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Dapagliflozin experiences please

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CatLady2024

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Type 2
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Hello all hope everyone is well. I started dapagliflozin today within a few hours my sugars really dipped. I'm still quite new to t2 and getting used to feeling okish on sugars around 6/7. The dapagliflozin today put me at 4.7. I delayed taking it for a few weeks as was terrified of side effects. I was hoping to hear some experiences from a trusted source such as this forum. Also, sorry if this is an obvious and stupid question but I looked up urine ketone strips, are these the same strips people use on a keto diet? And if so are these strips suitable for a t2 to check for kta?
 
There’s nothing wrong with 4.7, that’s a completely normal reading. You can use urine ketone strips yes.
 
You won’t want to hear my experience as it gave me DKA, someone else on here had DKA from it too but we’re both perfectly fine now. One person on here had a relative who died from the DKA side effect but you sound prepared with your ketone strips so that won’t be you. Some people get urine infections or thrush. Many people get on with it just fine.
 
I was prescribed dapagliflozin in September. I had spent almost 4 weeks on metformin. My metformin was reduced to two tablets. I felt unwell but not ill. With hindsight I now know that removing a diuretic i took for high blood pressure as dapagliflozin causes you to pee more was a bad move. I had a seven week cold, 2 weeks steroids a cataract op and flare up of uveitis, finishing at end of November with osteomyelitis in my index finger. However my hba1c went from 58 at start of September to 44 in December. I test intermittently and haven't noticed a dramatic reducing in my blood sugar. I was told in February I could drop one metformin or the dapaglifozin. I chose to drop a metformin as I didn't want to rock the boat before my second cataract op.
I felt a bit stymied when I first started the drug as I was told to eat a reasonable amount of carbs and feeling stressed I know I over ate carbs sometimes, whereas I had been losing weight on reduced carbs ( 80 to 120)
I was prescribed ketostix and warned about ketone. Having discovered once open they should be used in 6 months I decided not to use them. However this year I discovered you do not need a prescription and they are a moderate price. I opened them last month when I was feeling a bit under the weather and of course my reading was fine.

I have high blood pressure and was told the tablets were good for cardiovascular health.

Hope they work for you.
 
Hi there @CatLady2024 hope you get on well with Empagliflozin
I know someone who did and he still raves about i.

personally I didn’t I didn’t myself get on well on it, I had a side effect, I didn’t experience Keytones (which i think is the big worry of most people)

as you are probably aware Empagliflozin encourages the excess glucose in the body to basically be passed in urine, for me the initial first month (on the lower dose) but after the first month a few days after I went up to the usual “full dose” I basically developed UTI & was almost living in the in the bathroom, I think the worst day, I counted 26 times I needed a couple of samples analysed, then a few courses of antibiotics to resume a normal routine, I stress we are all different, but you asked of people’s experiences @CatLady2024

on the other side
a good friend of mine he still is and has been on Empagliflozin for ages,with absolutely no side effects at all (for him)
he still tells me it’s been great, he has had reduced his Hba1c and had a good weight loss, without ANY side effects at all, like I say we are all different,
example- personally I’ve never had a problem on Metformin and no side effects and yet many others have
 
I was prescribed Dapa. I have lost 8kg and my last HB1aC was 40. I have had half a dozen UTIs in this time, but as it increases protection against heart attacks (had a mild one 15 years ago) I’m happy with that.
 
im on it and its changed things for the better and has really helped me would recomend it to anyone no side effects for me
 
Hope you get on well with the ‘flozin @CatLady2024 - and that your BGs continue to respond well with it.

Pots of urine ketone strips are only about £5 for a tub of 50, and can be bought over the counter (or you may be able to get them on repeat prescription). They aren’t as quick to respond as blood strips, but those are much much more expensive (more like £2.50 each!).

I’ve always been happy with urine strips myself, as I don’t seem very prone to producing ketones.
 
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