Type 2 Side effects of Forxiga (Dapagliflozin)

[Keith Bufton]

I’m unable to tolerate Metformin so my GP has prescribed Forxiga my question is are the side effects as bad as the leaflet describes?

 

[Oldvatr]

For what its worth, I am pleading with my doc to take me off Forxiga, due to side effects anf possible long term dangers. I fart like a trooper, I am severelly constipated like never before in my life, and my genitals ache. (Sorry TMI but necessary). Because this drug is now the Wonder Sweetie that the NHS is pushing for the world to be on, that has proven to be impossible. So I took the pill box, and show it the round receptacle. It likes the said receptacle and does not try to climb out.

worringly I showed signs of having a near euDKA event with ketones registering between 4 and 8, which is downright dangerous. Still refusing to take me off it and has offered to stop my other meds if I refuse to take it. I suspect this is one of those meds with money in the powerhouse. Another Cornucopia.

 

[Tony.H]

hi I'm on forziga for about 3 months and no problems whatsoever (apart from the extra peeing ), lost quite a bit of weight since I have been on it as well, but that could be a combination of changed diet as well as the forziga

 

[Oldvatr]

Here is an updated info release on Dapagliflozin and associated side effects.

Taking dapagliflozin with other medicines and herbal supplements

NHS medicines information on possible interactions with dapagliflozin and other medicines, herbal remedies and supplements.

www.nhs.uk

My doctor insists I take this med even though I have reduced kidney function, I am on Furusomide and a blood pressure pill that also makes me wee more, and I am on gliclazide and Tamsulosin. all these are contraindicated for this med. No wonder I am seeing unacceptable side effects.

He started me on 10 nmg a day and wanted to raise it 2 twice a day. I got excuciating constipation, and developed a raw feeling in my perineum area, along with tender genital discomfort. I was forced to overdose on laxatives, and the monsoon that followe was way in excess of anything I experienced on Metformin.

I dropped the dose to 5 mg a day, and the constipation eased, and the genital discomfort cleared up. But I was still having problems, so I went to only doing alternate days, which seemed to clear the problem.

Then last month I did not pick up the scrip for it since I was still using up the previous month. Doctor made it clear that I should be taking it as prescribed. Within a week my constipation returned and is now needing urgent restorative measures. This is not a friendly medication and it makes my eyes water. In fact it makes my nose water too which is another of its known side effects. I have constant nasal drip and chest problems possibly developing. But my doctor has made it clear that if I do not take it as prescribed then he will stop my other meds instead. It is the Battle of Evermore in a different key.

 

[LittleGreyCat]

Here is an updated info release on Dapagliflozin and associated side effects.

Taking dapagliflozin with other medicines and herbal supplements

NHS medicines information on possible interactions with dapagliflozin and other medicines, herbal remedies and supplements.

www.nhs.uk

My doctor insists I take this med even though I have reduced kidney function, I am on Furusomide and a blood pressure pill that also makes me wee more, and I am on gliclazide and Tamsulosin. all these are contraindicated for this med. No wonder I am seeing unacceptable side effects.

He started me on 10 nmg a day and wanted to raise it 2 twice a day. I got excuciating constipation, and developed a raw feeling in my perineum area, along with tender genital discomfort. I was forced to overdose on laxatives, and the monsoon that followe was way in excess of anything I experienced on Metformin.

I dropped the dose to 5 mg a day, and the constipation eased, and the genital discomfort cleared up. But I was still having problems, so I went to only doing alternate days, which seemed to clear the problem.

Then last month I did not pick up the scrip for it since I was still using up the previous month. Doctor made it clear that I should be taking it as prescribed. Within a week my constipation returned and is now needing urgent restorative measures. This is not a friendly medication and it makes my eyes water. In fact it makes my nose water too which is another of its known side effects. I have constant nasal drip and chest problems possibly developing. But my doctor has made it clear that if I do not take it as prescribed then he will stop my other meds instead. It is the Battle of Evermore in a different key.

Have you considered changing doctors?
This seems far too close to bullying.
Treatment requires patient consent.

 

[Oldvatr]

Have you considered changing doctors?
This seems far too close to bullying.
Treatment requires patient consent.

Not as simple as that. The drug was originally prescribed by my heart consultant to treat my heart condition. He is not diabetes trained, and is hospital based and my doctor csnnot just override his dictat. The local CCG also has the same dictat that these SGLT2 drugs are to be prescribed as a main choice of medication in our area. It is also to be prescribed to anyone with a heart complaint, or who have reduced kidney function even though it is contraindcated. So the GP is on the bottom rung of the ladder. These drugs are the new sweeties for all and are bing trialled for other applications such as dementia and possibly the common cold. Who knows what the next cash cow will be? So unless I move away from this area, the dictat from the high priests is Tough. We have spoken.

 

[Oldvatr]

The recent move to prescribe th SGLT2 drugs as treatmenrt for kidney disease (CKD) is an Off Label use. The only one that was licenced to be used below an eGFR of 60 or less is Canagliflozin, and that should be withdrawn when the eGFR falls below 48. The others are all contraindicated for use with eGFR below 60. So one small study run by a manufacturer is being stretched to cover it as a cure all for this condition. Empagliflozin should not be given to CKD patients at all

My heart specialist quotes me the study done recently that showed a 50% improvement in heart failure patients is also a meta study that that uses Relative Risk to show long term (?) use of this drug is beneficial. Errrm? how long is long term - these drugs have only just hit the market.

 

[Peter5145]

I've been taking this for a couple of months as an alternative to Metformin which was causing severe bowel irritation. It certainly has helped in the bowel department. Peeing has returned to what I'd consider normal, whereas with Metformin I tended to experience fluid retention during the second half of the day. Due to have a blood test for HbA1c after I've been on it for three months.

However, I've just had a general blood test which has indicated reduced kidney function, which is a possible side-effect, and seems to chime with what some others have said.

 

[Oldvatr]

I've been taking this for a couple of months as an alternative to Metformin which was causing severe bowel irritation. It certainly has helped in the bowel department. Peeing has returned to what I'd consider normal, whereas with Metformin I tended to experience fluid retention during the second half of the day. Due to have a blood test for HbA1c after I've been on it for three months.

However, I've just had a general blood test which has indicated reduced kidney function, which is a possible side-effect, and seems to chime with what some others have said.

The drug company is ecstatic that their med is now being prescribed as a treatment for Reduced Kidney function in the wider non diabetic world. However, there are some storm clouds. The trial done by the drug company to back up their claims was done on volunteers (non diabetic) who had stage 1 KD with eGfr <60 but . >50. and in that cohort there was a small benefit to their results.

But the drug should be withdrawn when the eGfr drops below 30, and there is growing concensus amongst nephrologists that these meds may actually exacerbate end stage Kidney Disease, and may actually hasten total kidney failure in this group of patients when eGFR is below 25.

what the drug trial did not do was to remove a potential confounder to their trial which is the effect of dehydration improving the test results. it is a well discussed item on this forum that the blood test needs to be fully fasted (12 hr) and to drink copious amounts of water on the morning of the test. I tried this, and my kidney function improved from 35 to 55 the last time I was tested. so IMO the study may be flawed.

 

[CCP]

For what its worth, I am pleading with my doc to take me off Forxiga, due to side effects anf possible long term dangers. I fart like a trooper, I am severelly constipated like never before in my life, and my genitals ache. (Sorry TMI but necessary). Because this drug is now the Wonder Sweetie that the NHS is pushing for the world to be on, that has proven to be impossible. So I took the pill box, and show it the round receptacle. It likes the said receptacle and does not try to climb out.

worringly I showed signs of having a near euDKA event with ketones registering between 4 and 8, which is downright dangerous. Still refusing to take me off it and has offered to stop my other meds if I refuse to take it. I suspect this is one of those meds with money in the powerhouse. Another Cornucopia.

It's made by Astra Zenica, enough said! I too.am having flatulence problems, particularly overnight, to the point of disrupting my sleep! Have also had stabbing pains in genitals. This is only day 5!

 

[KennyA]

It's made by Astra Zenica, enough said! I too.am having flatulence problems, particularly overnight, to the point of disrupting my sleep! Have also had stabbing pains in genitals. This is only day 5!

Hi - and welcome to the forums.

You're replying to a forum member who is no longer with us - don't worry, there's no way that you could have known. I have zero experience with these drugs, so can't help directly: someone may be along who does know something.

 

[Pepperoonie]

I’m unable to tolerate Metformin so my GP has prescribed Forxiga my question is are the side effects as bad as the leaflet describes?

I take Forxiga. If I manage my sugar levels properly I don't get any side effects, but if my levels are higher than they should be, I pee more often and as there is a lot of sugar in my pee, I am prone to UTI's and thrush. On the plus side, it has helped me to lose a little weight.

 

[Babooshka59]

This scary stuff. I was placed on this drug early this year as I was unable to tolerate Metformin (heartburn and digestive upsets). However it now appears that Long COVID may have messed with my immue system and made me more sensitive than I should be to meds generally (I'm currently under the care of the Long COVID hospital team) and my immune system seems to be in overdrive. I've even had two bouts of Tonsillits in the past 5 months, and I stopped having that when I was around 21 (I'm now 65). So the effects of COVID may or may not be why I have this digestive issue with Metformin. Problem with the NHS is that there's no holistic approach to patients, so every health presentation is looked at separately, and in the surgery that I attend is often by different GPs, who only 'see' patients over the phone. I really worry about their approach as I am not satisifed this new diabetes drug is working for me. They also love treating patients as guinea pigs for new drugs IMO and us older people seem to be treated with less care/urgency as far as I can make out. I'm peeing all the time with this new drug, it has got a little better over the past month but not much. I'm just grateful that so far I have not had a UTI. The urgency to pee is an issue, too, because when I need to go I need to go there and then, and this has never happened before. A friend's male partner is on the drug together with Metformin and he has the same peeing issue. I spoke to a chap around my age in the queue for the pharmacy yesterday, he's also on the two drugs and told me that since he started on Dapagliflozin he has the same peeing issues. What worries me is that I am now getting diarrhoea in the night if I eat chocolate or ice cream - treats I tend to have at the weekend, and the biggest worry of all is that my HbA1c has rocketed when it ought to be coming down, especially as I have lost nearly 15% of my body weight since January - a feat in itself as I have binge eating (without purging) disorder. I don't trust drugs generally, and am only on these because I'm Diabetic, but I will be refusing all future COVID immunisation as I am sure that, plus having had COVID twice inside a year (depsite the immunisation!) has screwed my metabolism and immune system up. But if I can't tolerate Metformin, have issues with Dapagliflozin (especially the raised HbA1C) where do I go next? The surgery's diabetes care is appalling; I had the test which showed the raised HbA1C reading on 23 April, but the Diabetes nurse isn't ringing me to discuss the result until 28 May. So much for Diabetes care.

 

[Rosie9876]

For what its worth, I am pleading with my doc to take me off Forxiga, due to side effects anf possible long term dangers. I fart like a trooper, I am severelly constipated like never before in my life, and my genitals ache. (Sorry TMI but necessary). Because this drug is now the Wonder Sweetie that the NHS is pushing for the world to be on, that has proven to be impossible. So I took the pill box, and show it the round receptacle. It likes the said receptacle and does not try to climb out.

worringly I showed signs of having a near euDKA event with ketones registering between 4 and 8, which is downright dangerous. Still refusing to take me off it and has offered to stop my other meds if I refuse to take it. I suspect this is one of those meds with money in the powerhouse. Another Cornucopia.

Your post makes me wonder. I was put on 5mg Forxiga on top of Metformin and GP insistent I not stop it (or statin, despite my triglycerides being on cusp of normal). I have a burning sensation when I pee, was tested for bacterial infection, came back negative, but still given a course of antibiotics. Might the burning sensation be down to the Forxiga? According to NHS Patient Safety Information Guidance – SGLT 2 inhibitors for Diabetes, maybe yes: Also possibly contraindicated with diabetic foot issues:

"Most studies have shown that these medications do not cause an increase in the risk of severe foot disease or foot amputation, but the risk differs from patient to patient.."

 

[Welshmum]

I’m new here so might not have understood all the complications re kidneys etc but since I was unable to tolerate Metformin I was prescribed Sitagliptin. I’ve found that pretty successful although my Hb1Ac hasn’t fallen as much as I’d hoped. I also still got swollen ankles on days I’d walked a lot. I’m probably being naughty but I added in a herbal supplement I’ve used for years on & off, Berberine & now my legs are fine.
would Sitagliptin be a suitable substitiue?