An Introduction to Janumet Side Effects
As with any medicine, side effects are possible with
Janumet® (
sitagliptin and metformin); however, not everyone who takes the medication will experience side effects. In fact, most people tolerate it quite well. If side effects do occur, in most cases, they are minor and either require no treatment or can be easily treated by you or your healthcare provider.
(This article covers many, but not all, of the possible side effects with Janumet. Your healthcare provider can discuss a more complete list of Janumet side effects with you.)
Common Janumet Side Effects
Janumet has been studied thoroughly in clinical trials, in which a group of people taking the drug have side effects documented and compared to another group not taking the medicine. This way, it is possible to see what side effects occur, how often they appear, and how they compare to the group not taking the medicine.
In these studies, the most common side effects of Janumet included:
- Diarrhea -- in up to 2.4 percent of people
- Abdominal pain (stomach pain) -- up to 2.2 percent
- Nausea -- up to 1.3 percent
- Vomiting -- up to 1.1 percent
Serious Janumet Side Effects
Some side effects with Janumet, while occurring infrequently, are potentially serious and should be reported immediately to your healthcare provider. These include but are not limited to:
- Signs of pancreatitis (inflammation or infection of the pancreas), such as:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Severe, persistent abdominal pain that sometimes radiates to the back
- Symptoms of low blood sugar (which can occur if Janumet is taken with other diabetes drugs), such as:
- Sweating
- Shakiness
- Extreme hunger
- Dizziness
- Cold sweats
- Blurry vision
- Changes in behavior, such as irritability
- Loss of coordination
- Difficulty speaking
- Confusion
- Seizures
- Signs of an allergic reaction, such as:
- Unexplained skin rash
- Itching
- Hives
- Wheezing or difficulty breathing
