Recently I told you about the diabetes complication that few folks talk about… low blood sugar.
With so much focus on HIGH blood sugar, it’s easy to overlook the dangers of your glucose level dropping too LOW.
Because while most folks with diabetes think they would welcome basement low blood sugar levels, the truth is the condition can quickly turn deadly.
And most shocking of all is that an increasingly popular class of diabetes drugs could send cases of killer-low blood sugars right through the roof.
A few years ago, SGLT2 inhibitors hit the market. And with all the drug commercials we have to sit through these days, you’ll probably recognize some of the names.
Some of the most popular SGLT2 inhibitors are Invokana (canagliflozin), Farxiga (dapagliflozin), Steglatro (ertugliflozin) and Jardiance (embagliflozin).
Maybe you, or someone you care about, is already on one of them. And if so, you NEED to keep reading. It could be a matter of life or death.
SGLT2 inhibitors… deadly diabetes drugs?
The way SGLT2 inhibitors work is by triggering your body to flush out excess blood sugar every time you pee. Sounds good, right?
Of course, that sugar flushing isn’t an isolated action. When it happens, your body ends up eventually sending a message to your liver saying, “WARNING… we’re running low on fuel here.”
And your liver starts pumping out ketones. These acids are an alternate form of fuel that body can use in case of low blood sugar emergencies.
So far so good, your body is reacting just as it should. In fact, if you skip a few meals or sleep in and your blood sugar drops this process happens naturally.
But the trouble is SGLT2 inhibitors can send this process into overdrive. And your liver starts to produce far too many ketones leading to dangerously high levels.
FDA warns popular diabetes drugs have MAJOR risks
This condition, called diabetic ketoacidosis, can send you to the emergency room. Or WORSE if it’s not caught and treated in time, it could lead to death.
Which is why the FDA released a long-forgotten warning about SGLT2 inhibitors years ago.
Fast forward to today, and although the warning has gotten lost in the hype surrounding these “breakthrough” drugs, the dangers are starting to surface again. And this time experts are now cautioning you could lose your leg or even your life.
Don’t lose a limb (or worse) to SGLT2 inhibitors
A recent Swedish study has revealed SGLT2 inhibitors can cause as much as a twofold jump in the risks for lower limb amputations and diabetic ketoacidosis when compared to “old-fashioned” GLP-1 inhibitor drugs such as Byetta.
And if that isn’t enough to give some serious thought to getting OFF these drugs, there’s one more threat that might do the trick.
The FDA issued a warning earlier this year about a link between a flesh-eating genital infection and SGLT2 inhibitors. Fournier’s gangrene or necrotizing fasciitis of the perineum is a VERY rare life-threatening infection.
But between March of 2013 and May of 2018, the FDA reports there were 12 cases of the flesh-eating disease reported in folks who recently started taking SGL2 inhibitors. And while it typically occurs in men, five of the cases were in women.
If you’re currently taking a SGLT2 inhibitor, it may be time to ask your doc about alternatives. Because while all drugs come with risks, I think we can agree THESE side effects are extreme.
And the best choice of all may be to start working with a holistic medicine doc who can help you get off the diabetes drugs altogether.
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