Quick Answer: To store Byetta pens, keep them refrigerated between 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C) until first use. After opening, store them at room temperature below 77°F (25°C) and use within 30 days. When traveling, use an insulated travel case or portable fridge to maintain proper temperature and medication effectiveness.
Managing diabetes can be a challenging journey, and a significant part of that journey is understanding how to handle and store your medication correctly.
If you're using Byetta injections for your type 2 diabetes treatment, you know how essential they are in helping you maintain your blood sugar levels within the safe range. But do you know the best practices for storing and handling your Byetta injector pens?
Proper storage conditions are crucial in ensuring the effectiveness of your diabetes treatment, and good handling techniques can make your exenatide injections safer, more efficient, and more comfortable.
So, let’s explore the ins and outs of Byetta pen storage and handling. We'll delve into the manufacturer's storage instructions and share our best tips for keeping your medication safe and effective, whether at home or traveling!
Related article: Does Insulin Need to Be Refrigerated?
What is Byetta?
Byetta is the brand name for exenatide, a prescription medication used to help adults with type 2 diabetes manage their blood sugar levels. It works as part of a comprehensive diabetes treatment plan. Here’s what you need to know:
- 💉 Type of Medication: Byetta is an injectable drug administered subcutaneously (under the skin).
- ✅ Usage: It must be used alongside diet and exercise and may be combined with other diabetes medications like Metformin.
- ⏳ Dosage Schedule: Typically taken twice daily, within 60 minutes before morning and evening meals.
- 👨⚕️ Personalized Treatment: Dosage may vary based on individual needs and your doctor's prescription.
Byetta helps regulate blood sugar and can be an effective part of a diabetes management plan when used correctly.
How does Byetta work?
Exenatide, the active ingredient in Byetta, belongs to a class of drugs called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists.
It works by stimulating the pancreas to secrete insulin when blood sugar levels are high, slowing the emptying of the stomach, and reducing the amount of glucose the liver produces. All of these actions ultimately help lower blood sugar levels.
Additionally, Byetta helps reduce appetite, which can help diabetics with weight management issues.
Like all medications, Byetta has potential side effects, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, jittery, dizziness, headache, acid stomach, and pancreatitis. As always, discuss potential benefits and risks with your healthcare provider before taking Byetta.
Related article: Insulin Storage: 10 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Storing Your Insulin Pens and Vials
Byetta vs. Insulin
Both Byetta and insulin are injectable medications used to lower blood sugar levels, but they function in different ways. Here’s how they compare:
-
🔬 Mechanism of Action
- Byetta: Mimics the GLP-1 hormone, stimulating the body’s natural insulin secretion when blood sugar levels are high.
- Insulin: Directly replaces the insulin that the body is unable to produce, helping lower blood sugar levels.
-
📊 Usage & Treatment Approach
- Byetta: Typically prescribed alongside diet and exercise and sometimes with other medications like Metformin.
- Insulin: Used when the body does not produce enough insulin on its own, often necessary for type 1 diabetes and some cases of type 2 diabetes.
-
⚖️ Choosing Between Byetta & Insulin
- Depends on individual factors, including health status, lifestyle, diabetes severity, medication response, and potential side effects.
- Some patients may require both medications as part of a comprehensive diabetes management plan.
Since both treatments have unique benefits and considerations, it’s crucial to consult a healthcare provider to determine the best option for your needs.
Byetta vs. Ozempic
Byetta (exenatide) and Ozempic (semaglutide) are both injectable medications used to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes. They both belong to the same class of drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, or incretin mimetics, which mimic the effects of the natural incretin hormone, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1).
Other similar GLP-1 drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes include Mounjaro, Trulicity (dulaglutide), Victoza (liraglutide), Saxenda (liraglutide), Bydureon (discontinued), Adlyxin, and others.
Here are the main differences between Byetta and Ozempic:
- Administration: Byetta is usually injected twice daily, while Ozempic is injected once weekly, which may be more convenient for some patients.
- Efficacy: Studies have suggested that Ozempic may be more effective at reducing blood sugar levels and promoting weight loss than Byetta. For example, the SUSTAIN trials showed a significant reduction in HbA1c and weight for patients using Ozempic.
- Cardiovascular benefits: Ozempic has been shown to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes and established cardiovascular disease.
Remember, the choice of medication depends on individual characteristics, including blood sugar control, kidney function, risk of cardiovascular disease, weight, lifestyle, and personal preferences.
It's also important to remember that these medications are used within an overall diabetes management plan that includes diet, exercise, and possibly other drugs. As always, all treatment decisions should be made in consultation with your healthcare provider.
Related article: How to Properly Store & Refrigerate Ozempic in All Situations?
Byetta Injector Pens
Byetta (exenatide) is supplied in a prefilled injection pen that delivers 5 or 10 micrograms (mcg) doses. Each pen contains 60 doses, so if you're taking Byetta twice a day, one pen will last 30 days. The disposable pens must be thrown away 30 days after the first use, even if there’s still medicine inside.
Byetta injector pens must be used with disposable needles (take a new one for each injection) that must be disposed of in sharps containers.
Byetta pens are user-friendly and designed to facilitate self-injection at home. Detailed instructions for use are included in the box, although you should have received proper injection technique training from your nurse or doctor.
Related article: A Step-by-Step Guide to Using Insulin Pens for Injections
Does Byetta Need to Be Refrigerated?
Yes, Byetta needs to be refrigerated. Its active ingredient, exenatide, is a biological drug created through biological processes, not chemical synthesis. Biologics are naturally unstable and extremely sensitive to temperatures and storage conditions.
Failure to follow proper storage instructions for your Byetta pens may result in a partial or total loss of your drug’s efficacy.
Byetta storage instructions
Proper storage is essential to maintain the effectiveness of your Byetta injector pens. Follow these guidelines to ensure safety and potency:
- ❄️ Refrigeration Before First Use: Store Byetta pens in the refrigerator between 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C) until first use or the expiration date.
- 🌡️ After First Use: Keep pens at room temperature below 77°F (25°C) and use them within 30 days.
- 🚫 Do Not Freeze: Freezing can destroy the medication inside, making it ineffective.
- ☀️ Protect from Light: Store pens in a cool, shaded place away from direct sunlight.
By following these storage instructions, you can ensure your Byetta remains safe and effective throughout its use.
How long can it stay out of the fridge?
There are no specific instructions for how long a Byetta pen can stay out of the fridge. However, a Byetta pen must be thrown away 30 days after the first use, even if there’s still medicine inside.
Each pen contains 60 subcutaneous doses of exenatide for a total of 30 days of use (2 injections per day).
Never use a Byetta pen that’s been opened or out of the fridge for over 30 days or exposed to temperatures above 77°F (25°C), even briefly.
Related article: How to Store Insulin Without Refrigeration?
Byetta Travel Cases
Byetta’s instability and specific storage instructions imply some precautions when traveling with your diabetes injections. Most patients use a travel cooler, the most convenient and reliable way to ensure your Byetta pens are transported at the recommended temperature range.
There are really two situations where you must use a travel cooling case for your Byetta pens:
Outside temperatures above 77°F (25°C)
Again, according to Byetta’s manufacturer, the diabetes injection can stay unrefrigerated after first use but must be kept at room temperature below 77°F (25°C). In no case should exenatide be exposed to warmer temperatures, even briefly.
Therefore, when living in or traveling to hot-weather places, you need a travel cooler, like 4AllFamily’s Rambler or Companion, to protect your injections from the ambient temperature and keep them cool.
The Rambler can keep one Byetta pen cool below 79°F (26°C) for 12 hours, even when it's 104°F (40°C) outside!
The Companion insulated bag keeps up to 3 Byetta pens cool for up to 10 hours on the hottest summer days!
The Chillers are our latest travel coolers for medicine, requiring no ice or electricity—just water! Ideal for any trip, even remote locations, these medical cooling bags keep syringes safely between 64.4°F-79°F (18°C-26°C) for 45+ hours, even in extreme heat up to 100°F (37.8°C).
Related article: Travel Smart with Diabetes: The Essential Guide to Building Your Diabetic Travel Kit for Every Adventure
Traveling with Byetta for more than a month
Things get a bit trickier when traveling with Byetta for over a month. As you know already by now, Byetta pens must be kept refrigerated between 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C) until first use. And once opened, a pen must be used within 30 days maximum.
As a result, anyone traveling with Byetta injections that will be used in more than four weeks must use a portable travel refrigerator.
Depending on your trips, you can choose between different models that function with electricity, battery, or simple ice packs.
Our Nomad cooling bottle can keep Mounjaro pens at fridge temperature between 36°F and 46°F (2°C and 8°C) for up to 30 hours with an outside temperature of 104°F / 40°C. It works with biogel freeze packs and doesn’t require electricity, making a small, lightweight cooler, easy to carry around wherever you go.
If you need to carry higher volumes or refrigerate your pens longer, check out our Voyager and Explorer models. They act like real mini-fridges and offer higher performances when plugged into any USB power source (car cigarette lighter, portable solar panel, power bank, etc.).
Should you have any inquiries about our products, please don't hesitate to contact our support team. We’re here to help!
Related article: Diabetes Travel Letter: Everything You Need to Know + Free Printable Sample
📌 Key Takeaways:
- ❄️ Refrigeration Required: Store Byetta pens in the refrigerator (36°F to 46°F / 2°C to 8°C) until first use to maintain potency.
- 🌡️ Room Temperature Storage: After opening, pens can be kept at room temperature below 77°F (25°C) but must be used within 30 days.
- 🚫 Avoid Freezing & Heat Exposure: Never freeze Byetta pens, and protect them from direct light and high temperatures to prevent degradation.
- 🧳 Travel Storage Solutions: Use insulated travel cases or portable fridges to keep your medication safe while traveling, especially in warm climates.
- 👨⚕️ Follow Manufacturer & Doctor’s Guidelines: Proper handling ensures effectiveness, reduces waste, and supports better diabetes management.
💬 We'd Love to Hear From You!
What About You? If you're using Byetta, how do you store and transport your pens to keep them safe and effective? Do you have a go-to travel case or cooling solution? Share your experiences, tips, or any challenges you've faced while traveling with your medication—we’d love to hear from you!
📆 Article Update History:
✅ Updated: March 12, 2025
Originally Published: June 7, 2023
