There are currently over 20 million Americans who suffer from type 2 diabetes, with health experts calling this condition one of the major health crises of the 21st century. While patients have numerous diabetes medications to choose from to treat their symptoms, these medications often present complications.

About Type 2 Diabetes Medications

One of the most popular group of diabetes medicationsis sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, which work by stopping glucose from being reabsorbed into the blood. They are a newer class of diabetes medications, all of which have mostly received a positive response from patients and the medical community.

Patients with type 2 diabetes cannot keep up with their body’s demand for insulin production, and therefore need medications to signal the pancreas to keep up a good production level. Additionally, these diabetes medications work by stopping sugars from rising to dangerous levels in the blood, by somehow recycling them.

SGLT2 inhibitors do this by stopping glucose from being reabsorbed into the blood of the kidneys, and then signals the kidney to have the sugars leave the body through urination.

The protein in charge of this function in the kidneys is the SGLT2 protein, which is responsible for reabsorbing 90% of glucose into the kidneys. With this functionality, it is easy to understand why patients and doctors prefer SGLT2 inhibitors.

One of the most popular SGLT2 inhibitor is Farxiga (Dapagliflozin), which was recently approved by the FDA in 2014. It is manufactured and marketed by Bristol-Meyers Squibb Co. and AstraZenca, and has proven to be a success for the companies. Many experts attribute the quick success of Farxiga to clever marketing strategies, and presenting patients an additional treatment option for patients looking to insure proper insulin control.

However, the FDA and other medical experts warn that diabetes medications like Farxiga have the potential to cause a condition called ketoacidosis, which is when acids buildup in the patient’s blood. This condition can lead to several complications like brain swelling, severe dehydration, and coma.

Farxiga and Ketoacidosis

Due to the need for the presence of insulin for these diabetes medications, Farxiga and other SGLT2 inhibitorscannot be prescribed to treat type 1 diabetes patients or patients suffering from ketoacidosis. This is ironic considering that Farxiga and other drugs in its medication class have been accused of causing this condition. In fact, the FDA issued a public safety announcement in May 2015, describing the risk of diabetic ketoacidosis and its potentially fatal complications

Diabetic ketoacidosis is considered a medical emergency, and intervention should be applied as soon as possible. While the FDA recommends that patients should never discontinue a medication without consulting their physician, patients should undergo diagnostic testing if they start experiencing symptoms like:

• Confusion
• Difficulty Breathing
• Frequent Urination or Thirst lasting Days
• Flushed Face
• Fruity-Smelling Breath
• Aching Muscles or Muscle Stiffness
• Vomiting and Nausea
• Stomach Pain

If physicians do suspect ketoacidosis, there a number of diagnostic tests available to confirm this. In general, patients undergo ketone testing in blood or urine samples. If diagnosed, the patient should be hospitalized immediately, with the goal to return the acid levels to normal.