Invokana® is the most popular treatment for Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of diabetes. Treating Type 2 diabetes can be a very frustrating experience, as your body does not use insulin properly which causes your blood sugar levels to rise higher than normal.

Invokana®, also known as canagliflozin, is a sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, a new class of medications for Type 2 diabetes treatments. This new class of medication helps by stopping glucose from being reabsorbed into the blood in the kidneys, unlike other treatments for diabetes that work to increase insulin. This way, drugs like Invokana® prevent sugar from rising to dangerous levels in the body.

Invokana® is not used to treat type 1 diabetes (condition in which the body does not produce insulin and, therefore, cannot control the amount of sugar in the blood) or diabetic ketoacidosis (a serious condition that may develop if high blood sugar is not treated).

Over time, people who have diabetes and high blood sugar can develop serious or life-threatening complications, including:

• heart disease
• stroke
• kidney problems
• nerve damage
• eye problems

To help manage diabetes, people must take medications, make lifestyle changes (e.g., diet, exercise, quitting smoking), and regularly check their blood sugar. These activities can help improve your overall health and may also decrease your chances of having a heart attack, stroke, or other diabetes-related complications such as kidney failure, nerve damage, eye problems, or gum disease.

According to recent studies, complications and side effects associated with Invokana® can be fatal. To read more about the serious complications associated with this medication, visit our Complications page.