According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Invokana and other type-2 diabetes drugs may increase a patient’s risk of kidney failure, as well as other serious side effects.

What is Invokana?

So what is Invokana? Invokana (canaglifolozin) belongs to a new class of drugs approved to treat type 2 diabetes.

Invokana and others in its class inhibit some kidney functions in order to increase glucose production, lowering blood glucose levels. Associated medications include Invokamet, metformin, and canagliflozin.

While Invokana medication is only officially approved to treat type 2 diabetes, it is often prescribed “off-label” to those with type 1 diabetes. While the drug maker has tried to receive approval for Invokana to treat type 1 diabetes patients, the request has so far not been granted.

Many Invokana reviews state that upsides of taking the new diabetes medication include that it can be taken orally instead of requiring an injection, that is is available as a combination drug with metformin (Invokamet), and that it has a lower chance of causing low blood sugar than insulin.

Still, there are some negative Invokana reviews.  These Invokana reviews claim that the medication is expensive, can cause increased urination, thirst, and increased likelihood of yeast infections, as well as stating that it may not be the best first choice drug to lower blood sugar.

Invokana Medication

Invokana and other diabetes drugs implicated in the FDA’s warning belong to a class of drugs known as sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors.

SGLT2 inhibitors that have been associated with an increased risk of kidney failure, as well as other side effects, include the following diabetes drugs:

• Invokana (canagliflozin)
• Invokamet (canagliflozin and metformin)
• Farxiga (dapagliflozin)
• Xigduo XR (dapagliflozin and metformin extended-release)
• Jardiance (empagliflozin)
• Glyxambi (empagliflozin and linagliptin)

The SGLT2 inhibitor diabetes medications were approved by the FDA to lower the blood sugar of adults with type-2 diabetes.

SGLT2 inhibitors such as those listed above remove glucose from the body by way of the kidneys. Kidneys, when working naturally, reabsorb filtered glucose from the blood and return it to the bloodstream. It is an SGLT2 inhibitor’s job to stop this reabsorption, which ultimately lowers the body’s levels of glucose.

Invokana Medication Side Effects

The FDA reports that Invokana medication and others like it may also be linked with other Invokana side effects. These side effects include:

• Dehydration
• Yeast infection
• High potassium levels
• Kidney problems, including ketoacidosis and kidney failure
• Low blood sugar
• Serious allergic reaction
• Urinary tract infection
• Cardiovascular problems, including heart attack

Invokana Kidney Failure

Kidney failure is a serious side effect of Invokana medication and similar diabetes drugs that occurs when kidneys stop functioning.

Kidney failure is an extreme risk, and should be treated immediately. Without proper kidney function, the waste products, fluids, and electrolytes that would normally be filtered and regulated by the kidneys build up in the body. This build up can result in weakness, shortness of breath, lethargy, confusion, abnormal heart rhythms, and even sudden death.

Symptoms of Invokana kidney failure include:

• Jaundice
• Nausea
• Vomiting and abdominal pain
• Confusion, disorientation, problems concentrating
• Sleepiness
• Abnormal heart rhythms
• Shortness of breath
• Sudden death

If you have taken Invokana medication or a similar diabetes drug and have experienced one or more of the above symptoms of Invokana kidney failure, you should seek medical help.

Sometimes, simple cessation of the medication can lead kidney function to return to normal. Other times, further treatment is necessary. Kidney failure can be life threatening, so it is important to be aware of these symptoms.

Invokana Kidney Failure Lawsuits

Kidney failure lawsuits filed against the manufacturers of these diabetes drugs allege that the drugs increase a patient’s risk of kidney failure, among other serious Invokana side effects.

According to these Invokana kidney failure lawsuits, if the manufacturers of this drug and other diabetes medications had adequately warned the public and the medical community of the increased risk of kidney failure linked with their drugs, patients would not have used these medications and avoided serious injury.

The diabetes drugs lawsuits allege that patients would have chosen a substitute medication rather than take on an increased risk of complications like kidney failure.

Lawsuits further claim that, even if plaintiffs did choose to use Invokana or a similar drug, a proper warning from the drug’s manufacturer would allow them to be monitored for signs of serious Invokana side effects.

If you or someone you know has suffered from significant diabetes medication side effects, including Invokana kidney failure, you may be able to file an Invokana lawsuit. Pursuing a lawsuit could result in financial compensation that would help with medical expenses and lost wages, as well as emotional and physical suffering.