Empagliflozin+Linagliptin

When should one not use Empagliflozin+Linagliptin

• If you are allergic to empagliflozin, linagliptin or any other ingredient of Empagliflozin+Linagliptin.
• If you are allergic to any other sodium-glucose-cotransporter 2/SGLT2 (dapagliflozin, canagliflozin, ertugliflozin, remogliflozin, tofogliflozin) or dipeptidyl-peptidase-4/DPP4 (sitagliptin, saxagliptin, vildagliptin, alogliptin) inhibitor.
• If you are not sure what these medicines are, please confirm with your doctor.

Common side effects of this drug are:

• Cough
• Rash
• Itching
• Frequent urination
• Low blood sugar level
• Urinary tract infection

Other General Warnings

• You have type 1 diabetes (where your body does not produce any insulin). This medicine should not be taken in such cases.
• You have diabetic ketoacidosis (a serious complication of diabetes) or develop symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis like rapid weight loss, nausea, vomiting, excessive thirst, difficulty in breathing, unusual sleepiness, tiredness, sweet smell to your breath, sweet or metallic taste to your mouth or a different smell or colour of your urine.
• You have a fever, diarrhoea or if you are not able to eat or drink.
• You are taking any other anti-diabetic medication that belongs to the class of sulfonylurea (glyburide, glimepiride, glipizide, tolazamide, chlorpropamide) or insulin.
• You have kidney disease or liver disease.
• You have or had a history of disease of the pancreas.
• You take medicines called diuretics or medicines that lower blood pressure. If you are not sure what these medicines are, confirm with your doctor.
• You are older than 75 years of age.
• You develop symptoms of acute pancreatitis, like continuous, severe stomach pain.
• You have a serious infection of the kidney or the urinary tract along with fever.
• You develop disorders of the skin like blisters and ulcers.
• You develop symptoms of pain, tenderness, redness or swelling of the genitals or the area between the genitals and anus with fever.
• You develop any kind of infection of the feet.

How Does It Work?

• Empagliflozin blocks a certain protein in the kidneys called sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT-2) and prevents the reabsorption of glucose (sugar) by the kidneys. This causes the removal of blood sugar through the urine.
• Linagliptin acts by blocking another protein called dipeptidyl-peptidase 4 (DPP-4). This causes the pancreas to produce more insulin when blood sugar levels are high, like after a meal. As a result, Empagliflozin+Linagliptin lowers your blood sugar levels and keeps it adequately controlled.

Interactions with other medicines

• Some medicines can affect the way Empagliflozin+Linagliptin works or Empagliflozin+Linagliptin itself can reduce the effectiveness of other medicines taken at the same time.
• Tell your doctor about all medicines, supplements or herbals you are currently taking or might take to avoid any possible interaction.
• Empagliflozin+Linagliptin when coadministered with insulin or sulphonylureas (glyburide, glimepiride, glipizide, tolazamide, chlorpropamide) may increase the risk of hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar levels).
• Empagliflozin+Linagliptin may cause dehydration and low blood pressure when taken along with diuretics like thiazides (hydrochlorothiazide, chlorthalidone, metolazone, indapamide) and loop diuretics (furosemide, bumetanide, torasemide, ethacrynic acid).

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