If you or a loved one with type 2 diabetes took Invokana and experienced fluid buildup on the brain, or kidney failure, this may have been a result of taking Invokana.
Invokana and Type 2 Diabetes
According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. Invokana, or canagliflozin, is a popular treatment for type 2 diabetes. However, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Safety Communication issued in 2015, taking this drug may lead to ketoacidosis, a dangerous condition in which the body produces high levels of blood acids.
Even more dangerous – ketoacidosis can lead to more complications. According to the Mayo Clinic, complications from ketoacidosis include low potassium levels which can cause a fatal cardiac incident that can be fatal. Ketoacidosis can also lead to swelling of the brain, which is also called a cerebral edema, and kidney failure.
Serious illness and death as a result of taking invokana
Emergency room doctors who are dealing with a critical emergency such as a heart attack or a life threatening brain injury may not immediately focus on the indirect cause of the medical emergency – they are there to treat the problem, not research its cause.
However, if you or a loved one has type 2 diabetes and took Invokana as a treatment, you should know that ketoacidosis is not very common in type 2 diabetes patients. You may want to find out if your complications were caused by the medication.
Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the U.S. as of 2010, and unfortunately, death rates for those who have diabetes are high and may be underreported. In fact, the ADA notes, “Studies have found that only about 35 percent to 40 percent of people with diabetes who died had diabetes listed anywhere on the death certificate and about 10 percent to 15 percent had it listed as the underlying cause of death.”
Because of the serious side effects, the makers of Invokana were forced by the FDA to add drug safety warnings to their drug labels and a series of law suits were filed against Invokana’s manufacturer, Johnson & Johnson.
