A growing number of patients are reporting serious Invokamet side effects, including diabetic ketoacidosis and lower limb amputation. The news is of growing concern among adults taking the popular type-2 diabetes medication.

If you or someone you love has suffered  Invokamet side effects after taking the type-2 diabetes drug, you may be able to pursue litigation.

What is Invokamet?

Invokamet is prescribed to lower blood sugar by ridding the bloodstream of glucose and lowering the production of it.

Invokamet (canagliflozin metformin) is part of a class of drugs known as sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors. Others in this class include Invokana and Invokamet XR.

Serious Invokamet side effects have been reported, and many users may be at risk. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned patients in May 2015 that SGLT2 inhibitors like Invokamet were linked to a growing number of reports of an increased risk of diabetic ketoacidosis and kidney failure.

2017 FDA Warning

In May 2017, the FDA released an updated safety announcement about Invokamet and other SGLT2 inhibitor drugs.

“Based on new data from two large clinical trials, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has concluded that the type 2 diabetes medicine canagliflozin (Invokana, Invokamet, Invokamet XR) causes an increased risk of leg and foot amputations,” the warning stated. “We are requiring new warnings, including our most prominent Boxed Warning, to be added to the canagliflozin drug labels to describe this risk.”

The FDA cautioned patients who take these medications to tell their doctor about any potential Invokamet side effects, including pain, ulcers, or infections in the legs or feet. Patients should not stop taking their diabetes medication without first consulting their doctor.

Invokamet Side Effects

Invokamet side effects include diabetic ketoacidosis and lower limb amputation (toe, foot, knee, or leg). Symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis include difficulty breathing, confusion, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and unusual fatigue or sleepiness.

If you notice one or more of these symptoms after taking an SGLT2 inhibitor like Invokamet, you should contact your doctor immediately.

FDA Responds to Amputation Risk

The FDA has confirmed the higher risk of leg and foot amputations with this medication, according to Medscape.

This means that patients must be mindful if they already face an increased risk of needing an amputation prior to taking the drug, and should also monitor their medical conditions carefully to determine what to do in the event of a potential amputation.

The prominent boxed warning was required by the FDA to be added to the drug labels or Canagliflozin to describe the higher risk of foot and leg amputations. Some of the most common signs of needing an amputation while taking Invokamet include the development of new sores, ulcers, tenderness, pain or infection in the feet or legs. No patient should discontinue taking their diabetes medication until they have had an opportunity to speak to their healthcare professional.

Risk Factors for Amputations

Certain factors can also predispose a patient to a higher risk of amputation. Patients with a history of peripheral vascular disease, prior amputation, diabetic foot ulcers, and neuropathy are at an increased risk. Amputations of the middle foot and the toe are the most common reported by patients who had to undergo an amputation.

Amputations of the leg, both above and below the knee, also occurred. Certain patients face the risk of more than one amputation.

Filing an Invokamet Side Effects Lawsuit

Lawsuits against the drug’s manufacturer allege that the company knew, or should have known, about the serious Invokamet side effects  — diabetic ketoacidosis and lower limb amputation — but failed to adequately warn the public and the medical community.

If you or someone you love has suffered from Invokamet side effects after taking Invokamet or a similar SGLT2 inhibitor, you may have cause for filing a lawsuit. Though filing a lawsuit cannot take away a patient’s pain and suffering, it may help to alleviate the financial burden incurred through medical bills and lost wages.