What is Jardiance, and what is it used for?
Jardiance is a prescription medicine whose active ingredient is empagliflozin. It is used in adults to treat:
- Type 2 diabetes (to improve blood sugar levels) [1]
- Heart failure (to help reduce risk of cardiovascular death and hospitalization in certain patients) [1]
- Chronic kidney disease (to slow kidney disease progression in certain patients) [1]
How does Jardiance work?
Jardiance is an SGLT2 inhibitor. It lowers blood sugar by helping the kidneys remove glucose from the blood through urine. The same kidney and heart effects also help with outcomes in heart failure and chronic kidney disease [1].
How is Jardiance taken?
Jardiance is taken by mouth once daily. The exact starting dose and whether your dose changes depends on what it’s being used for and how your kidneys are working [1].
What side effects do people usually report?
Common side effects can include:
- Genital yeast infections (more likely in people with a history of these infections) [1]
- Urinary tract infections
- Increased urination
- Dehydration or low blood pressure symptoms (like dizziness), especially in people who also take diuretics [1]
What serious risks should patients know about?
Patients should be aware of potentially serious, uncommon effects:
- Diabetic ketoacidosis (can occur even when blood sugars are not very high) [1]
- Volume depletion and low blood pressure, which can be risky for older adults or people with kidney disease or those on water pills [1]
- Necrotizing (flesh-eating) infections of the genital area (rare) [1]
- Kidney injury or worsening kidney function in certain situations, especially when dehydrated [1]
Who should not take Jardiance or should use extra caution?
Extra caution is needed if you have:
- Significant kidney impairment (your prescriber may limit use or adjust it based on kidney function) [1]
- Frequent genital infections
- Low blood pressure, dehydration risk, or use of diuretics
- A history of diabetic ketoacidosis [1]
What happens if you miss a dose?
If you miss a dose, take it when you remember unless it’s close to the next dose. Do not take two doses at once [1].
Can Jardiance be used with insulin or other diabetes medicines?
Yes, but the risk of certain complications changes depending on the rest of your regimen. People using insulin or insulin secretagogues may need dose adjustments to reduce the risk of hypoglycemia. Your clinician should guide how to combine therapies [1].
What do people ask about stopping Jardiance before surgery or during illness?
Jardiance may need to be held during periods of acute illness, fasting, or before surgery to reduce the risk of ketoacidosis. Ask your prescriber for specific sick-day and perioperative instructions [1].
Interactions: what to watch for?
Tell your clinician about all medicines, especially:
- Diuretics (“water pills”), because the combination can increase dehydration or low blood pressure risk [1]
- Other diabetes medicines, since overall glucose and ketoacidosis risk depends on the full regimen [1]
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Sources
[1] https://www.jardiance.com/ (Product information for Jardiance, including prescribing information details)