dapagliflozin and it's side effects

manikp

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Hi, I am new yo this forum and not sureif I am posting in theright place. I have been on Metformin and I have now been prescribed dapagliflozin. Is dapagliflozin a safe drug? When i did a bit of research , it says it can have long term effects like bladder cancer? many thanks.
 

EllieM

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Hi, I am new yo this forum and not sureif I am posting in theright place. I have been on Metformin and I have now been prescribed dapagliflozin. Is dapagliflozin a safe drug? When i did a bit of research , it says it can have long term effects like bladder cancer? many thanks.

Welcome to the forums.


Most drugs have side effects, so it's always a toss up between whether their benefits outweigh their disadvantages. Presumably you have been offered the drug because your blood sugar levels are too high, which in the long term causes all sorts of issues (blindness, heart disease, kidney issues, nerve issues, amputation...). Best not to leave high blood sugar issues unaddressed. I can't comment on the specific pros and cons of dapaglafozin (I am not a doctor and, more importantly I am not your doctor with access to your health records) but how high are your blood sugar levels and what have you tried in the way of diet and exercise in order to control them....? Lots of T2s on here successfully come off or reduce their medication by reducing the carbs in their diets.

Generally doctors don't prescribe drugs if they think they have more harms than benefits for an individual patient. ( As a T1 I take insulin, and I would die pretty fast without it, but if I took to much of it it could kill me...)
 
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Bildad

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371
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
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Diet only
Hi @manikp and welcome.
I was on dapagliflozin for a while before I discovered this forum and went low carb. I have found that reduced carbs = lower BG numbers =lower Hba1c =less/no meds.
My Hba1c has dropped from 97 to 34 and I am now off all meds. I found a BG meter was the best investment that I ever made.
 
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Andydragon

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3,324
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
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Diet only
Hi, I am new yo this forum and not sureif I am posting in theright place. I have been on Metformin and I have now been prescribed dapagliflozin. Is dapagliflozin a safe drug? When i did a bit of research , it says it can have long term effects like bladder cancer? many thanks.
My side effects was thrush (luckily one off) which was the worst I have ever experienced. I also had back pain which I didn’t realise was a side effect till later

metformin and bydureon on the other hand I had no issues with. But everyone is different. Also as has been said, long term high blood impact could be significantly worse so it is a balance

Also it did work to drop blood sugars but nothing compared to dropping carbs and losing weight.

As well as covid, the side effects of dapa and the warnings of serious long term effects (gangrene) was a driver to change
 
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newton45

Member
Messages
13
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
You have to be aware of a very rare, but well recognised complication - necrotising fascitis (Fournier's gangrene).
The symptoms are red raw skin or blisters in the genital/perineum region. This is a bacterial infection which requires IMMEDIATE medical attention. If left, it can be fatal.
I believe 12 cases (in the USA, I believe), has been diagnosed.
I have been on it for about a year with no real side effects, save perhaps increased urination. But the advantages (increased heart & kidney protection) outweigh the inconvenience of having to pee more often.
 
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