Side Effects Of Alogliptin

NHS medicines information on side effects of alogliptin and what you can do to cope.

Like all medicines, alogliptin can cause side effects in some people. But many people have no side effects, or only minor ones.

Common side effects

These common side effects of alogliptin happen in more than 1 in 100 people. There are things you can do to help you cope with them:

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.

Low blood sugar ("hypos")

Alogliptin does not usually cause low blood sugar (known as hypoglycaemia, or "hypos") when taken on its own.

But hypos can happen when you take alogliptin 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
• increase your physical activity without eating more to compensate
• drink alcohol, especially after skipping a meal
• take some other medicines or herbal remedies at the same time
• have a hormone disorder, such as an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)
• have kidney or liver problems

Preventing hypos

It's important to have regular meals, including breakfast, to prevent hypoglycaemia. 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.

If taking in sugar does not help or the hypo symptoms come back, contact your doctor or the nearest hospital.

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 side effects

It happens rarely, but some people may have serious side effects after taking alogliptin.

Call your doctor or call 111 now if:

• you get severe stomach pains - this may be a sign of pancreatitis
• the whites of your eyes turn yellow, or your skin turns yellow (this may be less obvious on brown or black skin) - this can be a sign of liver problems

Serious allergic reaction

It's possible to have a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to alogliptin.

Other side effects

These are not all the side effects of alogliptin. For a full list, see the leaflet inside your medicines packet.

If you want to find out more about this particular topic you can visit the Original article on the NHS website. If you are worried by any aspect of your health make sure you go and see your doctor or book an appointment at your local clinic.