Januvia: What Should I Tell My Healthcare Provider?
You should talk with your healthcare provider prior to taking
Januvia® (
sitagliptin) if you have:
- Kidney problems, including kidney failure (renal failure)
- Had pancreatitis (inflammation or infection of the pancreas) in the past
- Any allergies, including allergies to foods, dyes, or preservatives.
Also, let your healthcare provider know if you are:
- Pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant
- Breastfeeding.
Tell your healthcare provider about all of the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
Some Januvia Warnings and Precautions
Some Januvia warnings and precautions to be aware of include the following:
- There have been some reports of pancreatitis in people taking Januvia. This is probably most likely to occur shortly after the drug is first started or when the dosage is increased. Be sure to let your healthcare provider know right away if you have signs of pancreatitis, such as:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Severe persistent abdominal pain that sometimes radiates to the back.
- Januvia is considered a pregnancy Category B medication. This means that Januvia is probably safe for use in pregnant women, although the full risks of taking Januvia during pregnancy are not known. Talk to your healthcare provider before taking Januvia while pregnant (see Januvia and Pregnancy).
- It is not known if Januvia passes through breast milk. Therefore, if you are breastfeeding or plan to start, be sure to discuss this with your healthcare provider.
- Januvia is cleared from the body by way of the kidneys, and people with kidney problems (including people on dialysis) need to take lower doses of Januvia.
- The risk of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) is low for Januvia. Also, taking Januvia with metformin (Fortamet®, Glucophage®, Glucophage XR®, Glumetza®, or Riomet®), pioglitazone (Actos®), or rosiglitazone (Avandia®) usually does not increase the risk of low blood sugar.
However, Januvia has not been studied with other diabetes drugs, and it is not known if Januvia will increase the chance of hypoglycemia when taken with these medications (see Januvia and Blood Sugar for more information).
