Januvia is the brand name for the generic drug sitagliptin phosphate, which is a medication used to treat adults with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Patients with Type 2 DM have too much sugar in their blood because they aren't as sensitive to insulin; insulin is a hormone used help convert sugar to energy. According to the Januvia health professionals website, Januvia works by increasing insulin release while decreasing sugar production in the liver. Several side effects may occur in patients taking Januvia to help decrease their blood sugar level.
Metabolism-Related Side Effects
The Januvia website reports that one of the most common side effects is hypoglycemia, in which a person's blood sugar levels drops to abnormally low levels and causes symptoms such as dizziness, lightheadness, headache, sweating, fast heartbeat, confusion and drowsiness. These symptoms are all indications that the level of sugar in the blood is much too low. According to the pharmacology database MicroMedex, between 0.6 percent and 12.2 percent of patients report having this potentially serious side effect.
Skin-Related Side Effects
The MicroMedex database reports that rashes and hives have been noted as side effects of Januvia. A serious, potentially life-threatening skin reaction called Stevens-Johnson syndrome has also been reported. If patients taking this medication notice symptoms such as reddish flat areas of rash, skin pain and blisters, they should seek medical help immediately. These may indicate that this severe medication-triggered reaction is occurring.
Digestive System-Related Side Effects
The Januvia website and MicroMedex warn of the potentially fatal side effect of pancreatitis. This is an inflammation of the pancreas that may cause severe abdominal pain that radiates to the back, as well as vomiting. Other less serious side effects that may affect that digestive system include nausea, diarrhea and abdominal pain.
Respiratory System-Related Side Effects
Between 5 percent and 6 percent of patients taking Januvia report experiencing stuffy noses and sore throats more frequently than usual; 4 percent to 6 percent of patients on Januvia report having more upper respiratory infections than they would expect. These results are reported on MicroMedex, which in turn come from the Januvia product information. Though a cold or a cough is not a particularly serious effect, it's irritating to have to deal with these symptoms more frequently than expected.
Other Side Effects
Headaches, kidney failure, liver enzyme abnormalities and a severe allergic reaction leading to anaphylactic shock are all possible side effects that could be experienced by a patient taking Januvia. Of this list, headaches are the most common, occurring in 1 percent to 6 percent of patients. The rest of these side effects are quite rare and are reported on the Januvia product website as isolated cases.
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