Canagliflozin and Dehydration: What Users Say

• dar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 5, 2013

For Type 2 Diabetes "I just started taking Invokana exactly 2 weeks ago. I have lost 4 lbs so far (great). My fasting sugars went from 274 down to 206 (nice improvement so far). I still need to get them under 100 though, and I feel the longer I take this medication, the more improvement I will see. The only side effect so far is the frequent urination, which is caused by dehydration. This makes me drink more water, of course, but since that is the only issue I have, I really can't complain. I personally think this new medication is a 'winner'."

• Gen...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 13, 2016

For Type 2 Diabetes "Although this medication did bring my sugars down a bit, and my tastings incredible, I had to stop taking it because of constant yeast infections. I thought I could tough it out, but after being on it for three months and no sign of the infections going away, my doctor took me off of it. I have also noticed my hair is so much thinner and falling out. My nails were also brittle and breaking. And make sure you drink plenty of water because it dehydrates you very fast."

• Sou...
• September 3, 2015

For Type 2 Diabetes "The general side effects of dehydration and urination aside, those were not my problem. Fatigue was the issue. I was on 100 mg to start and noticed after six weeks a decrease in mental acuity -- missing things I might not otherwise, more forgetful. My dose was increased to 300 mg and all I wanted to do was sleep. Went back down to 100 mg, but the exhaustion continues. Time to try something else."

• Rev...
• August 3, 2015

For Type 2 Diabetes "I found this drug to be quite problematic for me. It caused such severe dehydration after shifting to the 300 mg dosage that I could not get through a night's sleep without awakening to excruciatingly painful leg and foot cramps that thoroughly awakened me. I would also awake at night and in the morning, feeling as if someone had poured sand in my eyes. Even my eyes were dehydrated. I attempted to address the dehydration by drinking as much as a gallon and a half of water per day, with a lot of water before bedtime. Constant urination (of course!). No real effect on my glucose readings. Prior to starting Invokana, I had started a no sugar/starch diet and returned to daily exercise, which brought my numbers down more than Invokana."

• Aba...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 6, 2019

For Type 2 Diabetes "I have been a type 2 diabetic for 22 years. I started on Invokana 150 mg bid along with 1000 mg Metformin bid in 2016. My A1C was stuck around 8.0, and I was dehydrated with very poor skin turgor. In spite of my concerns about dehydration, my ARNP increased the Invokana to 300 mg bid. I experienced a 14 lb weight loss, and A1C dropped from 8.0 to 6.9. I was pleased, however, the dehydration got worse, and I began to experience peripheral neuropathy in my lower legs that became increasingly painful over the next few months... when my feet turned bluish-purple... I stopped taking the Invokana. The pain and discoloration subsided after about 3 weeks. I was on the higher dose for approx 9 months."

• Jen...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 22, 2017

For Type 2 Diabetes "This medication only lowered my blood sugar for the first week I was on it. After that, it didn't seem to work much. It also caused severe dehydration symptoms, including headaches, dizziness, rapid heartbeat, and confusion. That was with drinking over 100 oz of water a day. It also made me extremely depressed."

• GHL...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 10, 2017

For Type 2 Diabetes "I'm a 47-year-old type 2 diabetic for over 20 years. Have been on most insulins after the pills stopped working for me. Then dropped a huge amount of weight, so I was taken off all meds. Now gained 45 lb and A1C in the 10s. In the past two years, I’ve tried Januvia, not a lot of side effects but didn’t lower my sugars. So I was put on Invokana. Worked good for maybe two months on lowering my sugars, but the side effects were quite bothersome, especially the longer I was on it. Yeast infections bad. Up at night going to the bathroom because of the way the med works, extremely tired, thirsty, dehydration issues if you don’t drink enough, and the recent gas, bloating, constipation issues. I couldn’t get enough carbs with my cravings and weight gain! Off the med and on to Victoza!"

• AkC...
• January 8, 2017

For Type 2 Diabetes "My internist has been trying me on various diabetes medications, alone and in combination, over the past 12 plus years to lower my blood sugar levels. For a long time, the situation was ultimately with a combination of Januvia 100 mg, Glimipiride twice per day, and Metformin 2 500 mg tablets twice per day. Initially, the combination gave me diarrhea, but I also discovered I was lactose intolerant, and eventually the problem went away. But gradually, within the past few years, my A1C levels slowly started climbing, at one point to 7.8. About 6 months ago, he added Trulicity 0.5 mg, ramped up to 1.5 mg. Did not improve blood sugar. Did lower weight. Stopped Trulicity. Just started Invokana. Scared of the risks. Am dehydrated and have a yeast infection."

• Jes...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 11, 2021

For Type 2 Diabetes "I have been on Invokana for 3.5 years. In the beginning, I had horrid yeast infections, and my PCP had me visit my GYN, who put me on a 6-month dose of Diflucan to reset my body's pH, and I haven't had issues in years. I also had the muscle cramps and fatigue but realized it was dehydration and resolved it by drinking more water. My last A1C was 5.1, so I asked my PCP if I could go from 300 mg to 100 mg, and she agreed to a 3-month trial. I'm starting my 3rd month of 100 mg, and next month I get my A1C checked, and I'm hoping to stay on 100 mg. I'm down 110 lbs. I'm hoping if all goes well on the 100 mg, then an additional 70 lbs down, I can go off medication completely."

• Rbh...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 7, 2013

For Type 2 Diabetes "This medicine made me feel very sick. Extreme fatigue and dehydration."