Saxagliptina para la diabetes

About saxagliptin

Insulin is a hormone which is made naturally in your body, in the pancreas. It helps to control the levels of glucose (sugar) in your blood. If your body does not make enough insulin, or if it does not use the insulin it makes effectively, this results in the condition called diabetes (diabetes mellitus).

People with diabetes need treatment to control the amount of sugar in their blood. This is because good control of blood sugar levels reduces the risk of complications later on. Some people can control the sugar in their blood by making changes to the food they eat but, for other people, medicines like saxagliptin are given alongside the changes in diet.

Saxagliptin works in part by increasing the amount of insulin produced by your body. It also reduces the amount of a substance called glucagon being produced by your pancreas. Glucagon causes your liver to produce more sugar, so by reducing the amount of glucagon in your body, this also helps to reduce the levels of glucose in your blood.

Some medicines are not suitable for people with certain conditions, and sometimes a medicine may only be used if extra care is taken. For these reasons, before you start taking saxagliptin it is important that your doctor knows:

• Si estás embarazada, intentando tener un bebé o amamantando.

• Si tienes algún problema con el funcionamiento de tu hígado, o con el funcionamiento de tus riñones.

• Si está tomando otros medicamentos. Esto incluye cualquier medicamento que esté tomando y que esté disponible para comprar sin receta, así como medicamentos herbales y complementarios.

• Si alguna vez has tenido una reacción alérgica a un medicamento.

• Before you start the treatment, read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside the pack. It will give you more information about saxagliptin tablets and will provide you with a full list of the side-effects which you may experience from taking them.

• Take saxagliptin exactly as your doctor tells you to. Swallow the tablets with a drink of water. Do not crush or break the tablets - they should be swallowed whole.

• The usual dose is one 5 mg tablet a day (Onglyza® brand). You may be prescribed a lower strength of tablet if you have a problem with the way your kidneys work. You can generally take the tablet at a time of day to suit you, but it is best to take your doses at the same time of day each day. You can take saxagliptin before or after a meal.

• If you have been prescribed a combination tablet of saxagliptin with metformin (Komboglyze® brand) you should take one tablet twice a day, just after meals. There are two strengths of Komboglyze® tablet - both strengths contain the same amount of saxagliptin but the amount of metformin differs. You will be prescribed the strength of tablets that fits with your current metformin dose.

• Si olvida tomar una dosis, tómela tan pronto como lo recuerde (a menos que esté cerca la hora de su próxima dosis, en cuyo caso omita la dosis olvidada). No tome dos dosis juntas para compensar una dosis olvidada.

• Es importante que mantengas tus citas regulares con el médico y la clínica. Esto es para que se pueda monitorear tu progreso. Necesitarás chequeos regulares con una clínica de ojos y una clínica de pies, así como con tu médico y la clínica de diabetes.

• Su médico puede recomendarle que se haga pruebas de azúcar (glucosa) en la sangre o en la orina regularmente para verificar que su diabetes esté controlada. Su médico o enfermera especializada en diabetes le mostrará cómo hacerlo.

• Si tu médico te ha dado consejos sobre cambios en tu dieta, dejar de fumar o hacer ejercicio regularmente, es importante que sigas los consejos que te han dado.

• No consuma alcohol, ya que puede afectar el control de su nivel de azúcar en la sangre. Consulte a su médico si necesita más consejos sobre esto.

• Si eres conductor, debes tener especial cuidado, ya que tu capacidad de concentración puede verse afectada si tu diabetes no está bien controlada. Se te puede aconsejar que verifiques tus niveles de azúcar en sangre antes de viajar y que lleves un refrigerio contigo en viajes largos.

• Consulte con su médico antes de comenzar cualquier nuevo ejercicio físico, ya que esto afectará sus niveles de azúcar en la sangre y es posible que necesite controlar sus niveles de sangre u orina con más regularidad.

• Make sure you know what it feels like if your blood sugar is low. This is known as hypoglycaemia, or a 'hypo'. Although saxagliptin is unlikely to cause low blood sugar, other medicines that you are taking for diabetes alongside it may. The first signs of hypoglycaemia are feeling shaky or anxious, sweating, looking pale, feeling hungry, having a feeling that your heart is pounding (palpitations), and feeling dizzy.

• If you are due to have an operation or dental treatment, you should tell the person carrying out the treatment that you have diabetes and that you are taking saxagliptin.

• If you get unusually thirsty, pass urine more frequently than normal, and feel very tired, you should let your doctor know. These are signs that there is too much sugar in your blood and your treatment may need adjusting.

• Treatment for diabetes is usually lifelong. Continue to take saxagliptin tablets unless you are advised otherwise by your doctor.

Along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them. The table below contains some of the most common ones associated with saxagliptin. You will find a full list in the manufacturer's information leaflet supplied with your medicine. The unwanted effects often improve as your body adjusts to the new medicine, but speak with your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following continue or become troublesome.

Si experimenta cualquier otro síntoma que crea que puede deberse a las tabletas, hable con su médico o farmacéutico para obtener más consejos.

• Mantenga todos los medicamentos fuera del alcance y la vista de los niños.

• Almacenar en un lugar fresco y seco, lejos del calor y la luz directos.