Empagliflozin
About Empagliflozin
Empagliflozin is used to treat Type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is a common condition that causes the level of glucose (sugar) in the blood to become too high. It's a lifelong condition that can affect your everyday life. You may need to change your diet, take medicines and have regular check-ups to lead a normal life.
Empagliflozin contains empagliflozin, which works by blocking the sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT-2) enzyme. This lowers renal reabsorption of glucose and increases urine excretion of glucose via inhibiting SGLT2. As a result, it lowers blood sugar levels in diabetics.
Not everyone who is taking Empagliflozin will get these side effects. In some cases, you may experience certain common side effects such as thrush, pain or a burning feeling when you pee, peeing more than normal, and mild skin rash or itchy skin. Most of these side effects do not require medical attention and will resolve gradually over time. However, you are advised to consult your doctor if you experience these side effects persistently.
Take this medication by mouth with or without food as directed by your doctor, usually once daily in the morning. The dosage is based on your medical condition and response to treatment. To help you remember, take it at the same time each day. Tell your doctor if your condition does not improve or worsens (if your blood sugar is too high or too low).
Do not consume Empagliflozin if you are allergic to any component present in Empagliflozin. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, consult your doctor before taking Empagliflozin. Avoid drinking alcohol while taking Empagliflozin since it may produce unpleasant side effects. Inform your doctor about all of the medications you are taking, as well as your medical history, to rule out any undesirable side effects or interactions.
Uses of Empagliflozin
• Management of Type 2 diabetes: Empagliflozin helps to manage type 2 diabetes by lowering blood sugar levels and improving glycemic control.
• Cardiovascular benefits: Empagliflozin also offers cardiovascular benefits by reducing the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
• Weight management: Empagliflozin can aid in weight loss by causing the body to excrete excess glucose through urine, leading to a reduction in body weight.
• Renal protection: Empagliflozin may be involved in protecting kidney function in patients with type 2 diabetes, slowing the progression of diabetic kidney disease.
• Lowering blood pressure: Empagliflozin can also help in lowering blood pressure levels, providing additional benefits for patients with diabetes and hypertension.
Medicinal Benefits
- Empagliflozin plays a vital role in managing diabetes and achieving good control of blood sugar levels by delaying the absorption of sugar and increasing insulin sensitivity in the body.
- Empagliflozin does not cause a sudden lowering of the blood glucose level or cause significant hypoglycaemia.
- In the prediabetic condition, Empagliflozin is the only recommended treatment available.
- Empagliflozin also helps to prevent serious complications of diabetes such as kidney damage (diabetic nephropathy), blindness (diabetic retinopathy), loss of sensation in your hands and feet (Diabetic Neuropathy) or even loss of a foot.
- Empagliflozin also helps to reduce your chance of having a heart attack or stroke.
Directions for Use
• Take Empagliflozin with or without food as advised by your doctor. • It is advised to take Empagliflozin once daily in the morning; however, follow your doctor’s recommendation regarding the dosage and duration. • Swallow Empagliflozin as a whole with a glass of water. • Do not crush, chew or break it.
Storage
Side Effects of Empagliflozin
- Thrush (fungal infection)
- Pain or a burning feeling when you pee
- Peeing more than normal
- Mild skin rash
- Itchy skin
Drug Warnings
- Before taking this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to any of its contents.
- Empagliflozin should not be stopped even if you feel better, without consulting your doctor, as your sugar level keeps changing. If you stop taking Empagliflozin abruptly, it may increase your sugar levels, which could further increase the risk of eyesight loss (retinopathy), kidney (nephropathy), and nerve damage (neuropathy).
- Please inform your doctor if you have heart disease.
- It may be harder to control your blood sugar when your body is stressed (such as when you have a fever, infection, injury, or surgery).
- Also, if you eat less or cannot eat due to these conditions or any illness, this can lead to other side effects while taking this medication.
- Before surgery, tell your doctor or dentist about all the products you use (including prescription, nonprescription, and herbal products).
- 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 Interactions: Empagliflozin may interact with insulin, high blood pressure-lowering pills (hydrochlorothiazide, amlodipine), water pills/diuretics (furosemide), antibiotics used for eye infections (gatifloxacin), anti-hypertensive (metoprolol), steroids (prednisolone), thyroid hormones etc. So, tell your doctor if you are using these drugs before taking the Empagliflozin.
Drug-Food Interactions: Taking Empagliflozin with alcoholic beverages may increase the risk of a rare but serious and potentially life-threatening condition known as lactic acidosis (build-up of lactic acid in the blood) and hypoglycaemia.
Drug-Disease Interactions: Empagliflozin should be avoided in patients with vitamin B12 deficiency, kidney problems, liver problems, cardiovascular disease (heart-related issues), and low blood sugar level (hypoglycaemia) as it may worsen the condition.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
unsafeIt is advisable not to consume alcohol along with Empagliflozin to avoid unpleasant side effects like lactic acidosis.
Pregnancy
consult your doctorEmpagliflozin is not recommended during pregnancy. However, your doctor may prescribe it for you during pregnancy if he/she feels the benefit outweighs the risk. You should not take Empagliflozin without a doctor's advice.
Breast Feeding
consult your doctorEmpagliflozin is not recommended if you are breastfeeding or if you are planning to breastfeed your baby.
Driving
safe if prescribedEmpagliflozin should not affect your ability to drive or operate machinery/tools.
Liver
cautionEmpagliflozin to be taken with caution, especially if you have a history of liver diseases/conditions. The dose may have to be adjusted by your doctor.
Kidney
cautionEmpagliflozin to be taken with caution, especially if you have a history of Kidney diseases/conditions. The dose may have to be adjusted by your doctor depending on your renal functions. Empagliflozin is not recommended in severe kidney disease. Regular monitoring of kidney function tests is therefore important if you're taking Empagliflozin.
Children
unsafeEmpagliflozin is not recommended for children below ten years of age. The dose is to be adjusted and recommended by a child specialist only for children over ten years.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- Include foods rich in healthy carbohydrates and fibre, fruits, whole grains, and vegetables in your diet.
- Try eating food at regular intervals. Do not skip meals. Also, try not to overeat.
- Follow a healthy diet and walk for at least 45minutes to complement treatment with Empagliflozin.
- Maintain a healthy weight by exercising regularly.
- Rest properly, and avoid stress by doing meditation or yoga.
Special Advise
Keep taking Empagliflozin even if you think your blood sugar levels are under control. If you miss a dose, do not take a larger dose; consult your treating physician for advice.
- Take short, frequent meals, and avoid prolonged fasting when taking Empagliflozin. Beware of symptoms of hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) which include sweating, dizziness, palpitations, shivering, intense thirst, dry mouth, dry skin, frequent urination etc. Whenever you experience any of the symptoms mentioned above, immediately consume 5-6 candies, three glucose biscuits, or three teaspoons of honey/sugar and get in touch with your physician. Make sure to carry these with you at all times, especially during long travels.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Type 2 diabetes: Type 2 diabetes is a chronic or lifelong disease that keeps the body away from properly utilizing insulin. Hence, people affected with type 2 diabetes either do not produce enough insulin, or there is resistance to insulin action. Middle-aged or older are most likely to suffer from type 2 diabetes, so it is also known as adult-onset diabetes. Symptoms of type 2 diabetes include increased thirst, frequent urination at night, slow wound healing, increased hunger, fatigue, and blurred vision. There may be weight gain in some cases, while in rare cases, weight loss may be observed. The complication of type 2 diabetes also include neuropathy (nerve problems), nephropathy (kidney problems), retinopathy (damaged retina of eyes or blindness), loss of limbs, sexual dysfunction, and an increased chance of heart attack or stroke.
FAQs
Empagliflozin is used to treat type 2 diabetes when diet and exercise alone cannot control your blood sugar levels.
Empagliflozin contains empagliflozin, which blocks the sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT-2) enzyme in the kidney's proximal tubules. It lowers renal reabsorption of glucose and increases urine excretion of glucose via inhibiting SGLT2. As a result, it lowers blood sugar levels in diabetics.
Yes, Empagliflozin can cause a minor upset of the stomach. However, do not stop taking it. Discuss with your doctor in case of severe stomach upset.
If you feel thirsty after taking Empagliflozin, it may be because of dehydration as Empagliflozin can lead to loss of fluids. Increase intake of fluids, if even then you feel thirsty please consult your doctor.
If you have symptoms like increased hunger, increased thirst, frequent urination (usually at night), unexplained weight loss, fatigue, blurred vision, slow wound/sores healing, and frequent infections, contact doctor as it can be a condition of type 2 diabetes.
In case you feel that your blood sugar level is going down and you are feeling weak, immediately eat sugar candies or drink sugary beverages. It will help to balance the blood sugar levels in your body. So, it is advisable to keep sugar candies with you.
Lactic acidosis is a rare but life-threatening condition when there is too much lactic acid build up in the bloodstream. Long term intake of Empagliflozin may lead to lactic acidosis when cells get deprived of oxygen levels. Symptoms of lactic acidosis include the burning sensation of the muscle, muscle ache, fast breathing, nausea, and stomach pain. Immediately contact the doctor about this complication.
Empagliflozin should be avoided in patients who are allergic to any of the components or excipients of this medicine. It should be avoided in patients suffering from moderate to severe kidney disease or liver disease. It is also not advised to use this drug if you drink too much alcohol. Make sure to inform your health care professional if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
If you have been affected by diabetes, you should have a test of HbA1c once in three months.
No. Till date there is no clinical evidence that states that Empagliflozin affects fertility in either men or women.
Hypoglycaemia refers to low blood sugar levels. The symptoms of hypoglycaemia include nausea, headache, irritability, hunger, sweating, dizziness.
No. Empagliflozin is only prescribed for treating type 2 diabetes, also called 'non-insulin-dependent diabetes.
Empagliflozin should be swallowed as a whole with water. Do not crush or chew it.
Empagliflozin should not be discontinued without a doctor's consultation. Stopping Empagliflozin might increase blood sugar levels.
Empagliflozin can be used with other diabetes medicines if prescribed by the doctor.
Taking Empagliflozin with other anti-diabetic medicines may cause hypoglycaemia. Symptoms include headache, excessive hunger, sweating, shaking, confusion, and fast heart rate. Carry glucose biscuits or candy and consume them if you experience these symptoms.
A haemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) test is used to diagnose type 2 diabetes and prediabetes. It helps measure the amount of blood glucose attached to haemoglobin. It is used to monitor your condition and check how well you've been able to control your blood sugar levels.
Empagliflozin may add to the diuretic effects of furosemide, increasing the risk of dehydration, kidney problems, and low blood pressure. This may cause headache, dizziness, lightheadedness, fainting, and/or changes in pulse or heart rate. Before starting Empagliflozin, consult the doctor if you are taking furosemide.
Side effects of Empagliflozin include thrush (genital yeast infection), passing more urine than usual, itching, rash or red skin, thirst, and constipation.
