Ohio Drug Lawyers for Side Effects from Diabetes Medication

Diabetes is a chronic condition that occurs when an individual’s blood glucose or blood sugar levels are too high. In Type 1 diabetes, diagnosed in children and young adults, the body does not produce insulin. In Type 2 diabetes – the most common form of the condition – the body does not produce enough insulin, or the cells become resistant to it.

If you are living with diabetes, there are certain medications that you depend on to control your condition and improve your quality of life. Although these diabetes drugs are designed to help you, they sometimes have the opposite effect and compromise your health with their dangerous side effects. If a diabetes drug has harmed you, call Kisling, Nestico & Redick at 1-800-HURT-NOW to speak to our Ohio dangerous drug lawyers.

Possible Dangerous Side Effects of Diabetes Drugs

The majority of diabetes drugs are manufactured to help patients with type 2 diabetes. These medications work by improving the sensitivity of diabetes patients’ body tissues to insulin so that their body can use insulin more effectively. These drugs may cause a variety of dangerous side effects including heart attacks, strokes, acute pancreatitis, bone fractures, kidney damage, urinary tract infections, and even certain types of cancers.

Common Diabetes Medications with Reports of Dangerous Side Effects

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released warnings for a number of type 2 diabetes medications. These medications can lead to serious side effects that may leave a diabetes patient in the hospital, out of work, and responsible for costly medical bills. Some of these diabetes drugs include:

• Onglyza- Onglyza was manufactured by AstraZeneca and has been linked to life-threatening side effects such as heart failure, pancreatic cancer, and pancreatitis. In 2016, the FDA issued a warning stating that Onglyza increases the risk of heart failure, especially for patients who already have kidney problems or heart disease.
• Actos- In 2011, the FDA announced that the prolonged use of Actos may be associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer. Some diabetes patients who use Actos may experience blood in their urine, urinary urgency, pain while urinating, and other bladder cancer symptoms.
• Invokana- In 2015, the FDA issued a warning about Invokana, a popular Type 2 diabetes drug. The warning stated that Invokana could cause ketoacidosis, a painful condition that occurs when there are excess ketones or acids in the blood.
• Victoza- In 2011, the FDA released a statement revealing a connection between Victoza and thyroid cancer. Breathing challenges, difficulty swallowing, lumps on the neck, and hoarseness are all symptoms of thyroid cancer. Later in 2011, the FDA also ordered the warning label of Victoza to acknowledge the drug’s relationship to renal impairment, diarrhea, dehydration, and nausea.