What you need to know about the diabetes pill Canagliflozin (Invokana)

When your doctor tells you that you have Type 2 Diabetes, you may be prescribed a medication like Canagliflozin (Invokana) to help control your blood sugar levels, along with lifestyle changes like diet and exercise. You may have a lot of questions about this medication. So let's talk about it today.

What is Canagliflozin (Invokana)?

This is a yellow, capsule-shaped pill. You should take it once a day, before your first meal of the day. The main purpose of this medicine is to prevent end-stage kidney disease, which can be caused by diabetes, and to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke.

How does Canagliflozin work in our body?

Simply put, this medicine helps our kidneys excrete excess sugar (glucose) in the body through urine.

To explain this a little more, this medicine belongs to a group of drugs called sodium-glucose transport protein 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors. This medicine can prevent the sugar in the blood from being reabsorbed into the body when our kidneys filter it. Then, the excess sugar is easily excreted from the body in the urine. This lowers your blood sugar levels.

When you have type 2 diabetes, your kidneys have to work harder to filter this extra sugar. This extra pressure can damage your kidneys over time. Canagliflozin helps reduce this pressure and control kidney damage.

Does this medicine really help you lose weight?

This medicine is not designed to help you lose weight. However, studies have shown that Canagliflozin can help you lose a few pounds. You can see this weight loss whether you take it alone or with other diabetes medications, such as metformin.

However, the amount of weight loss varies from person to person . The dose of medication you take can also affect this. Typically, you may lose between 2% and 3% of your body weight. However, before you start any new diet or exercise program while taking this medication, you should definitely talk to your doctor .

What are the side effects and risks of Canagliflozin?

Like any medicine, Canagliflozin can cause mild, moderate, or severe side effects in some people.

Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)

This medicine can cause dangerously low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia) in some people. This risk is especially high if you take other diabetes medicines, such as insulin, glipizide, or glyburide, along with this medicine.

If you experience any of these symptoms while taking Canagliflozin, meaning you feel like your blood sugar is low, tell your doctor immediately .

Amputation Risk

This may sound scary, but it's very rare . Some studies have shown that Canagliflozin may slightly increase the risk of having to have a toe or part of a foot removed. However, doctors believe that the benefits of taking this medication far outweigh the risks.

There are several factors that increase the risk of having a leg amputated:

• If part of the leg has been removed previously
• If you have cardiovascular disease
• If the nerves are damaged (neuropathy)
• If you have diabetic foot ulcers due to diabetes
• If you are over 65 years old

To avoid this risk, always be aware of any wounds, sores, pain, or signs of infection on your legs . If you notice anything like this, tell your doctor immediately.

Other risks

• Pregnancy and breast-feeding: This medicine may be harmful to your baby if you are pregnant, especially in the second or third trimester. It is also not known whether it passes into breast milk. Therefore, if you are planning to become pregnant, are pregnant, or are breast-feeding, be sure to tell your doctor before taking this medicine.
• Kidney and liver disease: This medicine is not suitable for people with severe kidney or liver disease, as it may worsen your condition.

Can Canagliflozin be taken together with Metformin?

Yes, you can. The main thing that the drug Metformin does is reduce the absorption of sugar from your intestines, reduce the release of sugar stored in the liver, and help the body use sugar.

Sometimes your doctor may prescribe a combination pill that combines these two medications. The brand name of the medication is Invokamet. There are two types of this. One (Invokamet XR) is taken once a day and is designed to be absorbed slowly. The other (Invokamet) is taken twice a day and is absorbed quickly. Your doctor will decide which is best for you.

How much does this medicine cost?

Canagliflozin is generally a relatively expensive drug. If you are receiving treatment at a public hospital, you may be able to get this medication for free. If you are receiving treatment privately, the price may vary depending on where you get the medication and whether you have health insurance. Your doctor is the best person to talk to about this. So ask them about the cost and your options.