Januvia FAQs
What Is Januvia?
Januvia is a prescription medicine used along with diet and exercise to lower
blood sugar in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (type 2 diabetes). Januvia
may be taken alone or along with certain other medicines to control blood sugar.
- Januvia lowers blood sugar when blood sugar is high, especially after a meal.
- Januvia also lowers blood sugar between meals.
- Januvia helps to improve the
levels of insulin produced by your own body after a meal.
- Januvia decreases the
amount of sugar made by the body.
- Januvia is unlikely to cause your blood sugar
to be lowered to a dangerous level (hypoglycemia) because it does not work when
your blood sugar is low.
Januvia has not been studied in children under 18 years
of age.
Januvia has not been studied with medicines known to cause low blood sugar,
such as sulfonylureas or insulin. Ask your healthcare professional if you are
taking a sulfonylurea or other medicine that can cause low blood sugar.
Who Should Not Take Januvia?
You should not take Januvia if you have any of the following conditions:
- diabetic ketoacidosis (increased ketones in the
blood or urine)
What Are The Risks of Januvia?
The most common side effects that may occur with Januvia include:
- upper respiratory infection
Januvia may occasionally cause stomach discomfort and diarrhea.
Tell your healthcare professional if you have any side effects that bothers
you or that does not go away. Other side effects may occur when using Januvia.
For more information, ask your healthcare professional.
What Should I Tell My Healthcare Professional?
Before you start taking Januvia, tell your healthcare professional if you:
- are pregnant or plan to become
pregnant, because Januvia may not be right for you. It is not known if Januvia
will harm your unborn baby. If you are pregnant, talk with your healthcare
professional about the best way to control your blood sugar while you are
pregnant. If you use Januvia during
pregnancy, talk with your healthcare
professional about how you can be on the Januvia registry. The toll-free
telephone number for the pregnancy registry is: 1-800-986-8999.
- are
breast-feeding or plan to breast-feed. Januvia may be passed in your milk to
your baby. Talk with your healthcare professional about the best way to feed
your baby if you are taking Januvia.
During periods of stress on the body, such
as fever, trauma, infection or surgery, your medication needs may change;
contact your doctor right away.
Can Other Medicines Or Food Affect Januvia?
Tell your healthcare professional about all the medicines you take including
prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of them with you to show your
healthcare professional.
How Should I Take Januvia?
- Take Januvia exactly as your healthcare
professional tells you to take it.
- Take Januvia by mouth once a day.
- Take Januvia with or without food.
- If you have kidney problems, your doctor may
prescribe lower doses of Januvia. Your healthcare professional may perform blood
tests on you from time to time to measure how well your kidneys are working.
- Your healthcare professional may prescribe Januvia along with certain other
medicines that lower blood sugar.
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you
remember. If you do not remember until it is time for your next dose, skip the
missed dose and go back to your regular schedule. Do not take a double dose of Januvia.
If you take too much Januvia, call your healthcare professional or local
Poison Control Center right away.
Source: Federal Drug Administration Patient Information Sheet
Last Editorial Review: 4/5/2007
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