Lawsuit Against Invokana: 5 Side Effects That Should Be Avoided

The lawsuit against Invokana has been made since 2016, saying that Invokana caused four dangerous side effects. Some of you may have heard of this drug, as it functioned to help control the blood sugar levels of those who had type 2 diabetes. The lawsuit goes to Johnson & Johnson, who failed to warn the consumers.

What Kind of Drug Is Invokana?

The ones who are likely to consume Invokana are type 2 diabetes patients. Based on the Invokana website, people use Invokana to decrease the risks of kidney disease and heart failure. Moreover, people also use it to reduce the risks of stroke, cardiovascular death, and heart attack.

Unfortunately, while Invokana had written that its drug can lower the risks of kidney disease, the Prescription Drug Journal indicated that kidney failure may appear as a side effect. That’s why the lawsuit against the producers of Invokana was created, with over 100 reports as proof.

Lawsuit Against Invokana

The creation of Invokana’s lawsuit was strengthened by the claim from the plaintiffs, saying that the patients had to suffer from kidney damage, ketoacidosis, and amputations. Since there are many severe cases regarding Invokana, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) cautioned the public about the potential risk of Invokana.

Other than the FDA, EMA (European Medicines Agency) also issued a warning which said that Invokana had been associated with over 100 reports of diabetic ketoacidosis. Thus, the FDA tried to solve this issue by requiring Johnson & Johnson, the manufacturer of Invokana, to add warnings about the risk of diabetic acidosis.

If Johnson & Johnson had adequately warned of these dangerous side effects beforehand, physicians would have chosen the other diabetes drug that has fewer potential side effects. 

Then, the lawsuit against Invokana continued to proceed, as in 2016, the FDA warned the public that Invokana could lead to toe, foot, and leg amputations since Invokana contains canagliflozin. Canagliflozin is the active substance that can cause those complications. 

So, the FDA put the label of canagliflozin in Invokana later in 2016.

5  Adverse Reactions of Invokana

In addition to the side effects of Invokana, here are the explanations of each disease that may occur after frequent consumption. See the complete descriptions below.

1. Bone Fractures

The probability of getting bone fractures due to consumption of Invokana is written on the FDA website, saying that canagliflozin could decrease bone mineral density. This effect may be hazardous, as bone mineral density is linked to the strength of a person’s bones. 

Furthermore, the Prescription Drug Journal added that some clinical trials showed that bone fractures had a considerable possibility of happening in patients who consume canagliflozin. The bone fractures may occur 12 weeks after the treatment, and the patient may feel the initial symptoms like a fall from standing height.

2. Kidney Failure

As kidney failure is one of the risks of taking Invocana as your medication, you should know that kidney damage could be seen from these symptoms:

• nausea;
• confusion;
• irregular heartbeat;
• lack of energy (fatigue);
• seizures;
• swelling in some parts of your body, such as ankles, feet, or legs;
• chest pain or pressure; and
• less often in urinating than average.

The report from the patients who began to take Invokana was written in Medical News Today. Some patients complained about their poor kidney condition after taking Invokana, and when they stopped taking the medicine, their kidney functions gradually returned to normal.

It’s a relief that the lawsuit against Invokana can be released so the public can be more careful. In addition, you need to know that you potentially will face kidney problems if you have one or more of the following specific conditions:

• consumed other medications that affect your kidneys;
• aged more than 65 years old;
• had kidney or heart problems; and
• had a low fluid level (dehydrated).

3. Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Another serious condition after taking Invokana includes diabetic ketoacidosis. Diabetic ketoacidosis happens when your body cells don’t receive the glucose they need as a source of energy. As a substitute, your body will use fat for energy, which may cause your blood to have high levels of acidic chemicals called ketones.

You might know when you had this condition if you faced the symptoms such as:

• nausea,
• stomach pain,
• weakness,
• confusion,
• vomiting, 
• excessive urinating, and
• often feeling thirsty.

It’s best if you are aware of these symptoms, as the worst case of diabetic ketoacidosis is coma or even death. Therefore, don’t hesitate to call 911 or head to the closest emergency room if you experience those symptoms.

4. Amputations

The fourth reason why the lawsuit against Invokana is necessary is because the drug can lead to amputations. This risk is proven through studies which showed that up to 3,5% of the people who consumed Invokana had some case of amputation. 

The common body parts that often need to be amputated are the midfoot and the toe. You may feel the symptoms if you’re likely to have the amputation risk, as follows:

• having foot pain or tenderness;
• getting a foot infection; and
• feeling a sore foot.

When you experience one or all of the symptoms after a frequent usage of Invokana, consult your doctor. Your physician would suggest you stop taking Invokana. When these symptoms are too much to handle, you should call 911.

5. Yeast Infection

Lastly, taking Invokana may increase the risk of getting a yeast infection. This risk can happen to anyone, both women and men. The data shows that up to 4,2% of the men and 11,6% of the women had a yeast infection. 

Some of the symptoms you may need to know about yeast infections can be seen in the list below.

• vaginal itching,
• yellowish vaginal fluid,
• vaginal odor,
• swelling penis,
• smelling fluid from the penis, and
• pain around the penis.

Don’t hesitate to consult your doctor regarding these symptoms. After reporting, your physician may suggest you take an over-the-counter antifungal medicine.

What You May Learn from the Lawsuit Against Invokana?

It’s such a relief that the FDA had a fast solution to warn the public about the danger of taking Invokana, which includes canagliflozin, without a doctor’s prescription. So, keep yourself updated about the side effects of any medications, and try to adhere to the doctor’s prescription. The lawsuit against Invokana gave us a great lesson: Everything, especially drugs, should be carefully examined to avoid fatal consequences for the patients.