Invokana Side Effects

Over 1,000 lawsuits accuse Janssen Pharmaceuticals of downplaying side effects of Invokana, including life-threatening conditions such as ketoacidosis (too much acid in the blood and kidney failure.

What You Can Do & How We Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Invokana induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been diagnosed with a severe side effect of Invokana, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Defective Drug Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Side Effects of Invokana

The Prescribing Information for Invokana includes warnings about many severe side effects, including:

• Urinary Tract Infections (UTI): Also known as cystitis, this side effect occurs in about 6% of Invokana patients when bacteria moves into the bladder. It causes painful, frequent urination.
• Low blood pressure (hypotension): Invokana has a diuretic effect — it lowers blood-sugar by causing a patient to urinate more often. This can also deplete salt and fluid levels in the bloodstream, causing low blood pressure.
• Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA): High levels of blood-acids called ketones cause the blood to become too acidic, which can lead to coma and death without treatment. Occurs when the body starts burning fat for energy instead of using glucose (sugar) in the bloodstream.
• Kidney disease: Invokana relies on the kidneys to excrete glucose, so it is not surprising that kidney problems are a potential side effect. Infections of the kidney (pyelonephritis) and kidney failure have been linked to Invokana.
• Blood infections (urosepsis): When bacteria from a urinary tract infection spreads to the bloodstream, it can cause a life-threatening whole-body reaction called sepsis.
• Kidney infections (pyelonephritis): Urinary infections from Invokana can spread from the bladder to the kidneys. In severe cases, infections can permanently scar the kidneys and cause chronic kidney disease, kidney failure, and high blood pressure.
• Genital yeast infections: About 10% of women on Invokana develop yeast infections, which are caused by an imbalance of Candida (yeast) and bacteria.
• Bone fractures: Taking Invokana for only 12 weeks can decrease bone mineral density (especially in the hip and lower spine) and increase the risk of bone fractures. In many cases, fractures occurred after minor injuries, such as falling from a standing height.
• High cholesterol: Invokana can increase LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels, especially at higher doses.

Invokana and Kidney Cancer

In August 2017, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine linked Invokana to a tripled increased risk of kidney cancer (renal cell carcinoma) among patients with diabetes and a high risk of suffering cardiovascular events. The conclusions of the study were based on over 10,000 patients after approximately 3.5 years of follow-up.

FDA Warnings for Side Effects of Invokana

Invokana was approved by the FDA in March 2013. In May 2015, the FDA issued a warning about the risk of ketoacidosis. In December 2015, the FDA revised the label on Invokana to include side effects like ketoacidosis and severe infections. The agency received 73 reports of this side effect in patients on Invokana or other SGLT2 inhibitors. In September 2015, the FDA required Janssen to add warnings about bone fractures and decreases in bone mineral density. These side effects can occur after taking Invokana for less than three months.

Invokana Linked to Heart Attack and Stroke

Before Invokana was approved, clinical trials showed that Invokana had a higher risk of heart attack and stroke in the first 30 days of treatment — only one patient on a placebo had a cardiovascular event, compared to 13 patients on Invokana. After 30 days, the risks were equal. Janssen Pharmaceuticals has been ordered to conduct five post-marketing studies, including another clinical trial to investigate this risk. Invokana was also shown to increase cholesterol levels. High cholesterol is a risk-factor for heart attacks, especially for people with pre-existing heart disease or diabetes.

Do I have an Invokana Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Invokana induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been diagnosed with ketoacidosis or kidney failure, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Defective Drug Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

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