Januvia and Metformin: Which Diabetes Medication is Right for You?

Diabetes is incredibly common, with approximately 30.3 million people in the U.S. having it. When you’re looking to control your diabetes, you might be looking for a comparison of medications such as Januvia and metformin.

In this article, you’ll learn about each medication to be able to decide what’s best for you. Read on to explore all about each medication from dosage to cost so you can start to feel better and help control your blood sugar.

What Is Metformin?

Metformin is an oral medication that helps lower your blood glucose to help treat type 2 diabetes. It increases the sensitivity of your muscle fat, liver, and other tissues to the effect of insulin so it can lower your sugar levels.

It can also reduce your chance of developing complications from diabetes such as blindness, kidney disease, and heart disease. It’s not common to gain weight from this medication.

Along with type 2 diabetes, it’s also used for polycystic ovary syndrome and diabetes prevention.

Side Effects of Metformin

The symptoms of metformin can include nausea, gas, an upset stomach, diarrhea, or cramping. If you have kidney problems, talk with your doctor before beginning metformin.

Heavy or chronic alcohol use can cause a serious side effect.

How Often to Take It

You always want to make sure to take all of your medications exactly as your doctor instructed you to. Metformin is normally taken with a meal. Some are taken only with the evening meal so always ensure you listen to your doctor’s instructions.

When taking metformin, make sure to take it whole without crushing, chewing, or breaking it. It’s normal to find the shell in your stool since some tablets have an outer shell that’s not digestible by your body.

Precautions

As with any medication, it can have interactions with other medications. Certain medications combined with metformin can increase your risk of developing lactic acidosis.

Talk with your doctor about all of the medications you’re currently taking, and give them your complete medical history. Speak with your doctor if you’ve ever had high ketones in your urine or blood, heart disease, or liver disease.

If you’re currently taking insulin, mention this to your doctor as well. Lactic acidosis is a build-up of lactic acid within your body. You’re more likely to develop this if you’re over 65, have serious medical conditions or an infection, or have severe alcoholism.

Speak with your doctor about your risk of developing lactic acidosis. If you become pregnant, speak with your doctor about usage. You don’t want to breastfeed while taking this medication.

It can also increase the chance of an unexpected pregnancy, speak with your doctor about your risk of this. Like any medication, if you overdose contact emergency medical help.

Avoid drinking alcohol while taking this medication since it can increase your chance of lactic acidosis. If you miss a dose, take it as soon as possible unless it’s right around the time you normally take it next.

You don’t want to take 2 doses at once.

What Is Januvia?

Januvia is an oral drug that reduces your blood sugar levels for type 2 diabetes. It’s considered a DPP-4 inhibitor. Other similar medications are linagliptin and saxagliptin.

It reduces your blood sugar levels by blocking the DPP-4 enzyme. It increases the hormones GIP and GLP-1. Januvia is unlikely to cause weight gain or hypoglycemia.

Side Effects of Januvia

Januvia can lower your A1c (average blood sugar) to less than 1%. You can also experience nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. More common side effects are a headache and an upper respiratory tract infection.

How Often to Take It

To take Januvia, it’s normally only taken around meals since if there’s no glucose in the blood then no medication is necessary. If your blood glucose level rises after a meal, Januvia will lower it.

It’s not recommended for type 1 diabetes. When you’re done using it, store it at room temperature.

Precautions

Speak with your doctor if you’ve had pancreatitis. While it’s unknown if it’s a cause, some who have taken Januvia experienced pancreatitis or kidney and heart failure, although rare.

If you’re currently experiencing ketoacidosis you won’t want to take Januvia.  How it affects pregnancy or when nursing isn’t known, so don’t take Januvia in these situations.

If you overdose, contact emergency medical help immediately. If you forget to take your medication, take the missed dose unless it’s right near the next time you take it.

Contact your doctor immediately if you start to notice symptoms of heart failure. The symptoms could be quick weight gain, swelling in your feet or legs, and shortness of breath.

Contact your doctor immediately if you notice the symptoms of pancreatitis. You can experience pain in your upper stomach that spreads to your back. You can also experience vomiting, but not always.

Dosage

You’ll want to take the 100-mg tablet for once-daily dosing. If you have kidney problems, you can take the 50-mg tablet. If you’re currently experiencing severe kidney problems, you can take a 25-mg tablet.

Prices for Both Medications

Metformin and Januvia prices vary depending on the amount you order. The average price for metformin of a 500 mg packet of 14 ranges from $11.56.

For 850 mg the average price can range from $14.02 and 1000 mg can range from $12.86. These prices are for the oral tablet and not the extended-release tablets.

Januvia can cost from $503.73 for 25 mg, $503.73 for 50 mg, and from $458.00 for 100 mg. These are American prices, so make sure to check out the Canadian pharmacy for better deals.

Doing a Comparison of Januvia and Metformin

When choosing between Januvia and metformin, there is much to consider before deciding which is the right medication for you. Are you ready to get started toward a healthier future?

Contact us today and order your medication from our affordable Canadian pharmacy.

TCDS Prices:

Click to view Metformin 500mg prices.

Click to view Januvia 50mg prices.