Type 2 form of diabetes is encountered when your body is unable to manage blood sugars at an optimal level. Eating high-calorie foods, lack of workouts or leading a sedentary lifestyle are the likely risk factors. Your treating doctor will prescribe a few lifestyle-based changes and also administer a few drugs to manage high blood sugar level. Can you use drugs like farxiga (dapagliflozin) for diabetes? It helps to have more inputs.
Type 2 diabetes shows up with a high blood sugar as a main symptom. This will cause serious health complications if left untreated. As the condition worsens, it can damage your blood vessels. High blood sugar will target your essential organs like your heart and kidneys. This might result in heart failure and require immediate hospitalization. In addition, symptoms like high blood pressure and cholesterol, age advancement, smoking, consuming alcohol, etc., contributes to heart failure.
Farxiga (Dapagliflozin) for diabetes
Farxiga is a selective sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor - this is a highly potent drug. It is widely-used for the treatment of type-2 form of diabetes. Some caregivers combine Farxiga with other meds like metformin. Farxiga can be purchased from pharmacies – both web-based as well as physical stores. Farxiga is a once-daily pill. It comes in oral form as a 5-milligram (mg) and a 10 mg drug you can buy based on your prescription.
Farxiga is an FDA-approved drug exclusively used only for treating patients with type 2 diabetes. This med however does not have this agency’s nod to treat patients with ongoing symptoms of type-1 diabetes. Farxiga requires you to follow a healthy diet, with a regular exercise schedule.
Farxiga treats kidney-related disorders and reduces further-risks. It further helps patients suffering from Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) with heart failure from being admitted frequently into a healthcare facility. You need to know Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a “silent” disease. If you have CKD, you may not feel its symptoms in the initial stages; you may not even know you have this medical condition.
Functioning of Farxiga (Dapagliflozin)
Farxiga (Dapagliflozin) prevents glucose (blood sugar) from being absorbed. Due to this process, your blood sugar level tends to decline. Insulin-dependent patients will not benefit from Farxiga though.
One of the key functions of Farxiga is it reduces additional strain on your blood vessels and heart. Therefore, it prevents risks of death arising due to cardiovascular event(s).
Is Farxiga safe for use?
Farxiga is not considered a safe medication to patients at advanced stages of kidney ailment. For instance, you should not take Farxiga when you are on dialysis or are living with End-Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD). ESKD i.e. a medical condition that results in renal failure. You experience such a serious health condition when your eGFR rating is below 15mL per minute.
Uses of Farxiga in adults and children
Farxiga treats type 2 diabetes in both adults and children – the latter especially aged 10 years and above. Farxiga controls their blood sugar levels and therefore balances it and improves circulation. In type 2 diabetes patients (adults), especially patients with a heart disease or related cardiovascular ailments, use of Farxiga prevents heart failure and the need for frequent tests.
Side effects of Farxiga
Farxiga’s side effects can be mild or severe. Extent of side effects depends on dose strength. Use of Farxiga may cause ketoacidosis - too much acid accumulates in blood, and Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) – this is a medical condition causing increased-levels of ketones in your blood or urine. Additional symptoms include fruity breath, nausea, and vomiting sensation, dryness in mouth, tiredness / fatigue, stomach ache, etc.
Thrush can occur through Farxiga. Your pharmacist may prescribe antifungal meds. You are likely to experience a sudden back pain. Other symptoms include dizziness, mild itchiness or rash on skin, frequent urges to pee, formation of hives, swelling of your lips, tongue, or throat.
Other side effects this med can trigger include:
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Softening or a recurrent spell of pain in your genitals, variations in your skin color, redness, infections in your foot, leg, and lesions / sores -
Genital yeast infection - includes redness, itchiness, swelling, pain, or odor, thick or lumpy discharge
Milder side effects include difficulties to pass stools, respiratory infections - resulting in common cold or flu, high levels of blood cholesterol, etc. However, serious side effects are quite rare; hypoglycemia (low blood sugar level) is a serious medical condition Farxiga is likely to trigger.
Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) like kidney infection and infection spreading into your bloodstream can also occur; such infections are considered as near-fatal. This results in a burning sensation while peeing, frequent need to urinate, pain on the sides of your abdomen or a throbbing sensation in the lower back.
You can also experience Fournier’s gangrene when you are on Farxiga. Fournier’s gangrene is a serious health condition – a bacterial infection, also called the flesh-eating disease; this kills your tissue in the scrotal, perineal, and genital regions in your body, mainly between your anus and genitals.
Does Diabetes Cause Hair Loss Yes, diabetes can cause hair loss. High blood sugar levels damage blood vessels, reducing blood flow to hair follicles. This slows hair growth and can cause shedding. Diabetes also disrupts hormones, contributing further to hair loss. Managing blood sugar, maintaining a healthy diet, and using medications as prescribed can help minimize hair thinning related to diabetes.
Farxiga is a medicine available only with a certified prescription from a registered caregiver / a certified diabetologist. You must never self-medicate with this drug. You need to consult with your diabetologist to know more on the safety aspects and to understand the efficacy of this med. After examining your medical condition, your caregiver will prescribe Farxiga for you only if you require it; else, other medications are administered based on your existing medical condition.
Upon consuming Farxiga, if you encounter serious side effects, you need to call your caregiver right away. If you feel you condition is worsening, you need to reach out to the nearest emergency care center or dial 911 (if you are in the US) for needful help.
Disclaimer
Information provided here are only of supplementary nature. Information shared here does not substitute a qualified doctor’s advice. This website is not suggesting intake of this drug as safe or appropriate. Hence it is advised to talk to your doctor before consuming this med or any other drug.