Empagliflozin makes the kidneys pass surplus glucose out in the urine. It lowers blood sugar, and it also has proven benefits in heart failure and kidney disease, which is why it is now prescribed to plenty of people who do not have diabetes at all. It comes with two specific warnings worth understanding properly.
Type 2 diabetes, chronic heart failure, and chronic kidney disease — in the latter two regardless of whether you have diabetes.
It often causes modest weight loss and a small fall in blood pressure alongside its main effect.
Once daily in the morning, with or without food. Taking it in the morning suits most people because it increases urine output.
Drink enough fluid, particularly in hot weather or when exercising — dehydration is the route to most of its problems.
Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is rare but serious, and with SGLT2 inhibitors it can occur even when blood glucose is normal or only mildly raised — which is what makes it easy to miss. Seek urgent medical help for nausea and vomiting, stomach pain, excessive thirst, fast or deep breathing, confusion, unusual tiredness, or breath smelling sweet or fruity. Tell whoever assesses you that you take an SGLT2 inhibitor.
It is also stopped before planned surgery and during prolonged fasting.
Because sugar passes into the urine, genital thrush and urinary tract infections are considerably more common. Washing and drying the genital area daily reduces the risk; come and speak to us at the first sign rather than waiting.
Other effects: increased urination, thirst, and dizziness on standing, particularly if you also take a diuretic.
It is not used in pregnancy or breastfeeding — tell your team if you are planning a pregnancy.
1 Lyng Lane, West Bromwich B70 7RW · Mon–Fri 8:30am–6pm, Sat 9am–1pm · 0121 500 5756
Ask our pharmacist →We use essential cookies to make the site work — things like your basket, sign-in and secure checkout. With your permission we’d also like to use analytics cookies to understand how the site is used and improve it. See our cookie policy.
