Like all medicines, saxagliptin can cause side effects in some people. But most people have no side effects, or only minor ones.
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you get any side effects that bother you or do not go away.
Common side effects
These common side effects of saxagliptin happen in more than 1 in 100 people. There are things you can do to help cope with them:
Feeling dizzy or weak
Stop what you're doing and sit or lie down until you feel better. Do not drive, cycle or use tools or machinery if you're feeling dizzy or tired. Do not drink alcohol as it will make you feel worse.
Headaches
Make sure you rest and drink plenty of fluids. Do not drink too much alcohol. Ask your pharmacist to recommend a painkiller.
Talk to your doctor if the headaches last longer than a week or are severe.
Diarrhoea
Drink plenty of water or other fluids to avoid dehydration. Signs of dehydration include peeing less than usual or having dark, strong-smelling pee. Do not take any other medicines to treat diarrhoea without speaking to a pharmacist or doctor.
If you take the combined contraceptive pill or progestogen-only pill and you have severe diarrhoea for more than 24 hours , your contraception may not protect you from pregnancy. Check the pill packet for advice.
Stomach ache
Try to rest and relax. It can help to eat and drink slowly and have smaller and more frequent meals. Putting a heat pad or covered hot water bottle on your stomach may also help.
If you're in a lot of pain, speak to your pharmacist or doctor.
Feeling or being sick (nausea or vomiting)
Try taking saxagliptin with or after food to see if that helps. Try to eat smaller, more frequent meals. Drink plenty of fluids such as water or squash. If you're being sick, try having small, frequent sips of water.
If you take contraceptive pills and saxagliptin makes you sick (vomit) your contraception may not protect you from pregnancy. Look on the pill packet to find out what to do.
Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
Contact your doctor if you have symptoms of a UTI. These include needing to pee suddenly or more often, pain when peeing, smelly or cloudy pee, or pain in your lower tummy. Drink plenty of water and take paracetamol to ease the pain if you need to.
Cold-like symptoms
If you get symptoms such as a sore throat or sinus infection, make sure you rest and drink plenty of fluids. Try taking paracetamol or ibuprofen regularly for a few days. If the symptoms return when you stop taking the painkillers, ask your doctor for advice.
Mild rash
It may help to take an antihistamine, which you can buy from a pharmacy. Check with the pharmacist to see what type is suitable for you.
If your rash gets worse or lasts for more than a week, make an appointment to see your doctor.
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if the advice on how to cope does not help and these side effects bother you or do not go away.
Serious side effects
It happens rarely, but some people may have serious side effects after taking saxagliptin.
Call your doctor or call 111 straight away if:
- you get severe stomach pains
- the whites of your eyes turn yellow, or your skin turns yellow, although this may be less obvious on brown or black skin – this can be a sign of liver problems
Low blood sugar
Saxagliptin does not usually cause low blood sugar (known as hypoglycaemia, or "hypos") when taken on its own.
But hypos can happen when you take saxagliptin with other diabetes medicines, such as insulin or gliclazide.
Early warning signs of low blood sugar include:
- feeling hungry
- trembling or shaking
- sweating
- confusion
- difficulty concentrating
It's also possible for your blood sugar to go too low while you're asleep. If this happens, it can make you feel sweaty, tired and confused when you wake up.
Low blood sugar may happen if you:
- take too much of some types of diabetes medicines
- eat meals irregularly or skip meals
- are fasting
- do not eat a healthy diet and are not getting enough nutrients
- change what you eat
- exercise too much without eating enough carbohydrates
- drink alcohol, especially after skipping a meal
- take some other medicines or herbal medicines at the same time
- have a hormone disorder, such as an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)
- have kidney or liver problems
Preventing hypos
To prevent hypos, it's important to have regular meals, including breakfast. Never miss or delay a meal.
If you're planning to exercise more than usual, make sure you eat carbohydrates like bread, pasta or cereals before, during or after exercise.
Always carry a fast-acting carbohydrate with you, like sugar cubes, fruit juice or some sweets, in case your blood sugar level gets low. Artificial sweeteners will not help.
You may also need to eat a starchy carbohydrate, like a sandwich or a biscuit, to maintain your blood sugar for longer.
Call your doctor or contact 111 if taking in sugar does not help or the hypo symptoms come back.
Make sure your friends and family know about your diabetes and the symptoms of low blood sugar levels so they can recognise a hypo if it happens.
Serious allergic reaction
It's possible to have a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to saxagliptin.
Immediate action required: Call 999 now if:
- your lips, mouth, throat or tongue suddenly become swollen
- you're breathing very fast or struggling to breathe (you may become very wheezy or feel like you're choking or gasping for air)
- your throat feels tight or you're struggling to swallow
- your skin, tongue or lips turn blue, grey or pale (if you have black or brown skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of your hands or soles of your feet)
- you suddenly become very confused, drowsy or dizzy
- someone faints and cannot be woken up
- a child is limp, floppy or not responding like they normally do (their head may fall to the side, backwards or forwards, or they may find it difficult to lift their head or focus on your face)
You or the person who's unwell may also have a rash that's swollen, raised, itchy, blistered or peeling.
These can be signs of a serious allergic reaction and may need immediate treatment in hospital.
Other side effects
These are not all the side effects of saxagliptin. For a full list, see the leaflet inside your medicine packet.
You can report any suspected side effect using the Yellow Card safety scheme.