Diabetes causes high levels of sugar in the blood, meaning wounds can be difficult to heal and often prone to infection. That’s why every year, of the 29 million Americans with diabetes, more than 70,000 adults require some type of lower limb amputation.
Unfortunately, what many diabetics don’t know is that the prescriptions they take to help regulate their blood sugar levels can also significantly increase their amputation risk. One of those medications is the billion-dollar blockbuster drug from Johnson & Johnson named Invokana.
Invokana has been at the center of a controversy originating from patients claiming the diabetes medication has caused serious and unexpected side effects such as bone fractures, kidney injuries, diabetic ketoacidosis, and lower limb amputations.