The widely used diabetes medication Onglyza has been the subject of a number of negative Onglyza reviews, where users claim a variety of side effects.

Onglyza reviews have reported side effects ranging from mild to severe. Mild side effects noted in these reviews include swelling, dry eyes, and minor skin rashes.

Some users have reported more serious side effects in their reviews, such as weight gain, debilitating headaches, severe skin rashes, and abdominal pain.

In one of the more recent Onglyza reviews, a consumer reported experiencing severe dehydration after using the drug. She was eventually taken off the medication by her doctor due to its side effects.

Onglyza Basics

Onglyza (also known by its generic name, saxagliptin) is a diabetes drug manufactured by AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals.

Onglyza is one of a relatively new class of diabetes drugs known collectively as incretin mimetics. Incretin mimetics like Onglyza are used to control type-2 diabetes.

As of yet, Onglyza has not been approved to treat patients with type-1 diabetes.

In order to control a patient’s type-2 diabetes, Onglyza uses saxagliptin to stimulate insulin production, which helps lower the patient’s high blood sugar levels.

Though incretin mimetics are fairly new, Onglyza reviews and reports of serious side effects have already started to emerge.

Onglyza Side Effects

Onglyza and other incretin mimetics have been linked with the following serious side effects:

• Heart failure
• Pancreatitis
• Acute pancreatitis
• Hemorrhagic pancreatitis
• Necrotizing pancreatitis
• Kidney complications
• Renal failure

Onglyza pancreatitis is a particularly serious concern for patients, since it may be a precursor to pancreatic cancer. Some studies also show a higher-than-normal incidence of thyroid cancer among Onglyza patients.

Heart failure is another serious side effect that can become life-threatening and requires immediate treatment.

Onglyza Lawsuits

The FDA has responded to reports of Onglyza side effects by requiring drug manufacturers to alert the public and medical community about the risk of side effects via their warning labels.

Some consumers have responded by filing Onglyza lawsuits, alleging that the drug’s manufacturers either knew or should have known about the increased risk of side effects like heart failure but failed to adequately warn patients about those risks.

Onglyza lawsuits claim that the drug’s manufacturers, AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb, failed to adequately inform the public and the medical community about the risk of side effects associated with Onglyza.

Had they been aware of this risk, plaintiffs claim, they would have chosen a safer alternative.

A lawsuit cannot fix the physical or emotional damage of heart failure and other serious side effects, but it can help with the financial losses from medical bills and lost wages. If you have suffered from serious Onglyza side effects, you may have grounds to make a legal claim.