Dapagliflozin
About Dapagliflozin
Dapagliflozin belongs to the category of medicines called sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, primarily used to treat type 2 diabetes along with diet and exercise. Additionally, it is used to treat heart failure and chronic kidney disease in adults.
Dapagliflozin contains 'Dapagliflozin', which works by inhibiting the reabsorption of glucose in the body, resulting in increased glucose excretion through urine. It also lowers the amount of effort your heart needs to pump blood, helping it work more efficiently.
In some cases, Dapagliflozin may cause side effects such as urinary tract infections, increased urination, rash, dizziness, and increased thirst. Most of these side effects do not require medical attention and gradually resolve over time. However, if the side effects are persistent, reach out to your doctor.
Do not take Dapagliflozin if you are allergic to any of its components. Consult the doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Dapagliflozin is not recommended for children. Let your doctor know if you are taking any other medication or have pre-existing medical conditions.
Uses of Dapagliflozin
• Type 2 diabetes: Helps improve blood sugar control along with diet and exercise.
• Heart health in diabetes: Lowers the risk of hospitalisation for heart failure in adults with type 2 diabetes and existing heart disease or multiple risk factors.
• Heart failure: Reduces the risk of hospitalisation in adults with heart failure, where the heart cannot pump blood efficiently.
• Chronic kidney disease: Slows the progression of kidney disease and reduces the risk of kidney failure, heart-related death, and hospitalisation for heart failure in adults with chronic kidney disease.
Medicinal Benefits
- Dapagliflozin helps treat type 2 diabetes, along with a balanced diet and regular exercise. It works by removing excess sugar from the body through urine.
- It is also used to treat heart failure in adults when the heart does not pump blood as well as it should. It helps protect your heart from getting worse, reduces symptoms, lowers the chances of needing hospital care, and may help some people live longer.
- This medicine is also used to treat chronic kidney disease in adults with reduced kidney function. It helps protect your kidneys from losing their function, which may help some people live longer.
- Unlike some diabetes medications, dapagliflozin does not cause weight gain.
Directions for Use
- Dapagliflozin can be taken with or without food, as advised by the doctor.
- It is usually taken once daily or as prescribed by your doctor.
- Swallow Dapagliflozin as a whole with a glass of water.
- Do not crush, chew, or break it.
Storage
Side Effects of Dapagliflozin
- Urinary tract infection
- Low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia)
- Frequent urination
- Skin rash
- Dizziness
- Increased thirst
- Nausea
Drug Warnings
- Do not take Dapagliflozin if you are allergic to any of its components.
- Inform the doctor if you have severe kidney disease, high ketone levels in blood or urine, heart disease, congestive heart failure, liver disease, diabetic ketoacidosis, type 1 diabetes, or are using insulin or other oral diabetes medications.
- Dapagliflozin is not recommended during pregnancy, breastfeeding and in children. Consult the doctor if you are pregnant, think you may be pregnant, are planning for pregnancy or are breastfeeding.
- Do not stop taking Dapagliflozin without consulting your doctor, as it may cause an increase in blood sugar.
- Be alert for signs of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), such as sweating, dizziness, dry mouth, dry skin, fast heartbeat, shivering, intense thirst, or frequent urination. If you experience any of these symptoms, take honey or sugar candies right away.
Drug Interactions
Drug-Drug Interaction: Inform the doctor if you are taking diuretics (furosemide, amiloride, hydrochlorothiazide), muscle relaxant (baclofen), medicine for enlarged prostate (tamsulosin), antiparkinson's (levodopa), antibiotics (gatifloxacin), heart-related medicines (amlodipine, bisoprolol) or other antidiabetic drugs (glipizide, glimepiride).
Drug- Food Interaction: No interactions found.
Drug-Disease Interaction: Inform the doctor if you have heart diseases (like congestive heart failure and myocardial infarction), severe kidney or liver disease, or urinary tract infections.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
cautionYou should avoid consuming alcohol with Dapagliflozin as it may lead to high or low blood sugar levels.
Pregnancy
unsafeDapagliflozin is not recommended for pregnant women. Please consult the doctor if you are pregnant.
Breast Feeding
unsafeDapagliflozin is not recommended during breastfeeding. It is safe to seek medical advice before you start Dapagliflozin if you are lactating.
Driving
cautionDrive only if you are physically stable and mentally focused. If you experience drowsiness after taking these medications, you should not drive or operate any machinery or vehicles.
Liver
cautionTake Dapagliflozin only after the doctor's prescription, especially if you are dealing with Liver diseases/conditions, as your doctor may adjust the dose as required.
Kidney
cautionTake Dapagliflozin after the recommendation of a doctor, especially if you have a history of Kidney diseases/conditions. The dosing strength needs to be adjusted by your doctor as required.
Children
unsafeThe use of Dapagliflozin is not recommended for children below 18 years.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- Fill your half plate with starchy veggies, a quarter with proteins and a quarter with whole grains.
- Eat at regular intervals. Do not take a long gap between a meal and a snack.
- Monitor your blood sugar level regularly, especially when there are lots of fluctuations.
- Invest at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity or one hour and 15 minutes of high-intensity exercise every week.
- Lose weight gradually to achieve a healthy body mass index (18.5 to 24.9).
- Replace refined carbohydrates with whole-grain foods and increase the intake of fruits and veggies and other fibre-enriched foods.
- Reduce intake of saturated fat (or hidden fats) in food like chips, crisps, pastries, biscuits and samosas. Choose omega-3 fatty acid-containing oils for daily cooking. You can use palm oil, mustard oil, groundnut oil, rice bran oil and safflower oil for frying.
- Do not take stress as it may elevate your blood sugar level. You can adopt stress management techniques like mindfulness to control stress-related blood sugar changes.
- Opt for low-fat dairy products (low-fat yoghurt, fat-free milk, and cheese, etc.).
- Keep your blood pressure as normal (120/80) as possible, as it reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases in diabetes patients.
Special Advise
- You should have a test of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) every 3 months to check your blood glucose level control.
- Drink plenty of fluids as use of Dapagliflozin may cause dehydration.
- Check your feet regularly and stick to foot care advice given by the healthcare professional.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Type 2 diabetes: It is a chronic or life-long condition in which cells of the body fail to respond to insulin, and in later stages, the body even fails to produce enough insulin. It comprises around 90% of total diabetes cases. This condition makes the body rely on different energy sources in muscles, tissues, and organs. This disease develops gradually, and the early symptoms include constant hunger, lack of energy, fatigue, weight loss, excessive thirst, frequent urination, dry mouth, itchy skin, and blurry vision. People who are middle-aged or older are most likely to have type 2 diabetes, so it is also called adult-onset diabetes. The risks of uncontrolled type 2 diabetes include damaged retina of the eyes or blindness, loss of limbs, nerve problems, kidney problems, sexual dysfunction and increased possibility of heart attack or stroke.
FAQs
Dapagliflozin belongs to the category of medicines called anti-diabetics, used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
Dapagliflozin is a type of medicine known as a sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. It lowers blood sugar levels by blocking the action of SGLT-2 in the kidney and removes excess sugar from your body through urine.
In case you feel that your blood sugar level is going down and you are feeling weak, immediately eat sugary candies or drink sugary beverages. It will help to balance the blood sugar level in your body. So, it is advisable to keep sugar candies with you.
Dapagliflozin can cause weight loss by increasing the amount of sugar that is removed from your body when you pee. Consult your doctor before starting Dapagliflozin.
No, a person should continue taking Dapagliflozin for as long as a doctor has prescribed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. You should not stop discontinuing Dapagliflozin suddenly, as it may worsen the symptoms of type 2 diabetes and increase the blood sugar level, leading to hyperglycemia.
Type 2 diabetes is a common form of diabetes in which the blood sugar-lowering hormone called insulin, produced by the body, does not function properly. Thus, the blood glucose level increases and symptoms such as frequent urination, increased thirst and increased hunger start. Diabetes, if left untreated or not treated properly, can cause long-term complications such as nerve damage, kidney damage, eye damage, foot problems and poses a high risk of developing heart diseases.
Dapagliflozin can cause risk in pregnancy and affect the fetus. Please consult your doctor before starting Dapagliflozin.
Your driving ability may be affected if your blood sugar levels are too high or too low. Do not drive or operate machinery if you also experience dizziness or drowsiness.
Yes, using Dapagliflozin may cause urinary tract infections in a few people, so always practice good hygiene.
Dapagliflozin may cause side effects like urinary tract infection, low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia), peeing more than normal, skin rash, dizziness, increased thirst, and nausea. Most of these side effects may not require medical attention and gradually resolve over time. However, if the side effects are persistent, reach out to your doctor.
Yes, Dapagliflozin is safe to use if prescribed by the doctor.
Dapagliflozin should not be taken by people who are allergic to any of its components.
Inform the doctor if you are due to undergo any surgery. The doctor may recommend you to stop taking Dapagliflozin before surgery to prevent the risk of diabetic ketoacidosis (a complication of diabetes).
Your doctor may prescribe Dapagliflozin along with metformin for better management of blood glucose levels.
Your doctor may prescribe alternate/additional medicine to control blood sugar levels if you have diabetes along with kidney problems. Please consult the doctor before stating Dapagliflozin if you have kidney problems.
Dapagliflozin should be taken with other medications for diabetes only if prescribed by the doctor. The doctor may lower the dose of other medications to prevent low blood sugar levels.
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for the scheduled dose, skip the missed dose and take the next dose at the usual time. Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.
It is important to check your feet regularly and adhere to foot care advice given by your doctor. If you are undergoing any tests, inform the doctor that you are taking Dapagliflozin as it might affect certain urine test results.
