Januvia

Generic Name: sitagliptin (SI ta glip tin)
Brand Names: Januvia

What is Januvia?

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Januvia is an oral diabetes medicine that helps control blood sugar levels. It works by regulating the levels of insulin your body produces after eating.

Januvia is for people with type 2 diabetes (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes. It is sometimes used in combination with other diabetes medications, but is not for treating type 1 diabetes.

Januvia may also be used for purposes other than those listed here.

Important information about Januvia

Do not use Januvia if you are allergic to sitagliptin or if you are in a state of diabetic ketoacidosis (call your doctor for treatment with insulin).

Before taking Januvia, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have kidney disease. If you have any of these conditions, you may not be able to use Januvia, or you may need a dosage adjustment or special tests during treatment.

You may take this medicine with or without food. Follow your doctor's instructions.

Follow your doctor's instructions about any restrictions on food, beverages, or activity while you are taking Januvia.

Januvia is only part of a complete program of treatment that also includes diet, exercise, weight control, and possibly other medications. It is important to use this medicine regularly to get the most benefit. Get your prescription refilled before you run out of medicine completely.

Before taking Januvia

Do not use this medication if you are allergic to Januvia, or if you are in a state of diabetic ketoacidosis (call your doctor for treatment with insulin).

FDA pregnancy category B. Januvia is not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. It is not known whether Januvia passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby. Januvia should not be given to a child younger than 18 years old without a doctor's advice.

How should I take Januvia?

Take Januvia exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger or smaller amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose to make sure you get the best results from this medication.

You may take this medicine with or without food. Follow your doctor's instructions.

To be sure this medication is helping your condition, your blood will need to be tested on a regular basis. Your kidney function may also need to be tested. It is important that you not miss any scheduled visits to your doctor.

Your medication needs may change if you become sick or injured, if you have a serious infection, or if you have any type of surgery. Your doctor may want you to stop taking Januvia for a short time if any of these situations affect you.

Store Januvia at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember (be sure to take the medicine with food if your doctor has instructed you to). If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. You may have signs of low blood sugar, such as hunger, headache, confusion, irritability, drowsiness, weakness, dizziness, tremors, sweating, fast heartbeat, seizure (convulsions), fainting, or coma.

What should I avoid while taking Januvia?

Follow your doctor's instructions about any restrictions on food, beverages, or activity while you are taking Januvia.

Januvia side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have fever, sore throat, and headache with a severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash. These could be signs of a serious side effect.

Less serious Januvia side effects may include:

runny or stuffy nose, sore throat;
headache; or
nausea, stomach pain, diarrhea.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect.

What other drugs will affect Januvia?

Although Januvia is not as likely to cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) as some other oral diabetes medications, tell your doctor if you are taking any other drugs that can potentially lower blood sugar, such as:

probenecid (Benemid);
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs);
aspirin or other salicylates (including Pepto-Bismol);
sulfa drugs (Bactrim and others);
a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI);or
beta-blockers (Tenormin and others).

Before you take Januvia, tell your doctor if you are also taking digoxin (Lanoxicaps, Lanoxin). You may not be able to take Januvia, or you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring.

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with Januvia. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor

Where can I get more information?

Your pharmacist can provide more information about Januvia.

What does my medication look like?

Sitagliptin is available with a prescription under the brand name Januvia. Other brand or generic formulations may also be available. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about this medication, especially if it is new to you.

Januvia 25 mg - pink, round, film-coated tablets
Januvia 50 mg - light beige, round, film-coated tablets
Januvia 100 mg - beige, round, film-coated tablets

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.