Invokana works in the kidneys to change the way sugar is processed in your body. It helps to increase the amount of sugar your kidneys remove from your blood. This extra sugar is passed out of your body in your urine. This reduces the amount of sugar in your blood. ¹

The starting dose for Invokana is one 100mg tablet, once a day. Sometimes the dose may be increased, to one 300mg tablet, once a day, if you agree.

• Swallow the tablet whole.
• You can take your tablet with or without food, ideally before your first meal of the day.
• Try to take your tablet at the same time each day – this will help you to remember to take it.

Invokana can be prescribed by itself but it is more likely that it will be used with one or more other medicines you are already taking to treat your type 2 diabetes. Make sure you take your medicine as prescribed. If you are unsure, you should check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

What if you forget to take your tablet?
If you miss your daily tablet, take it as soon as you can. Do not take two tablets in the same day.

What if you take more Invokana than you should?
If you take more of this medicine than you should, seek medical advice straight away.

How long will you have to take Invokana for?
Many people will need to keep taking their medicine(s) for type 2 diabetes throughout their lives to help them stay well, but everyone is different.

Weight loss
Invokana is not a weight management medicine, but the way it works may result in some weight loss (2 – 4 kg or 4 – 9lbs) when you start taking it. Continue to follow advice about healthy eating and increased activity given by your nurse or doctor, and keep taking any other medicines you have been given. If you are on a diabetic weight control diet you should continue with it while you are taking Invokana. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist if you need any more information.

Blood pressure
Invokana is not a blood pressure management medicine, but the way it works can also lower blood pressure. This may cause you to feel a bit dizzy or faint, especially if you stand up quickly. Make sure you drink enough fluid through the day, as keeping hydrated can help to reduce these effects. Please see your doctor or nurse if you have any of these symptoms.

When you are feeling unwell:

Contact your diabetes team for information and advice on what to do.

Keeping taking your insulin, but stop taking the following if you are unable to eat or drink.

• Metformin
• Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors
  Medicine names ending in ‘flozin’, e.g. canagliflozin, dapagliflozin, empagliflozin
• Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor antagonists
  Medicine names ending in ‘tide’, e.g. exenatide, liraglutide, lixisenatide, dulaglutide
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
  Anti-inflammatory pain-killers e.g. ibuprofen, diclofenac, naproxen
• Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
  Medicine names ending in ‘pril’, e.g. ramipril, lisinopril
• Angiotensin-II receptor blockers (ARBs)
  Medicine names ending in ‘sartan’, e.g. losartan, valsartan, candesartan
• Diuretics
  Sometimes called water pills, e.g. furosemide, bendroflumethiazide

Stay hydrated – eat little and often and have plenty of unsweetened drinks.

Check your blood glucose more often, at least every 4 hours, including during the night.

Check for ketones if your blood glucose level is 15 mmol/l or more, or 13 mmol/l if you use an insulin pump. If ketones are present, contact your diabetes team.

Keep eating or drinking – if you can’t keep food down, try snacks or drinks with carbohydrates in to give you energy: sip sugary drinks or suck on glucose tables or sweets like jelly beans. Letting fizzy drinks go flat may help you to keep them down.

If you are vomiting, feel drowsy, or are unable to keep fluids down or have persistent diarrhoea, seek medical help immediately.