Did your doctor prescribe Dapagliflozin (Farxiga) for you too? Let's talk about it!

Has your doctor prescribed Dapagliflozin for your Type 2 Diabetes, Heart Failure, or Chronic Kidney Disease? It's normal to have a lot of questions when starting a new medication. "What will this do?", "Are there any side effects ?", "How do I use this?" You may have questions like these. So today , let's find simple answers to all the questions you have about this medication.

What exactly is Dapagliflozin?

Simply put, dapagliflozin is a pill that we take by mouth. In Sri Lanka, it is most commonly found under the brand name Farxiga. Doctors prescribe it to treat three main conditions:

1. Type 2 Diabetes : This medicine helps control blood sugar levels .

2. Heart Failure: This medicine helps reduce the risk of hospitalization or death when your heart is unable to pump enough blood to the body.

3. Chronic Kidney Disease : This helps prevent chronic kidney disease from getting worse, whether you have diabetes or not.

This medication comes as a pill to be taken once a day. It is usually available in two strengths: 5mg and 10mg.

How does this medicine work inside the body?

It's a bit scientific to understand this, but I'll put it simply: Dapagliflozin belongs to a class of drugs called SGLT2 inhibitors .

Think of our kidneys as a filter. When this filter cleans the blood, it reabsorbs sugar (glucose) and sodium back into the body. SGLT2 is a protein that helps reabsorb this sugar back into the body.

So, what dapagliflozin does is it blocks the action of a protein called SGLT2. Then the kidneys stop reabsorbing sugar back into the body, and all the extra sugar is excreted in the urine. As a result, your blood sugar levels decrease.

Keeping your blood sugar levels well controlled not only makes you feel better, but it also helps prevent serious complications like heart disease, kidney disease, and vision problems that can occur due to diabetes.

Who is suitable for using this medicine? And who is not suitable?

This medicine is not suitable for everyone. Your doctor will determine if this is appropriate for you based on your condition.

This medicine may be suitable for:

• If you cannot use metformin, a drug commonly used for type 2 diabetes (for example, if you are over 80 years old, or if you have kidney or liver problems).
• If your blood sugar levels are not controlled as expected with other diabetes medications.
• If you have heart failure or chronic kidney disease.

People who are not suitable for or should use this medicine with caution:

If you have any of the following conditions, you should definitely tell your doctor before starting this medication.

• If you have low blood pressure.
• If you have had liver disease in the past.
• If you have frequent urinary tract infections.
• If you are going to have surgery in the future.
• If you are pregnant, hoping to become pregnant, or are a breastfeeding mother.

How exactly should I use this medicine?

This is very simple.

• Swallow this tablet with a glass of water once a day, at about the same time. If you take it in the morning, take it every morning. If you take it at night, take it every night. It is important to keep the time the same.
• It doesn't matter if you take it before or after a meal. However, if you are taking this with another medication like Metformin, it is best to take it with or after a meal. Ask your doctor to confirm this.
• What to do if you forget? If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember. But if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the next dose at the scheduled time. Never take two pills at once.
• While taking this medication, it is also very important to follow a healthy diet and exercise regularly as advised by your doctor.

Does this medicine really help you lose weight?

Yes, this is a problem for many people. Some people taking dapagliflozin may see some weight loss. There are two reasons for this:

1. Calorie excretion: As I mentioned earlier, this medication causes excess sugar (glucose) to be excreted in the urine. Sugar is a source of calories. So when sugar is excreted, calories are also excreted from the body.

2. Water weight: As the amount of urine produced increases, the extra water in the body may also be removed and some weight may be lost.

But remember, dapagliflozin is not a weight loss drug. It is a drug used to treat diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease. Weight loss is just an added benefit.

What are the side effects of this?

Like any medicine, dapagliflozin can cause minor and sometimes serious side effects. Don't worry, not everyone gets them. But it's important to be aware of them.