Farxiga Side Effects, Uses, and Interactions

Farxiga is primarily used to manage Type 2 diabetes, helping to regulate blood glucose levels when paired with a balanced diet and regular exercise. Beyond diabetes control, Farxiga also has benefits for heart health. Type 2 diabetes often leads to a surplus of glucose and insulin, resulting in fatty buildup and inflammation that can weaken the heart. By promoting sugar excretion through urination, Farxiga helps reduce this fatty buildup and inflammation, thereby offering cardiac benefits. Whether you’re looking to control your diabetes or protect your heart, understanding Farxiga uses is crucial for optimizing your treatment plan. Farxiga is also used to lower the risk of kidney disease and help those dealing with chronic kidney disease that can occur with diabetes.

Farxiga Side Effects vs. Interactions

Farxiga side effects refer to the unintended reactions or symptoms you may experience while taking the medication, such as nausea or fatigue. On the other hand, Farxiga interactions involve the medication’s effect when taken with other drugs, supplements, or foods, which could either diminish its efficacy or exacerbate side effects. Both are important considerations for safe and effective treatment.

Farxiga Side Effects

Below, we outline both common and severe side effects of Farxiga that you may encounter. While some side effects like yeast infections or increased urination may be relatively mild, others are more serious and require immediate medical attention.

Common Side Effects of Farxiga

• Yeast infection
• Increased urination
• Sore throat or runny nose

Severe Side Effects

• Bladder infection
• Becoming confused, dizzy, and having extreme thirst
• Vomiting, having trouble breathing or becoming nauseated

Farxiga Interactions

Farxiga can interact with various medications, making it crucial to provide your healthcare provider with a complete list of what you’re taking. This is especially important if you’re on other diabetes medications or diuretics, as interactions could affect the effectiveness of Farxiga or heighten the risk of side effects. Combining Farxiga with certain drugs could either amplify or negate its therapeutic effects, making it less predictable in controlling your blood glucose levels or offering cardiac benefits. Always consult your physician about potential interactions to ensure that Farxiga is the most suitable medication for your specific health needs. Farxiga (dapagliflozin) can interact with several types of medications. Some common ones include:

Other Anti-Diabetic Medications

Combining Farxiga with other drugs for diabetes, like insulin or sulfonylureas, could lead to an increased risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).

Diuretics

Farxiga itself has a diuretic effect. Taking it along with other diuretics may increase the risk of dehydration and low blood pressure.

Blood Pressure Medications

Some antihypertensive drugs may have their effects altered when taken with Farxiga, requiring dose adjustments.

Nephrotoxic Drugs

Medications harmful to the kidneys, such as NSAIDs or certain antibiotics, may increase the risk of kidney-related side effects when taken with Farxiga.

Alcohol

Alcohol can affect blood sugar levels and may interact with Farxiga.

Heart Failure

There are two types of heart failure. There is heart failure with reduced ventricular function and heart failure with preserved left ventricular function.

Heart Failure with Reduced Ventricular Function

This occurs when the “lower left chamber, also known as the left ventricle, enlarges and cannot contract enough to pump the correct amount of oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body.”

Heart Failure with Preserved Left Ventricular Function

This is described as the bottom chambers of the heart becoming thicker and stiffer than normal. The heart can work as usual, but cannot fill up correctly. In turn, this condition causes less blood to be pumped out to the rest of the body. Diabetes is a known condition that can cause heart failure. If a patient is diagnosed with diabetes, there are symptoms of heart failure that the patient should be aware of, which include:

• The need to urinate while resting at night.
• Rapid or irregular heartbeats.
• Dizziness or unable to concentrate.
• Legs are weak when active.
• Becoming short of breath during exercise.
• Developing a dry hacking cough.
• Feeling nauseous or even having a bloated stomach.

What is Type 2 Diabetes?

When the body either does not use insulin well or makes insufficient insulin, glucose stays in the blood and does not reach the body’s cells. If a blood test detects an abnormally high blood glucose level, Type 2 diabetes will then be diagnosed. There are symptoms of Type 2 diabetes that individuals should be aware of, including:

• A sudden decrease in weight.
• An increase in thirst and urination.
• Some individuals are more tired than usual.
• Sores that are unable to heal on their own.
• An increase in appetite.
• There could be a loss of feeling in the hands or feet, described as tingling.
• A change in vision.

If these symptoms occur, it is essential to see a medical professional and see if Type 2 diabetes has developed.

What is Chronic Kidney Disease?

Chronic kidney disease occurs when the kidneys are unable to filter the blood properly. The kidneys become damaged slowly and over some time. When this happens, waste builds up in the body. If this goes unchecked, the kidneys can fail, and the individual will need dialysis. It is usually caused by diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and family genetics. Some symptoms of chronic kidney disease include:

• Edema can occur in legs, feet, or ankles
• Vomiting
• Headaches
• Muscle cramps
• Feeling tired
• Dry skin
• A loss of appetite
• Inability to focus

The Benefits of Farxiga

Farxiga is a multipurpose, prescription meditation. Originally, Farxiga was approved in 2014 for treating Type 2 diabetes. In 2020, the FDA also approved it to treat heart failure, and then in 2021, it was approved for the treatment of chronic kidney disease. Studies have shown that Farxiga reduces hospital stays and death from heart failure. This medication can also treat chronic kidney disease in people who have not been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Farxiga is a medication that is taken only once a day, with or without food. Farxiga works in helping type 2 diabetes, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease by:

• It will block some sugar reabsorption in the kidneys.
• It lowers the workload of the heart, increasing its ability to pump blood more efficiently.
• Lowers pressure in the kidney, as is associated with chronic kidney disease.

With three key benefits in taking Farxiga, patients should note that it has not been approved to treat Type 1 diabetes and should not be used to treat diabetic ketoacidosis. There are certain individuals with different kidney problems that it cannot help with, and that is why it is important to talk it over with a physician when taking this medication.

Paying for Farxiga with Help From The Rx Advocates

Farxiga is commonly prescribed by physicians. There is not a generic option for this drug, so it can be a costly medication for the patient. At The Rx Advocates, we work with you to help make medications like Farxiga affordable. The Rx Advocates is an advocacy program that can help patients get the help needed in paying for name-brand prescriptions. We offer you the ability to receive name-brand prescriptions at zero cost if you qualify. At The Rx Advocates, we work directly with your physician to help fill out the application needed for the pharmaceutical company. We then make sure the application has been received and is being processed properly. Once we find the application is approved, we handle all the work and manage the medication.  The only cost to you is a monthly fee which is based on how many prescriptions are needed.  This process allows us to ensure you receive the necessary discounts through our patient assistance program. The Rx Advocates has a list of medications that we offer discounts on through our program. The list of medicines grows weekly, so make sure to check back to see if your other medications are approved and on the list.  To learn more about our patient advocacy program, contact us today.