Jardiance is part of a relatively new group of drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes.
Along with living a healthy lifestyle, this drug can help you control your blood sugar and reduce the risk of complications like heart disease.
As with all other medications, Jardiance has potential side effects that you should be aware of.
One side effect of Jardiance is an increased risk of yeast infections.
Keep reading to learn why these infections can occur and how to avoid yeast infections while on Jardiance.
8 lifestyle changes to reduce your risk of yeast infections on Jardiance
Some lifestyle changes may help reduce your risk of getting yeast infections while using Jardiance.
They may also help you feel more comfortable, quicken your recovery, and prevent recurrence if you already have an infection.
Below we discuss a few of these lifestyle changes:
1) Keep your genital area clean and dry
Yeasts thrive in moist environments, and poor hygiene can stimulate their overgrowth. You should not wear wet clothes such as gym outfits and swimsuits for long. Change such outfits as soon as possible.
While using Jaridence, you may be urinating more often than usual. Keeping your genital area clean and dry after using the bathroom is important.
To prevent irritation, it is advisable to use only unscented and mild soaps. Be sure to pat your genitals dry after washing.
If you are a woman, ensure that you only wipe from the front to the back after you use the toilet. UTIs are also a common side effect of Jardiance, and doing this can help you prevent them.
If you are an uncircumcised man, pay close attention to your foreskin and make sure that the area remains clean and dry.
Being uncircumcised may increase your risk of developing yeast infections because the foreskin can create a suitable environment for yeasts to thrive.
2) Wear breathable underwear
Wearing non-breathable underwear and tight-fitting clothes around your pelvic area can trap moisture and heat. This creates a favorable environment for candida to grow.
To reduce your risk of developing an infection, wear light, breathable underwear and loose-fitting clothes around your genital area.
It is best to stay away from materials that can trap heat (e.g., nylon) and wear breathable fabrics like cotton and linen instead.
3) Change your sanitary products often
As a woman, it is important to change the products you use during your period (tampons, pads, panty liners, etc) regularly.
Leaving them in place for too long creates an environment that is ideal for yeasts and other microbes to grow uncontrollably.
4) Don’t douche
Women are generally advised not to practice douching because it is associated with several problems.
As a diabetic using Jardiance, it is even more important for you to avoid this practice.
Because of its mechanism of action, Jardiance may alter your pH and disrupt the natural balance of microbes in the vagina.
Douching can cause further disruption and, thereby, increase your risk of getting a yeast infection.
5) Eat probiotics
Since one of the ways that Jardiance may increase your risk of yeast infections is by disrupting the balance of normal floral, you can encourage this balance by eating foods that contain probiotics, such as:
- Yogurt
- Pickles
- Tempeh
- Sourdough bread
You can also consider using probiotic supplements.
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6) Only use antibiotics when needed
Using antibiotics, especially broad-spectrum antibiotics, can increase your risk of getting a yeast infection.
This is because antibiotics can kill off healthy bacteria, disrupt the natural balance, and promote excessive yeast growth.
If you are on Jardiance, avoid using antibiotics indiscriminately. Only use them if a doctor prescribes them for you.
When you’re using prescribed antibiotics, eating more probiotic-rich foods or using probiotic supplements may help reduce your risk of developing a yeast infection.
7) Avoid sex with an infected person
Are yeast infections contagious? It is possible for yeast infections to be transmitted from one person to another. Yeast from one partner’s genitals can spread over to the other person’s genitals and trigger an overgrowth.
As such, it is best to avoid sexual intercourse with a person that has a yeast infection when you are using Jardiance.
8) Eat a healthy diet
When it comes to managing blood sugar, your diet plays a role that is just as important as the drugs you take.
So, even when using a drug like Jardiance, you have to ensure that you are reducing carb-rich foods and eating a healthy diet.
This will help keep your blood sugar in check and may reduce your risk of developing genital candidiasis.
How to treat a Jardiance-related yeast infection
Preventing or avoiding yeast infections while using Jardiance may not always be possible.
Fortunately, there are various treatment options available, and most infections are cleared within two weeks or less.
Some treatments come as pills that you take orally, and others are creams that you apply to the affected area.
Popular treatment options are:
- Over-the-counter and prescription antifungal creams like clotrimazole (Lotrimin, Mycelex), terconazole (Terazol), and miconazole (Monistat 3).
- The prescription oral drug fluconazole (Diflucan).
Treatment usually lasts for one to seven days. You may need a longer regimen if your infection is severe or you have recurrent yeast infections.
Your doctor may also decide to switch you to a different class of anti-diabetic medication if you develop severe or recurrent infections while using Jardiance.
Are yeast infections common with Jardiance?
Yes. Clinical trials revealed that genital yeast infections are some of the most common side effects people experience when using Jardiance.
These infections are more often experienced by women using Jardiance than by men. They are also more likely to develop in people who have a history of chronic or recurrent yeast infections.
It is important to note that diabetes itself may increase your risk of getting a yeast infection, especially when it is poorly controlled.
Why does Jardiance cause yeast infections?
Jardiance is one of the brand names for empagliflozin. It is part of a group of medications called sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors.
SGLT-2 is a protein that is mainly found in the kidneys. Its function is to reabsorb glucose from the urine and put it back into the blood.
Jardiance lowers blood sugar by inhibiting this reabsorption of glucose and allowing for more excretion of glucose in the urine.
This mechanism of action may increase your risk of developing yeast infections in the following ways:
| Mechanism of action | Explanation |
| Energy source | The presence of glucose in the urine can provide an energy source that candida can use to overgrow. |
| pH changes | Glucose in the urine may also cause changes in the pH of the genital area, leading to a disruption of the natural balance and possibly triggering yeast infections. |
| More moisture | Another common side effect of Jardiance is frequent urination. This may lead to increased moisture around the genital area, creating a favorable environment for yeast to grow and thrive. |
Should I stop taking Jardiance if I get a yeast infection?
You should not stop taking an anti-diabetic medication unless your doctor recommends it. Stopping Jardiance once a yeast infection has occurred may cause the infection to get even worse.
The reason is, stopping your medication could lead to you developing hyperglycemia which promotes the overgrowth of yeast and increases the risk of severe infection.
If you have symptoms of a yeast infection while on Jadiance, contact your doctor immediately. They are not likely to stop the medication because it is important to ensure that your blood sugar is well-controlled.
Instead, they will recommend or prescribe antifungals to help you get rid of the infection while you continue the drug.
Talking to your doctor and treating the infection as soon as possible is crucial. The earlier you get a yeast infection treated, the less likely it is to spread or get severe.
If you have a history of recurrent or chronic yeast infections, be sure to let your doctor know before you start treatment with Jardiance.
The drug may not be a good option for you, and you may need to be switched to another class of anti-diabetic drugs in this case.
Conclusion
Jardiance is an SGLT-2 inhibitor that lowers blood sugar by increasing the excretion of glucose through urine.
As a result of its mechanism of action, it may predispose users to yeast infections. Studies have shown that these infections are some of the most common side effects of the drug.
Lifestyle changes such as keeping the genital area clean and dry, wearing breathable underwear, changing sanitary products often, and consuming probiotic-rich foods may help reduce the risk of yeast infections while using Jardiance.
You should call your doctor as soon as you notice that you have symptoms of a yeast infection while using Jardiance. Do not stop taking the medication without a recommendation from your doctor.
There are many treatment options available, and most infections are cleared up quickly.
If you have any other questions about issues relating to Jardiance and yeast infections, please contact your healthcare provider.
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