Southaven, MSPatients who have taken Byetta have now been warned that they are at an increased risk of pancreatitis. Some patients, such as David S. (not his real name), have already suffered pancreatitis, and say it is one of the most painful things they have ever been through.
"It started on the July 4 weekend, on a Friday night," David says. "My stomach started hurting really badly. I woke my wife up in the middle of the night and told her I needed to go to the hospital—but I almost didn't make it to the hospital. I started throwing up a lot, which I don't do. I haven't thrown up in about 15 years. I was really sick that night.
"They got me in at the hospital really quickly and I honestly don't remember much about it. I was diagnosed with pancreatitis. They kept me in the hospital for about a week, doped up on pain medication the entire time. After that, I was sent home but I had to be in bed for another week. Since I was let out of the hospital, I've been feeling okay off and on. I still have to be really careful with what I eat. I had a set back last week, where I just didn't feel great, but I didn't have to go to the hospital.
"The doctor said that the pancreatitis could have been caused by my medication [Byetta], from drinking or from gallstones. I don't drink and I didn't have gallstones, so he told me it was probably my medication. I haven't had an injection [of Byetta] since I went into the hospital."
David says that he had a Byetta injection twice a day for the past two years. Although he had some nausea from time to time, he did not think the nausea was related to the diabetes medication. Up until this summer, he had not had any problems with his pancreas and had no serious problems with Byetta.
"Usually, when they ask you to rate pain, I would rate my pain as about a three or a four," David says. "The most pain I have ever been in was a nine. When they asked me to rate this pain, I told them this was an eight or 8.5. It was like someone stuck a knife in my stomach. It was just very painful.
"Another thing about this, one of the worst things, is that they [doctors] have to pump you full of fluids. In one week, I gained 37 lbs of fluid. I couldn't lie down at home—I had to sleep sitting up for a week. It took 10 days to lose that water. It really hurt and I was swollen around my midsection."
David's ordeal has had another consequence, besides his pancreatitis. David says he suffers from rebound migraines [migraines caused by caffeine, migraine pills or pain medications], for which he was seeking treatment. However, while on treatment for rebound migraines, patients are not able to have any pain medication. Unfortunately, during his two-week ordeal, David was given high doses of pain medication and must now start his rebound migraine treatment all over again.
"If I knew someone was taking this, I would tell them that if their stomach starts hurting they have to get to a doctor immediately," David says. "It comes on quickly. I have a development an hour from my home, and I was at it earlier that day. I came home because I didn't feel right. If I had been up there, alone, when this hit, I don't know what I would have done or how I could have gotten anywhere. It's kind of scary."
If you or someone you love has been harmed by the use of Byetta, contact a lawyer to discuss your legal options.