The drug interactions with empagliflozin also known as Jardiance are interactions with insulin, diuretics, blood pressure medications and even lithium, which increases dehydration, low blood pressure risk and even the potential for causing hypoglycemia.
Other interactions with empagliflozin, include interactions with some anti-seizure medications, supplements like CoQ10 and some antibiotics.
Common drug classes and examples of drugs that interact with empagliflozin include.
Diuretics ("Water Pills") like Furosemide (Lasix), Hydrochlorothiazide; increases dehydration/low blood pressure risk.
Insulin & Insulin Secretagogues like Glipizide, Glimepiride, Insulin; higher risk of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).
Blood Pressure Meds like ACE inhibitors (ramipril), Calcium Channel Blockers (amlodipine), nitrates; risk of low blood pressure.
Lithium (Lithobid) like Empagliflozin can lower lithium levels.
Antibiotics like Fluoroquinolones (Ciprofloxacin, Levofloxacin).
Other Diabetes Meds (like sulfonylureas) combined with empagliflozin can increase hypoglycemia.
Probenecid, Can increase empagliflozin levels.
Even alcohol, caffeine and some herbal supplements, including fish oil can interact with empagliflozin.
The FDA first approved the drug empagliflozin also known as Jardiance for Type 2 diabetes on August 1st, 2014, and later the FDA approved empagliflozin or Jardiance for use for cardiovascular risk reduction in diabetes in 2016 and, for heart failure in 2021 and then in 2023, the FDA approved empagliflozin also known as Jardiance for pediatric Type 2 diabetes.
The drug empagliflozin reduces the heart's workload and improve the heart's function and lowers the risk of hospitalization and death from heart failure.
The drug empagliflozin works through mechanisms like lowering blood pressure, reducing fluid volume and increasing your cardiac energy, and also promoting reverse remodeling, even in people that don't have diabetes.
The drug empagliflozin also decreases the strain on your heart muscle, making the heart pump blood more efficiently and improves symptoms like shortness of breath.
By causing your body to excrete sugar and water, the drug empagliflozin reduces the overall fluid volume and decreases the amount of blood your heart has to pump also known as preload.
The drug empagliflozin helps to lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure and reduces the force your heart needs to pump against also known as afterload.
The drug empagliflozin also improves cardiac structure and can lead to reverse remodeling, meaning that the left ventricle, the hearts main pumping chamber gets smaller and more efficient and can even decrease fibrosis or scarring.
Empagliflozin also helps your heart use energy more efficiently and improves the heart's ability to function and it has anti-inflammatory effects which benefit heart tissue.
The drug empagliflozin significantly reduces hospitalizations and cardiovascular death in people with reduced ejection fraction and even for those with preserved ejection fraction and empagliflozin has also shown to be safe and effective in reducing heart failure events after a heart attack.
When taking empagliflozin also known as Jardiance you should avoid insulin, other diabetes drugs like lithium and sulfonylureas and diuretics as taking these with empagliflozin increases your risks of dehydration or even low blood sugar.
You should also let your doctor know if you take NSAID's, ACE inhibitors and certain supplements like iron or CoQ10.
When taking empagliflozin or Jardiance you should also limit alcohol consumption and ultra processed foods that are high in salt and sugar as they can worsen side effects of empagliflozin and worsen diabetes management.
And before starting or stopping any medication or supplement you should speak with your doctor first.
The disadvantages of empagliflozin are the potential for serious side effects which include diabetic ketoacidosis, Fournier's Gangrene, dehydration, serious urinary tract infections, allergic reactions and a possible risk of amputation.
The drug empagliflozin and other SGLT2 inhibitors can increase your risk of lower limb amputations, especially in people with a history of amputation, poor circulation or foot ulcers.
Signs that you may need lower limb amputation when on empagliflozin include new pain or tenderness in the leg or foot, any sores, ulcers or infections in your leg or foot and swollen, warm or reddened area in the leg and foot.
If you experience these symptoms you should stop taking empagliflozin and seek medical attention immediately.
For severe allergic reactions from empagliflozin you may experience rash, hives or itching, swelling in the face, lips, tongue or throat and difficulty breathing or swallowing.
For severe urinary tract infections that can result from empagliflozin include the symptoms like blood in urine, burning or pain during urination, frequent or urgent need to urinate, pain in your lower back, side or pelvis, cloudy, red, pink or brown also known as bloody urine and fever, vomiting and or nausea.
Signs of dehydration from empagliflozin include urinating less often than usual, or having dark yellow, strong smelling pee, dry mouth, lips and eyes, increased thirst and dizziness, lightheadedness, or feeling faint, especially when you stand up.
Other symptoms that can occur when taking empagliflozin include fever, pain, tenderness or swelling in the area between and around your anus and your genitals also known as your perineum, redness of your skin in the genital area and feeling very weak or uncomfortable also known as malaise.
The three common side effects of empagliflozin also known as Jardiance are increased urination, genital yeast infections and urinary tract infections.
These common side effects that occur with empagliflozin are also often accompanied by other symptoms like redness and itching in your genital area, needing to urinate more often and burning during urination, which is a result of the mechanism of the empagliflozin drug that removes sugar through your urine.
Other frequent side effects of empagliflozin are dehydration, nausea and upper respiratory infections.
The drug empagliflozin also known by it's brand name of Jardiance is a high risk medication as empagliflozin or Jardiance comes with significant risks which include severe urinary tract infections, increased risk of lower limb amputations and dehydration as well as potential for fatal ketoacidosis.
These conditions require careful monitoring and immediate medical attention, especially for severe symptoms like genital pain, trouble breathing and nausea.
Ketoacidosis is an emergency and you should seek immediate medical attention in the case of ketoacidosis.
Jardiance is considered a safe medication as well, even though there's some serious risks associated with it.
Jardiance is beneficial for blood sugar and heart health, but you must be aware of the serious possible side effects that can occur like the genital infections, ketoacidosis, dehydration and potential amputation risk, especially when Jardiance is combined with other diabetic medications like sulfonylureas and insulin.
Diabetic ketoacidosis is a serious and life threatening condition with high ketones, which can lead to hospitalization or death, and requires immediate medical attention for treating.
The symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis are stomach pain, trouble breathing and fatigue and some people may not be aware of the diabetic ketoacidosis until it's too late.