Almost every medication carries with it the risk of side effects. Anyone who has ever seen a commercial for medications may wonder if the side effects of treatment are worse than the disease itself. For some people taking certain medications for Type-2 Diabetes, the answer may be yes. Side effects of medications called SGLT2 inhibitors can include kidney failure, hypotension, ketoacidosis, higher cholesterol, and as CBS News Reports, flesh-eating bacteria.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reports that some patients have developed cases of necrotizing fasciitis of the genitals. The condition, also known as Fournier’s gangrene, is linked to a class of diabetes medications called sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors.
Between March 2013 and May 2018, the FDA identified 12 cases of people contracting Fournier’s gangrene who were also taking SGLT2 inhibitors.
There may be more cases, however, as these are only the reported cases and those that were included in the medication literature.
All 12 of the reported patients were hospitalized and required surgery. Some of those patients had to endure several disfiguring surgeries and one of the patients died.
Cases where patients took other diabetes medications over 30 years were reviewed and only 6 cases of Fournier’s gangrene were found.
SGLT2 inhibitors were first approved by the FDA in 2013. They include brand names such as Invokana, Invokamet, Farxiga, Qtern, Glyxamby, Synjardy, Steglatro, Seglurommet and Steglujan, as well as others.
Patients taking these medications or their generic equivalents should seek medical attention immediately if they have a fever above 100.4 or notice any tenderness, redness, or swelling in their genitals or in the area between their genitals and their rectum.
Have you been injured by an SGLT2 inhibitor? We can help. Call today.