Canagliflozin
Canagliflozin is an SGLT2 inhibitor tablet for type 2 diabetes, taken once a day to lower blood sugar; PockDose sells Invokana 100mg tablets.
What canagliflozin does
Canagliflozin is an SGLT2 inhibitor: it blocks a protein in the kidneys that would otherwise pull glucose back out of filtered urine and return it to the blood. With that route partly shut, more glucose leaves the body in urine and blood sugar levels come down. Extra fluid goes out with it, which is why the tablets can also nudge blood pressure lower.
Its main job is type 2 diabetes, alongside diet and exercise. In some adults who also have heart disease or kidney disease, canagliflozin lowers the risk of heart attack, stroke, worsening kidney problems and hospital treatment for heart failure. It has no place in type 1 diabetes, and it is not a treatment for ketoacidosis.
Taking the tablets
The routine is short: one 100mg tablet, swallowed whole with a glass of water, ahead of breakfast. Anyone who eats later in the day can take it before the first main meal instead. A tablet forgotten in the morning can still be taken that afternoon or evening, but the next day starts with one tablet again, not two.
Blister strips stay in the box until needed.
Side effects
Because the body makes more urine, expect extra toilet trips and a thirst to match. Yeast infections of the genitals and urinary tract infections are also common. Standing up too fast can leave some people light-headed, mainly during the first week or two, and drinking enough through the day helps.
A rare but serious problem is ketoacidosis, a build-up of acid in the blood that can happen even when blood sugar readings look normal. Nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, deep or difficult breathing and unusual tiredness are the signs, and it needs urgent treatment. A rare severe infection around the genitals — swelling, pain, redness, feeling feverish — also needs urgent care.
Other medicines and alcohol
Insulin and sulphonylureas such as gliclazide lower blood sugar as well, so combining them with canagliflozin makes a hypo (low blood sugar) more likely. Diuretics add to fluid loss, which can leave you dizzy or dehydrated. Rifampicin, used for tuberculosis, speeds up the removal of canagliflozin and can weaken it. Alcohol is worth keeping light: it unsettles blood sugar and makes the dizziness and dehydration from these tablets more likely.
Invokana 100mg tablets
PockDose sells canagliflozin as Invokana 100mg tablets, in the Diabetes category. Invokana is the brand name for canagliflozin, so the ingredient is the same under either name.
Sources
- Canagliflozin: MedlinePlus Drug Information — MedlinePlus / U.S. National Library of Medicine
- Canagliflozin Shown to Improve Cardiovascular and Renal Outcomes in ... — diabetes.org
Where can I buy Canagliflozin in Hong Kong?
Canagliflozin can be ordered online from PockDose with delivery to Hong Kong, and the range here is generic Invokana in 100mg tablets. You can pay with Visa, Mastercard or American Express on a secure, encrypted page, or use Bitcoin or Ethereum.
What is the price of Canagliflozin?
Invokana is priced per pack: its page lists every strength and pack size with the current price in HKD or your chosen currency.
Do I need a prescription to order Canagliflozin?
PockDose does not ask you to upload a prescription when you order canagliflozin. See the ordering FAQ for details.
What is another name for canagliflozin?
Invokana is a brand name of canagliflozin. Here, canagliflozin can be bought online as generic Invokana. These are generics, not the original brand.
Is canagliflozin the same as Invokana?
Invokana is the brand name for canagliflozin, so both names mean the same medicine. PockDose sells canagliflozin as Invokana 100mg tablets, taken once a day before breakfast or the first main meal of the day.
Can I drink alcohol with canagliflozin?
Alcohol can push blood sugar up or down and makes the dizzy, dehydrated feeling from canagliflozin more likely, so keep it light and drink with food. A heavy session in one go is the pattern that causes most trouble.
How is canagliflozin different from metformin?
They lower blood sugar in different ways. Metformin acts mainly on the liver, reducing the glucose it releases, while canagliflozin works in the kidneys and sends glucose out in the urine. The two are often taken together in type 2 diabetes because their effects add up.
Does canagliflozin cause weight loss?
Often a little. Glucose passing out in the urine carries calories with it, and a few kilos may come off over the first months. That is a by-product of how the tablet works, not its purpose.
Can canagliflozin be taken with insulin?
It can. The two are often combined in type 2 diabetes, and because the pair raises the chance of a hypo, the insulin dose is frequently lowered at the start. Shaking, sweating and confusion are what a hypo feels like.