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TexasTowelie

(111,314 posts)
Thu May 9, 2019, 04:03 PM May 2019

'Flesh-eating' genital infection linked to certain diabetes drugs, study finds

A new study urges doctors to look for signs of a rare, potentially fatal genital infection in patients taking certain diabetes drugs. The infection, a necrotizing fasciitis, is commonly called "flesh-eating bacteria," the Centers for Disease Control notes.

The study looks at ties between the Type 2 diabetes drugs known as SGLT2 inhibitors and the genital infection called Fournier gangrene. It follows a warning about the link from the Food and Drug Administration last fall.

Fournier gangrene destroys infected genital tissue after quickly spreading between the genitals and posterior, according to the FDA, which called it "extremely rare but life-threatening."

The FDA identified 55 cases of Fournier gangrene from patients taking SGLT2 inhibitors between March 2013 and January 2019. All of the patients — 39 men and 16 women, ages 33 to 87 — became "severely ill," the study found. All had surgery to remove the gangrened tissue. Three died.

Read more: https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/health/2019/05/08/diabetes-drug-linked-flesh-eating-genital-infection-study-finds/1146986001/
(Salem Statesman Journal)

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'Flesh-eating' genital infection linked to certain diabetes drugs, study finds (Original Post) TexasTowelie May 2019 OP
This is absolutely horrific. dewsgirl May 2019 #1
A quick Google search revealed customerserviceguy May 2019 #2
Oh my! TexasTowelie May 2019 #3
Fortunately customerserviceguy May 2019 #8
I take metformin, but will not panic The Blue Flower May 2019 #4
Great. I'm on Metformin 2000 mg/day. :( woodsprite May 2019 #5
Me too 1000/day. blueinredohio May 2019 #6
I'm on Metformin SoCalNative May 2019 #7

customerserviceguy

(25,183 posts)
2. A quick Google search revealed
Thu May 9, 2019, 04:12 PM
May 2019

"Brand and generic names of SGLT2 inhibitors and combination products that contain SGLT2 inhibitors include:
canagliflozin (Invokana)
dapagliflozin (Farxiga)
empagliflozin (Jardiance)
empagliflozin/linagliptin (Glyxambi)
empagliflozin/metformin (Synjardy)
dapagliflozin/metformin (Xigduo XR)"

I'm glad my Tradjenta is not on that list.

Edited to add: Oh, shit, "linagliptin" is Tradjenta!

customerserviceguy

(25,183 posts)
8. Fortunately
Thu May 9, 2019, 08:41 PM
May 2019

I'm now retired, and have the time to search "down there". The report did say it was extremely rare, and I have incredible luck with my health most all of the time.

The Blue Flower

(5,420 posts)
4. I take metformin, but will not panic
Thu May 9, 2019, 04:27 PM
May 2019

Here's a bit from the original article in Annals of Internal Medicine (bolding is mine):

Clinical and laboratory data.

Results:
The FDA identified 55 unique cases of FG in patients receiving SGLT2 inhibitors between 1 March 2013 and 31 January 2019. The patients ranged in age from 33 to 87 years; 39 were men, and 16 were women. Time to onset after initiation of SGLT2-inhibitor therapy ranged from 5 days to 49 months. All patients had surgical debridement and were severely ill. Reported complications included diabetic ketoacidosis (n = 8), sepsis or septic shock (n = 9), and acute kidney injury (n = 4). Eight patients had fecal diversion surgery, 2 patients developed necrotizing fasciitis of a lower extremity that required amputation, and 1 patient required a lower-extremity bypass procedure because of gangrenous toes. Three patients died. For comparison, the FDA identified 19 FG cases associated with other antiglycemic agents between 1984 and 31 January 2019: metformin (n = 8), insulin glargine (n = 6), short-acting insulin (n = 2), sitagliptin plus metformin (n = 2), and dulaglutide (n = 1). These patients ranged in age from 42 to 79 years; 12 were men, and 7 were women. Two patients died.

Limitation:
Inability to establish causality or incidence, variable quality of reports, possible underreporting, and confounding by indication.

Conclusion:
FG is a newly identified safety concern in patients receiving SGLT2 inhibitors. Physicians prescribing these agents should be aware of this possible complication and have a high index of suspicion to recognize it in its early stages.

SoCalNative

(4,613 posts)
7. I'm on Metformin
Thu May 9, 2019, 07:01 PM
May 2019

and Invokana...

But the metformin listed above is in combination with other drugs, not by itself alone.

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