Prescription medication · SGLT2 Inhibitor
canagliflozin
Also sold as Invokana. Invokana is used to help control blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 29,554
- FDA reportsModerately reported
- 5
- InteractionsFew interactions
- $19.17
- Brand price (NADAC)
What the data shows
canagliflozin (Invokana) is a prescription SGLT2 Inhibitor, reported at a middle-of-the-pack volume (29,554 FDA reports), with 5 documented drug interactions.
Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.
canagliflozin (Invokana) is a prescription SGLT2 Inhibitor. Invokana is used to help control blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes.
Invokana is a medicine used with diet and exercise to lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. It can also help reduce the risk of heart problems and kidney disease in some patients.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Brand Price
$19.17/unit
Generic Available
No
JANSSEN PHARMS
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Invokana is used to help control blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes.
Common side effects
Yeast infections of the vagina, Urinary tract infection, Increased urination
Key warnings
Invokana can cause serious side effects, including: - Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA): This is a serious condition where your body produces high levels of blood acids called ketones.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from canagliflozin's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Invokana is a type of medicine called an SGLT2 inhibitor. It works by preventing your kidneys from reabsorbing sugar back into your blood. This causes extra sugar to leave your body through your urine, which lowers your blood sugar levels.
How to Take It
Take Invokana once a day, before your first meal of the day. Your doctor will start you on either 100 mg or 300 mg. They may change your dose depending on how well the medicine works and your kidney function. If you are taking certain other medicines, your doctor may need to adjust your Invokana dose.
This is a plain-language summary of canagliflozin's FDA labeling, not individualized dosing advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber before changing how you take this medication.
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
Invokana is not recommended during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy because it may harm the developing baby's kidneys. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is also not recommended to use Invokana while breastfeeding.
This is a plain-language summary of canagliflozin's FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber about pregnancy or breastfeeding on this medication.
Missed Dose
If you miss a dose of Invokana, take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the regular time.
This is a plain-language summary of canagliflozin's FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber what to do about your specific missed dose.
Storage
Store Invokana at room temperature, away from moisture and heat.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 29,554 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for canagliflozin, by number of reports
- Diabetic ketoacidosis (high levels of ketones in the blood)
Diabetic ketoacidosis (high levels of ketones in the blood)
3,421 reports
- Toe amputation
Toe amputation
2,195 reports
- Bone infection
Bone infection
2,163 reports
- Sudden kidney damage
Sudden kidney damage
1,990 reports
- Fungal infection
Fungal infection
1,446 reports
- Weight loss 1,340
Weight loss
1,340 reports
- Increased blood sugar 1,227
Increased blood sugar
1,227 reports
- Tissue death due to lack of blood supply 1,084
Tissue death due to lack of blood supply
1,084 reports
- Skin infection 1,035
Skin infection
1,035 reports
- Urinary tract infection 1,016
Urinary tract infection
1,016 reports
What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.
Reports over time
Adverse-event reports filed for canagliflozin each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.
Where canagliflozin sits
canagliflozin has more FDA adverse-event reports than 63% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.
Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is canagliflozin; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 29,554 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2011–2025.
Total Reports
29,554
Reports Mentioning Death
678
2.3% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
10,619
Top Indication
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DIABETIC KETOACIDOSIS | 3,421 |
| 2 | TOE AMPUTATION | 2,195 |
| 3 | OSTEOMYELITIS | 2,163 |
| 4 | ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY | 1,990 |
| 5 | FUNGAL INFECTION | 1,446 |
| 6 | WEIGHT DECREASED | 1,340 |
| 7 | BLOOD GLUCOSE INCREASED | 1,227 |
| 8 | GANGRENE | 1,084 |
| 9 | CELLULITIS | 1,035 |
| 10 | URINARY TRACT INFECTION | 1,016 |
| 13 | NAUSEA | 997 |
| 14 | DIZZINESS | 839 |
| 15 | DIABETIC FOOT INFECTION | 834 |
| 16 | LEG AMPUTATION | 792 |
| 17 | DIABETIC FOOT | 788 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
Invokana can cause serious side effects, including: - Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA): This is a serious condition where your body produces high levels of blood acids called ketones. DKA can be life-threatening. - Lower limb amputation: Invokana may increase your risk of needing an amputation of your foot or leg. - Volume depletion: Invokana can cause dehydration, which can lead to kidney problems and low blood pressure. - Serious infections: Invokana can increase your risk of urinary tract infections and a rare but serious infection of the tissue under the skin in the area between and around the anus and genitals (Fournier's gangrene).
Known Drug Interactions
Examples: Rifampin, phenytoin, phenobarbital, ritonavir Insulin or Insulin Secretagogues Clinical Impact: The risk of hypoglycemia is increased when INVOKANA is used concomitantly with insulin secretagogues (e.g., sulfonylurea) or insulin.
Mechanism: Rifampin causes your body to process and remove the diabetes medicine more quickly than usual. This can make the diabetes medicine less effective at lowering your blood sugar.
What to do: Your doctor may need to check your blood sugar levels more often. They might need to increase your dose of the diabetes medicine while you are taking rifampin.
Examples: Rifampin, phenytoin, phenobarbital, ritonavir Insulin or Insulin Secretagogues Clinical Impact: The risk of hypoglycemia is increased when INVOKANA is used concomitantly with insulin secretagogues (e.g., sulfonylurea) or insulin.
Mechanism: Phenytoin can cause your body to process canagliflozin more quickly, which may lower the amount of medicine in your system.
What to do: Your doctor may need to monitor your blood sugar more closely or adjust your dose of canagliflozin.
Examples: Rifampin, phenytoin, phenobarbital, ritonavir Insulin or Insulin Secretagogues Clinical Impact: The risk of hypoglycemia is increased when INVOKANA is used concomitantly with insulin secretagogues (e.g., sulfonylurea) or insulin.
Mechanism: Phenobarbital speeds up the breakdown of canagliflozin in your body, which can make the diabetes medicine less effective.
What to do: Monitor your blood sugar levels regularly and consult your doctor about potential dosage changes.
Lithium Clinical Impact: Concomitant use of an SGLT2 inhibitor with lithium may decrease serum lithium concentrations. Intervention: Monitor serum lithium concentration more frequently during INVOKANA initiation and dosage changes.
Mechanism: Canagliflozin can cause the body to remove lithium more quickly, which lowers the amount of lithium in your blood.
What to do: Your doctor should check your lithium blood levels more often when you start or change your dose of canagliflozin.
Digoxin Clinical Impact: Canagliflozin increases digoxin exposure [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] . Intervention: Monitor patients taking INVOKANA with concomitant digoxin for a need to adjust the dosage of digoxin.
Mechanism: Canagliflozin can increase the amount of digoxin that stays in your body.
What to do: Your doctor should monitor you closely to see if your digoxin dose needs to be adjusted.
This is a plain-language summary of interactions documented in FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber before combining medications.
Common Questions
What should I do if I think I have ketoacidosis?
Can Invokana be used for type 1 diabetes?
Will Invokana cause low blood sugar?
How often will my doctor check my kidney function?
What if I need surgery?
Can Invokana cause bone problems?
Does Invokana interact with other medications?
What are the symptoms of a urinary tract infection?
How will I know if Invokana is working?
Can Invokana cause dehydration?
What are the common side effects of canagliflozin?
Does canagliflozin interact with other medications?
What drug class is canagliflozin?
Is canagliflozin safe during pregnancy?
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What the FDA Data Shows for canagliflozin
The FDA label for canagliflozin (sold under brand names such as Invokana) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the SGLT2 Inhibitor class. Invokana is used to help control blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes. Official labeling lists 3 commonly reported side effects, including Yeast infections of the vagina, Urinary tract infection, Increased urination.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 29,554 voluntary reports. The database also lists 5 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated moderate severity. NADAC pricing from CMS.
Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history, and patent information further shape supply and switching decisions. This page summarizes public FDA data for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, always consult a licensed healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. Always consult a healthcare professional before making medication decisions.
Last updated: October 24, 2023
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled and last refreshed May 2026. See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a correction.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book - approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed - NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) - post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm - standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files - federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database - current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages