Exenatid für Diabetes

About exenatide

Insulin is a hormone which is made naturally in your body, in the pancreas. It helps to control the levels of sugar (glucose) in your blood. If your body does not make enough insulin, or if it does not use the insulin it makes effectively, this results in the condition called Diabetes (Diabetes mellitus).

People with diabetes need treatment to control the amount of sugar in their blood. This is because good control of blood sugar levels reduces the risk of complications later on. Some people can control the sugar in their blood by making changes to the food they eat but, for other people, medicines are given alongside the changes in diet. Exenatide is one of the medicines that are prescribed for people with Typ-2-Diabetes.

Exenatide works in three ways. It increases the amount of insulin produced by your body which then reduces the level of sugar in your blood. It also reduces the amount of a substance called glucagon being produced by your pancreas. Glucagon causes your liver to produce more sugar, so by reducing the amount of glucagon in your body, this also helps to reduce the levels of sugar in your blood. Exenatide also works on your stomach so that food passes more slowly through it. This means that the sugar from your meals takes longer to get into your blood.

Exenatide is given as an injection just under the surface of the skin. It is administered using a syringe and needle or by using an injection device called a pre-filled pen. It is used in addition to other antidiabetic medicines. There are two types of exenatide injection available. There is a standard-release injection (brand name Byetta®) which is given twice daily, and there is a prolonged-release injection (brand name Bydureon®) which is given once a week.

Some medicines are not suitable for people with certain conditions, and sometimes a medicine may only be used if extra care is taken. For these reasons, before you start using exenatide it is important that your doctor knows:

• Wenn Sie schwanger sind, versuchen, schwanger zu werden oder stillen.

• Wenn Sie ein Problem mit Ihrem Magen oder Verdauungssystem haben.

• Wenn Sie jemals eine entzündete Bauchspeicheldrüse (Pankreatitis) hatten.

• Wenn Sie Probleme mit der Funktionsweise Ihrer Nieren haben.

• Wenn Sie andere Medikamente einnehmen. Dazu gehören alle Medikamente, die Sie einnehmen und die ohne Rezept erhältlich sind, sowie pflanzliche und ergänzende Medikamente.

• Wenn Sie jemals eine allergische Reaktion auf ein Medikament hatten.

• Bevor Sie mit der Behandlung beginnen, lesen Sie die gedruckte Informationsbroschüre des Herstellers aus der Packung sowie alle Informationen, die Sie von Ihrem Arzt oder Ihrer Diabetes-Klinik erhalten. Die Broschüre des Herstellers enthält eine vollständige Liste der möglichen Nebenwirkungen.

• Use exenatide exactly as your doctor tells you to. Your doctor or diabetes nurse will show you how to inject yourself. Exenatide should be injected into the skin on your upper arms, thigh, or tummy (abdomen). Try to choose a slightly different injection site for each of your injections as this will help to prevent skin problems and difficulties in injecting.

• If you are using Byetta®, you will be advised to inject two doses a day. You should have each injection within the 60-minute period before a main meal, and the two doses should be at least six hours apart. The best way to achieve this is to have your first injection during the hour before your first meal of the day, and the second injection during the hour before your evening meal.

• If you forget to use exenatide before a meal, do not inject it after you have eaten, but instead just wait until your next dose is due.

• If you are using Bydureon®, you will be advised to inject one dose a week, on the same day of each week. Each pre-filled pen provides a single dose. The injection can be given at any time of the day, and it can be given either before or after a meal. If you forget to use the injection on your usual day, use it as soon as you remember and keep to your normal weekly schedule. However, if your next scheduled dose is due within three days, miss out the forgotten dose and take your next dose when it is due.

• Es ist wichtig, dass Sie Ihre regelmäßigen Arzt- und Kliniktermine einhalten. Dies ist notwendig, damit Ihr Fortschritt überwacht werden kann. Sie benötigen regelmäßige Untersuchungen in einer Augenklinik und einer Fußklinik sowie bei Ihrem Arzt und in der Diabetesklinik.

• Ihr Arzt kann Ihnen empfehlen, regelmäßig den Zucker (Glukose) in Ihrem Blut oder Urin zu testen, um zu überprüfen, ob Ihr Diabetes unter Kontrolle ist. Ihr Arzt oder Ihre Diabeteskrankenschwester wird Ihnen zeigen, wie das geht.

• Wenn Ihr Arzt Ihnen Ratschläge zu Änderungen Ihrer Ernährung, zum Aufhören mit dem Rauchen oder zur regelmäßigen Bewegung gegeben hat, ist es wichtig, dass Sie die erhaltenen Ratschläge befolgen.

• Each time you collect a prescription, check that you have been given the brand and strength of exenatide that you are expecting. If anything looks different from what you have had before, ask your pharmacist to check the prescription for you.

• Make sure you know what it feels like if your blood sugar is low. This is known as hypoglycaemia, or a 'hypo'. Although exenatide is unlikely to cause low blood sugar, other medicines that you are taking for diabetes alongside it may. The first signs of hypoglycaemia are feeling shaky or anxious, sweating, looking pale, feeling hungry, having a feeling that your heart is pounding (palpitations), and feeling dizzy. If this happens, eat something containing sugar, such as dextrose tablets, jelly babies or a sugary drink (non-diet), and then follow this up with a snack such as a sandwich or a banana.

• Wenn Sie ein Fahrer sind, sollten Sie besonders vorsichtig sein, da Ihre Konzentrationsfähigkeit beeinträchtigt sein kann, wenn Ihr Diabetes nicht gut kontrolliert wird. Es kann Ihnen geraten werden, Ihren Blutzuckerspiegel vor der Fahrt zu überprüfen und auf langen Reisen einen Snack dabei zu haben.

• Trinken Sie keinen Alkohol, da er die Kontrolle Ihres Blutzuckers beeinflussen kann. Fragen Sie Ihren Arzt, wenn Sie weitere Ratschläge dazu benötigen.

• Wenn Sie ungewöhnlich durstig sind, häufiger als normal urinieren oder sich sehr müde fühlen, sollten Sie Ihren Arzt informieren. Dies sind Anzeichen dafür, dass zu viel Zucker in Ihrem Blut ist und Ihre Behandlung möglicherweise angepasst werden muss.

• Fragen Sie Ihren Arzt, bevor Sie mit einer neuen körperlichen Aktivität beginnen, da dies Ihre Blutzuckerwerte beeinflussen kann und Sie möglicherweise Ihre Blut- oder Urinwerte häufiger überprüfen müssen.

• Wenn bei Ihnen eine Operation oder Zahnbehandlung ansteht, sollten Sie der Person, die die Behandlung durchführt, mitteilen, dass Sie Diabetes haben, und ihr eine Liste der Medikamente geben, die Sie einnehmen.

• This medicine should not be used during pregnancy. Women and girls of childbearing potential must use effective contraception during treatment and for two months after stopping.

• If you buy any medicines, always check with a pharmacist that they are suitable for you to take. Exenatide can interfere with the way some other medicines are absorbed. Because of this, some medicines should not be taken during the hour before exenatide is given, or during the four hours after it has been given.

• Treatment for diabetes is usually lifelong. Continue with exenatide unless you are told otherwise by your doctor.

Along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them. The table below contains some of the most common ones associated with exenatide. You will find a full list in the manufacturer's information leaflet supplied with your medicine. The unwanted effects often improve as your body adjusts to the new medicine, but speak with your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following continue or become troublesome.

If you experience any other symptoms which you think may be due to the injections, speak with your doctor or pharmacist for further advice.

• Bewahren Sie alle Medikamente außerhalb der Reichweite und Sicht von Kindern auf.

• Exenatide can be kept for four weeks at room temperature as long as this is below 25°C and it is kept away from direct heat and sunlight. It is, however, best to store unopened packs in a refrigerator. Do not freeze exenatide.

• Byetta® pens must be discarded 30 days after being first used.

• Bydureon® pens are for single use only and should be discarded after first use.