Short answer: The Byetta label starts at 5 mcg injected twice daily, at any time within the 60 minutes before the morning and evening meals, or before the two main meals of the day at least about 6 hours apart. Based on response, the dose can go up to 10 mcg twice daily, which the label recommends after 1 month. It is never given after a meal.
This is what the FDA label says. Follow your prescriber. Your prescriber may use a different dose or pace than the label's standard schedule.
What Byetta is approved for: Byetta is approved, along with diet and exercise, to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes. The label says not to use it with other exenatide products (section 1).
Source
BYETTA (exenatide) injection, prescribing information and Medication Guide. AstraZeneca. DailyMed, version published September 8, 2025. DailyMed setid 53d03c03-ebf7-418d-88a8-533eabd2ee4f
Byetta is injected under the skin of the thigh, stomach area or upper arm twice a day, rotating sites with each dose (section 2.1).
Each dose goes in within the 60 minutes before a meal: the morning and evening meals, or the two main meals of the day if they are about 6 hours or more apart. The label says not to give it after a meal.
The table below is the label's schedule, from the Dosage and Administration section. Numbers are copied exactly; the section is in brackets.
| Phase | Dose | How often | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start | 5 mcg | Twice daily | Within 60 minutes before the morning and evening meals (or the two main meals, about 6 hours or more apart) |
| After 1 month, based on clinical response | 10 mcg | Twice daily | Same timing; not after a meal |
The increase to 10 mcg twice daily is recommended after 1 month of therapy to reduce the risk of stomach and gut side effects.
With insulin, Byetta and insulin are separate injections and are never mixed; they can be in the same body area but not right next to each other.
With a sulfonylurea or insulin, the label says lowering the dose of those medicines may reduce the risk of low blood sugar.
Not recommended with creatinine clearance under 30 mL/min or end-stage kidney disease.
In the insulin glargine trial, the glargine dose was lowered by 20% when Byetta was started in people with an HbA1c of 8.0% or less, to reduce low blood sugar.
If a dose is missed, resume the treatment as prescribed with the next scheduled dose.
Byetta contains exenatide; the label says not to use it with other exenatide-containing products.
In Dose Track you set up Byetta as a protocol with the dose and schedule your prescriber gave you. A protocol can hold dose steps, each with its own dose and length in days or weeks, so a step-up plan like the one on the label can be entered once and the app moves to the next step on its own. Reminders follow the schedule, and every dose is logged with the date and time, so you can see which step you are on and when your last dose was. The app follows what you enter; it does not choose or change a dose.
This page is what the FDA label says, in plain words. It is not medical advice. Follow your prescriber, and ask them or your pharmacist about anything here.