Januvia Side Effects: An Introduction
As with any medicine, there are possible side effects with
Januvia® (
sitagliptin). However, not everyone who takes Januvia will experience side effects. In fact, most people tolerate Januvia well. When Januvia side effects do occur, in most cases they are minor and either require no treatment or can easily be treated by you or your healthcare provider.
(This article covers many, but not all, of the possible side effects with Januvia. Your healthcare provider can discuss a more complete list of Januvia side effects with you.)
Common Januvia Side Effects
Januvia has been studied thoroughly in clinical trials in which the reported side effects from a group of people taking the drug are documented and compared to another group not taking the medicine.
In these studies, the most common side
effects of Januvia included:
- Upper respiratory tract infections (such as the common cold) -- reported in up to 15.5 percent of people
- Sore throat and runny or stuffy nose -- reported in up to 11 percent of people
- Headaches -- reported in up to 5.9 percent of people
- Swelling (water retention) in the legs, feet, or hands -- up to 8.3 percent
- Diarrhea -- reported in up to 3 percent of people
- Abdominal pain (or stomach pain) -- reported in up to 2.3 percent of people
- Nausea -- reported in up to 1.4 percent of people.
It is important to note that several of the studies evaluated Januvia plus other
diabetes medications. Therefore, the reported percentages may be a little deceiving, since the side effects may be caused, at least partially, by the other medications.
The percentage of people who experienced low blood sugar while taking Januvia (1.2 percent) was similar to people who were not taking Januvia (0.9 percent). Taking Januvia with other
diabetes medications, especially other medications with a high likelihood to cause low blood sugar, however, increases this risk.
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