally advised to go on injectable Bydureon. I am adverse to needles and never injected before. I have been injecting for 3 weeks. The first week was a trial with no issues to report. The second week, I had an injection site reaction - some bruising which faded over a number of days. The third week, no issues. I have not seen most of the negative side effects. No sickness, no nausea. I did notice that the medicine makes you feel full, but it did not take away my appetite. I did have some mild heartburn. Not sure if it is associated. The pen/needle is larger and a little more intimidating. I have not seen any significant improvement in my glucose control at this point."

• fro...
• March 15, 2017

For Type 2 Diabetes "I was worried about side effects after reading the reviews online, but happy to report that my side effects were very minimal. I actually really liked what Bydureon did for my blood sugars and my weight loss. It also curbed my appetite without giving me really, really bad heartburn. Unfortunately, that's where the good news ends for me. I have a few doses left, but I just can't take the pain. It is a significantly wider needle than Tanzeum that I was on before (can't afford it anymore), and the actual injection hurts a lot. I find that I have to inject a little at a time. Not to mention that prepping the injection is a pain in the @$$. As soon as they figure out a better, different delivery system, I wouldn't hesitate to get back on Bydureon."

• Cam...
• April 25, 2018

For Type 2 Diabetes "My husband has been on Bydureon for 8 weeks. He was due for his 9th injection on Sunday last week but fell really ill about 24 hours after his 8th injection. It's now been 8 days since he fell ill with nausea, burping, heartburn, and constipation, with the occasional vomiting. How long until he will start to feel some normality? He has now had 6 days off work, and all he does is sleep. HELP."

• Hot...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 15, 2017

For Type 2 Diabetes "I've been taking Bydureon for 4 weeks now and have lost 5 kg. The only side effects I have had are heartburn, nausea, and headaches, but they have stopped. I do recommend this drug to anyone. It does suppress the appetite really well. I take it with Metformin. I get it through prescription, which costs $5.60 a month."

• Buy...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 18, 2017

For Type 2 Diabetes "I have taken this medication 4 times. I am definitely eating more than I did on Trulicity or Victoza. I am afraid to look at the scale. I crave sugar. Does this happen to anyone else? Does this change? I am nervous I will put back on all the weight I lost in the past 7 months. I do not have the terrible heartburn that I had on Trulicity, though."

• Buy...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 3, 2017

For Type 2 Diabetes "I have been on this medication for 5 months. I have lost 20 lbs. I have experienced SERIOUS heartburn to the point of it waking me up from my throat burning. I still crave sweets towards the end of my shot wearing out for the week, but I continued to lose weight despite eating sweets. My doctor reported my sugars were high both times after testing A1C (somewhere in the 6.0 to 6.3 range). I have started wanting to throw up a couple of days after my shot. Weird, this just started. I can no longer get free samples of this, so I will be switching to Farxiga. It is bittersweet having to go off of this medication. I have tried Victoza and Trulicity too. Trulicity equaled heartburn. Victoza had no symptoms but very little weight loss."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 6, 2018

For Type 2 Diabetes "I have been on Bydureon for three weeks now. I take a weekly injection. Each time, so far, I have heartburn the day after injecting. The heartburn lessens a bit through the week. Also have periods of nausea, but these symptoms are very mild compared to Victoza. Victoza made me vomit, and I could not eat anything while I was taking it."

• Pee...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 27, 2020

For Type 2 Diabetes "Bydureon caused severe nausea and severe puking, bumps at the injection site, severe itching. Bad heartburn. I think this is poison, no thank you."

• et ...
• July 15, 2015

For Type 2 Diabetes "Lowers blood sugar but causes heartburn."

• Sic...
• August 11, 2017

For Type 2 Diabetes "Terrible drug. Took shot for 5 months. Heartburn, nausea, vomiting continue. Quit taking 3 weeks ago. Feel terrible."