Jardiance

What is Jardiance?

Jardiance is a tablet treatment for type-2 diabetes – a condition that you typically develop in adulthood as a result of your pancreas not making as much insulin as it should, or your body not properly using the insulin it does produce. It belongs to a class of medicines called SGLT-2 inhibitors, which largely work by increasing the amount of glucose that gets excreted in your urine, which lowers your blood sugar.

Jardiance also has the added benefit of removing more sodium from your body, which can help to improve your heart health.^[1]
Because of this, Jardiance is also a licensed treatment for heart failure.

How does Jardiance work?

SGLT-2 inhibitors like Jardiance work by stopping the action of the SGLT-2 protein in your kidneys, which is responsible for the reabsorption of glucose. By blocking the action of this protein, more of the glucose in your blood leaves your body, which lowers your blood sugar levels.^[2]

In this way, the action of SGLT-2 inhibitors are different from other diabetes treatments, in that they neither affect the amount of insulin that you have, nor how your body uses insulin. This means that treatments like Jardiance can often be easily used with other types of diabetes treatments in order to give a more rounded and effective mode of action.

What doses of Jardiance are there?

Jardiance is available in two doses: 10mg and 25mg. The recommended starting dose is usually one 10mg tablet a day, but your dose might be higher than this if our clinician thinks it’ll be beneficial for you.

How to take Jardiance

You should always take Jardiance exactly as prescribed by our clinician. To take Jardiance, simply swallow your prescribed dose tablet whole, with water. You can take it with or without food, and at any time of day. You might, though, be more likely to remember to take it if you take it at the same time each day.

How long does it take Jardiance to work?

Jardiance should get to work pretty quickly in your body, but it might take a few weeks for it to have an effect on your blood sugar levels. Type-2 diabetes treatments are usually long-term, and your HbA1c will continue to be checked to make sure that it’s still working to maintain your blood sugar levels. Because type-2 diabetes is often symptomless, you might not feel much better when you take Jardiance, but this doesn’t mean that it isn’t working.

What should I do if I make a mistake when taking Jardiance?

Seek medical help straight away if you accidentally take more Jardiance than you should. If you forget to take Jardiance, you can take it when you remember, so long as you leave a minimum of twelve hours before your next dose. If you’re unable to leave a twelve hour gap between doses, skip the forgotten dose and continue as normal. Don’t double the dose to make up for the forgotten one.