Individuals may get necrotizing fasciitis from diabetes drugs if they have micro-tears in their genital area, allowing the flesh eating bacteria to enter the body.

What is Necrotizing Fasciitis?

Necrotizing fasciitis, also known as Fournier’s gangrene, is a flesh eating bacterial infection that affects the genitals. The infection, which is caused by group A Streptococcus bacteria, is extremely rare but can quickly cause irreversible damage to tissues, muscles, and nerves.

Symptoms of necrotizing fasciitis may start small, including signs like warm and red skin, general discomfort, and perhaps flu symptoms. Later on, these symptoms can quickly devolve into worsening pain and growing infected area that suffers from oozing, discoloring, blisters, bumps, black dots, and other skin lesions.

Other symptoms of the infection may include fatigue, weakness, fever, child, sweating, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and infrequent urination.

Because the condition progresses so quickly, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that “accurate diagnosis, rapid antibiotic treatment, and prompt surgery” are key to stopping the spread of the infection. Surgical treatment of Fournier’s gangrene typically includes the debridement (removal) of dead tissues.

In some cases, surgical reconstruction of the genitals is necessary after healing is over if patients do not wish to live with disfiguring injuries from necrotizing fasciitis.

How Do You Get Necrotizing Fasciitis?

Small cuts in the skin of the genital area are usually the cause of Fournier’s gangrene as they allow the bacteria to enter the body. These incisions can be caused by cuts, scrapes, or surgical wounds, but they do not have to be any larger than a needle puncture to allow the flesh eating bacteria to access the deeper layers of the skin.

Is Necrotizing Fasciitis a Side Effect of Diabetes Medications?

In August 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned that Fournier’s gangrene had been linked to a variety of type-2 diabetes medications called sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors.

Drugs in this class include Invokana, Invokamet, Invokamet XR, Farxiga, Xigduo XR, Qtern, Jardiance, Glyxambi, Synjardy, Synjardy XR, Steglatro, Segluromet, and Steglujan.

SGLT2 inhibitors process excess blood sugar out of the body by filtering it through the kidneys and excreting it through urine. The higher sugar urine is thought to encourage the growth of bacteria in the genital region, making it more likely that individuals will develop necrotizing fasciitis.

According to the FDA, 12 cases of necrotizing fasciitis were identified in SLGT2 inhibitor patients between March 2013 and May 2018. Although this is still a relatively low number, the agency notes that only six cases were identified in a 30 year analysis of all other diabetes drug classes.

Of the SGLT2 inhibitor patients involved in the Fournier’s gangrene cases, seven of the patients were men. Five of the patients were women, a shocking fact considering that necrotizing fasciitis typically affects men with rare cases of the infection affecting women.

All of the patients were hospitalized and required surgery, according to the FDA. Some patients required more than one surgery, others developed complications due to the infection, and one patient even died.

In light of uncovered risks, the FDA is requiring new label warnings to be added to SGLT2 inhibitors. Patients have been encouraged to speak to their doctors and health care professionals are encouraged to assess patients for Fournier’s gangrene if they present with symptoms.

Join a Free Diabetes Medications & Flesh-Eating Infection Lawsuit Investigation

The type-2 diabetes medications linked to the flesh-eating infection include:

• Invokana
• Invokamet/Invokamet XR
• Farxiga
• Xigduo XR
• Qtern
• Jardiance
• Glyxambi
• Synjardy/Synjardy XR
• Steglato
• Segluromet
• Steglujan

If you or a loved one took one of the type-2 diabetes medications listed above and suffered from a flesh-eating genital infection, you may qualify to join this diabetes medication lawsuit investigation. Fill out the FREE form on this page for more information.

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