SGLT2 inhibitors: Serious side effects

February 2019 - SGLT-2 inhibitors are medicines that lower blood sugar by increasing the amount of glucose excreted in the urine. SGLT-2 Inhibitors are used in diabetes and also have benefits in kidney disease heart failure.

They include:

empagliflozin (Jardiance®)

canagliflozin (lnvokana®)

dapagliflozin (Forxiga®)

ertugliflozin (Steglatro®).

If you take one of these medications you should be aware of the potential side effects as, if they are not identified early, they can serious problems. As with all medication please read any information that accompanies the medication carefully. Please ask your Pharmacist, diabetic nurse or GP if you have any questions. The major side effects include:

Diabetic ketoacidosis

Sympoms include: Nausea, vomiting, fast breathing, abdominal pains, unusual drowsiness, or fever.

Fournier’s gangrene

An extremely rare side effect affecting about 1.6 out of 100,000 people

Symptoms include: Severe pain, tenderness, redness, or swelling in the genital or groin area accompanied by fever or malaise.

If you have any of these symptoms, please contact a medical professional, such as a doctor or nurse immediately, even if your blood sugars are near normal.

If your GP practice is closed, please call the NHS 111 service, by dialling 111, for more advice. Tell them that you are worried about one of the conditions above.

Stop this medication until you have further medical advice.

Full updates can be found on the gov.uk website