The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released a Drug Safety Communication regarding Invokana side effects and Invokamet side effects.

Invokana and Invokamet are brand names for type-2 diabetes medications that contain the ingredient canagliflozin.

The revised FDA warning advises consumers about the risks of developing Invokana kidney failure and or Invokana ketoacidosiswhen taking the medications.

What is Type 2 Diabetes?

Type-2 diabetes is a dangerous condition in the body that causes blood glucose levels to rise to above normal levels. Type-2 diabetes is the most prevalent form of diabetes.

The disease is known as insulin resistance because it causes the body to not use insulin correctly. In the beginning stages of type-2 diabetes, a person’s pancreas works double time to produce extra insulin but eventually it cannot keep up to the increased demand.

If left untreated type-2 diabetes can be life threatening and result in blindness, heart disease, nerve, and kidney damage.

What is Canagliflozin?

Canagliflozin is a type of type of SGLT2 inhibitor used to treat patients suffering from type-2 diabetes. The medication is the active ingredient for several brand name variations including Invokana and Invokamet.

SGLT2 medications work to treat type-2 diabetes by inhibiting glucose reabsorption in the body’s renal tubules which helps to lower blood glucose.

Invokana Side Effects and Invokamet Side Effects

The FDA released a Drug Safety Communication regarding Invokana side effects back in May of 2015. The organization recently released a revised warning to include Invokamet side effects such as too much acid in the blood (also known as ketoacidosis) and serious urinary tract infections. Invokana ketoacidosis symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, tiredness, and trouble breathing.

According to the FDA, patients should stop taking their type-2 diabetes medication and seek immediate medical attention if they begin to experience symptoms of Invokana Ketoacidosis.

When the first canagliflozin Drug Safety Communication was released in 2015, the FDA had identified 73 cases of Invokana ketoacidosis. The FDA believes there could be many more cases that have gone unreported to the agency.

The FDA also advises patients to be alert of symptoms for urinary tract infections. Symptoms of urinary tract infections include a burning feeling when urinating or the need to urinate frequently. Symptoms can also present themselves as pain in the lower area of the pelvis, pain in the lower stomach, fever, or blood in the urine.

The FDA has received 19 reported cases of serious blood infections and Invokana kidney failure that began as urinary tract infections. All 19 of the patients were hospitalized and treated with dialysis in order to treat Invokana kidney failure.

Diabetes Medication Lawsuits

Type-2 diabetes patients who took Invokana or Invokamet to treat their condition and suffered from ketoacidosis or kidney failure may be able to bring a lawsuit against the pharmaceutical manufacturers.

Successful plaintiffs may receive compensation for their pain, suffering, and medical bills. Lawsuits against the pharmaceutical companies will likely allege that the companies violated consumer protection laws by failing to warn the medical community and the general public about dangerous side effects associated with the medications.