Has anyone tried adding Invokana to their insulin pump therapy? If so, what were your results?
Best decision ever… 70% less insulin. A1C ~ 7.4-6.1. 30ish Lbs weight loss ~ 207-176 in 1 year (minimal change in diet & exercise). Highly recommend!
I’ve had type 1 for 30 years now & have difficulty losing weight, even with 90 minutes or more exercise per day. My Endo suggested to try Invokana & even though my blood sugars were perfect, I ended up in the ICU with Ketoacidosis! If you do try it, make sure you regularly check your ketones.
That is great news!! My AIC’s have continued to creep up over the years. I started at 5.8 and now at 8.1 over past 10 years. I exercise almost every day, stay below 110 pounds, eat low carb, etc… very frustrating!!!
Any side effects from Invokana?
I’ve been on it for 2.5 months now. I’ve lost 8lbs (only could gain weight before, never lose despite almost daily exercise and low carb diet). My a1c has gone from 6.9 to 6.7. I had hoped for more but maybe just need more time. My total daily insulin has gone from 35-40units a day down to 20-25. I couldn’t be happier! I have had no side effects but my doctors have prescribed meds for me to have on hand for UTIs or infection. I stay really well hydrated and I also took a probiotic for the first month. My doctor couldn’t be more pleased and will start using it with other type one patients needing help with weight loss. Guys, since starting invokana I have had a number of days where my blood sugar has stayed between 90-140. LIke a normi! I haven’t experienced that in my 10 years of having type one. I love what this drug has done for my life. The swings are not as wild and I stay in range 90% of the time. I say try it, you can always stop!
BTW…my “great news” remark was meant for Jay Husky. Thanks for the insight, Jeannie & Rachel. I appreciate the information!
Please be careful when using Invokana if you are a T1D. Invokanna masks the signs of DKA. My son went into DKA with a totally normal blood sugar and was in Critical Care.
Here is our story about his Invokana use and T1D. Please be careful if you are using it. He lost 10% of his weight in 12 days.
I have a 30 year old T1D son with special needs that was placed on Invokana to lower his out of control blood sugars and attempt to lower his A1C. After nine days of taking the drug he started vomiting dozens of times but his blood sugars remained normal 120-147. We decided to take him to the ER. He ended up in Critical Care with DKA with completely normal blood sugar levels. He lost 13 pounds in 12 days which was 10% of his body weight and it was all muscle weight loss. He was in the hospital for 4 days. No more off label use of medications for him!!
While taking Invokana, the doctors decreased his long acting insulin (Levemir) intake by half. He was taken off carb counting and his sliding scale doses of Humalog. His Humalog dose was based on his blood sugar levels only and the dose was drastically reduced because his blood sugar numbers were so good. The cells in the body were unable to get the sugar (glucose) they need for energy because there was not enough insulin. Invokana is a sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, so this prevented the body from converting his food to the glucose needed to function and he began to break down fat and muscle for energy. This put him in DKA.
DKA results from a shortage of insulin, in response the body switches to burning fatty acids and producing acidic ketone bodies that cause most of the symptoms and complications. Predominant symptoms are nausea and vomiting, pronounced thirst, excessive urine production and abdominal pain. The abdomen may be tender to the point that an acute abdomen and they suspect appendicitis. He also had an elevated WBC. My son experiences all of these symptoms plus severe itching (pruritus), a massive headache and became very photosensitive. These are all adverse reactions to Invokana.
The doctors were confused at first because his blood sugar levels were normal. I found the http://t1n-migration.10uplabs.com/groups/adults/forum/topic/invokana-for-t1d/ website while he was in the ER and that other people are experiencing the same problem. It helped me put all the puzzle pieces together. I was able to talk to the doctors and explain that my son was on Invokana. They looked up Invokana they understood and treated him properly. There was a lot of education going around in the ED, which was good but it will never happen again with my son because he won’t ever be on Invokana again. Being a T1D is hard enough without a prescribed medication cause complications.
Thank you for your input and stay healthy.
I’ve heard a lot of mixed reviews with using Invokana that run along the lines of the replies I’ve read here. My endo didn’t want me on Invokana, and put me on Victoza instead. So far my BGs have stabilized and I’m using less insulin. I just need to watch how much greasey and fatty foods I eat because I get a little nauseus.
I’m new to the site and loving it. It’s good to have company.
I’ve had T1D for 29 years, the last ten with a pump. My A1Cs have been stubborn, always around 7.3 - 7.8. My doc put me on Glumetza first, a couple of years ago, but nothing changed much. About six months ago, I started Invokana too, and it’s working really well. My last A1C was 6.4. Shock and delight! I have found that it really steadies the swings, especially when I use the dual-wave bolus over one hour.
I was also considering going onto Invokana. However, with a low carb diet and increased exercise, I was able to get my A1C down from 8.4 to 6.7. Primarily, the reason why I did not go onto Invokana is because of the side effects. Invokana causes increased GI/yeast infections in women. Also, Invokana is not approved for T1 Diabetics due to the decreased sensitivity to DKA.