Learn About Diabetes
Type 2 Diabetes Medication - Merck
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UNDERSTANDING JANUVIA

JANUVIA is a once-daily pill that, along with diet and exercise, helps lower blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes. JANUVIA is a type of prescription medicine called a DPP-4 inhibitor (blocker). DPP-4 blockers enhance the body's own ability to control blood sugar levels.

JANUVIA helps your body:
Learn about Diabetes and how JANUVIA helps your body. Increase insulin made by your pancreas, when blood sugar is high. This is when the body needs the most help in lowering blood sugar. Reduce the amount of sugar made by your liver when your body doesn’t need it

JANUVIA works only when your blood sugar levels are high

Because JANUVIA stops working before your blood sugar gets too low, it is not likely to lower your blood sugar to a potentially dangerous level (hypoglycemia). When your blood sugar levels are at a healthy balance, JANUVIA doesn't have an effect. When JANUVIA is used with a sulfonylurea, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) can occur. To avoid this risk, your doctor may prescribe lower doses of the sulfonylurea.

Most people who took JANUVIA did not gain weight

Keeping at a healthy weight is an important part of taking care of your diabetes. A healthy weight is good for your heart and can help keep your blood sugar levels balanced. Most people with type 2 diabetes struggle to reach or maintain a healthy weight. This can be discouraging. So you’ll be glad to know that most patients who took JANUVIA did not gain weight.

A doctor may prescribe JANUVIA alone or together with certain other diabetes medicines to help control blood sugar. Take JANUVIA exactly as your doctor has prescribed and follow your doctor’s treatment plan for healthy eating and exercise.

Learn more about taking JANUVIA.

JANUVIA (jah-NEW-vee-ah) is a once-daily prescription pill that, along with diet and exercise, helps lower blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes.

JANUVIA should not be used in patients with type 1 diabetes or with diabetic ketoacidosis (increased ketones in the blood or urine). If you have had pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), it is not known if you have a higher chance of getting it while taking JANUVIA.

Selected Risk Information About JANUVIA
Serious side effects can happen in people who take JANUVIA, including pancreatitis, which may be severe and lead to death. Before you start taking JANUVIA, tell your doctor if you've ever had pancreatitis. Stop taking JANUVIA and call your doctor right away if you have pain in your stomach area (abdomen) that is severe and will not go away. The pain may be felt going from your abdomen through to your back. The pain may happen with or without vomiting. These may be symptoms of pancreatitis.

Do not take JANUVIA if you are allergic to any of its ingredients, including sitagliptin. Symptoms of serious allergic reactions to JANUVIA, including rash, hives, and swelling of the face, lips, tongue, and throat that may cause difficulty breathing or swallowing, can occur. If you have any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, stop taking JANUVIA and call your doctor right away.

If you take JANUVIA with another medicine that can cause low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), such as a sulfonylurea or insulin, your risk of getting low blood sugar is higher. The dose of your sulfonylurea medicine or insulin may need to be lowered while you use JANUVIA. Signs and symptoms of low blood sugar may include headache, drowsiness, weakness, dizziness, confusion, irritability, hunger, fast heart beat, sweating, and feeling jittery.

Your doctor may do blood tests before and during treatment with JANUVIA to see how well your kidneys are working. Based on these results, your doctor may change your dose of JANUVIA. The most common side effects of JANUVIA are upper respiratory tract infection, stuffy or runny nose and sore throat, and headache.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please read the Medication Guide and discuss it with your doctor. Also available is the Prescribing Information.

*Terms and Conditions

  • The voucher is valid for one free 30-day trial supply of JANUVIA.
  • Limit 1 voucher per patient for the duration of the program. Valid for 1-time use only. Free trial offer valid only for up to 30 tablets of JANUVIA. No purchase is necessary. Not valid for refills.
  • The voucher is not transferable. No substitutions are permitted. Cannot be combined with any other free trial, coupon, discount, prescription savings card, or other offer.
  • The voucher is not insurance.
  • Patient must be 18 years or older.
  • Patient and prescriber agree not to seek reimbursement for all or any part of the benefit received by the patient through this offer.
  • The voucher can be used only by eligible US residents at participating eligible retail pharmacies in the United States. Product must originate in the United States.
  • It is illegal to sell, purchase, trade, or counterfeit the voucher.
  • The voucher is property of Merck & Co., Inc., and must be turned in on request.
  • Merck & Co., Inc., reserves the right to rescind, revoke, or amend this offer at any time without notice.
  • Void if reproduced. Void where prohibited by law, taxed, or restricted.
  • Please read the Medication Guide and discuss it with your doctor. Also available is the Prescribing Information.
  • Expiration Date: 12/31/2010.

JANUVIA is a registered trademark and Steps to Balance is a trademark of Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc.
This site is intended only for residents of the United States, its territories, and Puerto Rico.
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