Jardiance is taken as one tablet by mouth, once a day in the morning, with or without food. Most people start at 10 mg and may later increase to 25 mg if their doctor adjusts the dose. The tablet should be swallowed whole with water, and the same time each day helps maintain steady levels in your body.
Starting Dose and How It May Change
The standard starting dose is 10 mg once daily. If your blood sugar still needs better control and you’re tolerating the medication well, your doctor may increase it to 25 mg. The 10 mg dose is also the standard for people taking Jardiance for heart failure or kidney disease, and in those cases the dose typically stays at 10 mg rather than increasing.
You don’t need to take Jardiance with a meal, but many people find it easier to remember by pairing it with breakfast. Taking it in the morning also makes sense because the medication increases urination, and a morning dose means most of that extra output happens during daytime hours rather than disrupting your sleep.
What to Do If You Miss a Dose
If you forget your morning dose, take it as soon as you remember. But if it’s already close to the time for your next dose the following day, skip the missed one entirely and get back on your regular schedule. Never double up to make up for a missed tablet.
How Jardiance Works in Your Body
Jardiance lowers blood sugar through your kidneys rather than by affecting insulin. Your kidneys normally filter glucose out of the blood and then reabsorb almost all of it back into the bloodstream. Jardiance blocks the protein responsible for that reabsorption, so excess glucose passes into your urine instead. This is why you’ll notice you urinate more often and why the medication works independently of insulin production.
Because the drug depends on kidney filtration to work, it becomes less effective for blood sugar control if your kidney function is significantly reduced. Jardiance is not recommended for blood sugar management in people whose estimated kidney filtration rate (eGFR) falls below 30. Your doctor will check kidney function before starting treatment and periodically after.
Common Side Effects
The most frequent side effects reflect how the drug works: more sugar in the urine creates an environment where infections are more likely, and the extra fluid loss means more trips to the bathroom.
- Urinary tract infections occurred in about 9% of people taking the 10 mg dose in clinical trials, compared to 8% on placebo.
- Genital yeast infections in women were notably more common, affecting roughly 5 to 6% of women on Jardiance versus 1.5% on placebo.
- Genital yeast infections in men affected about 2 to 3% on the medication compared to under 1% on placebo.
- Increased urination occurred in about 3% of users, roughly triple the rate seen with placebo.
- Nausea affected about 2% of people on the 10 mg dose.
- Joint pain was reported in about 2% of users.
Most of these side effects are manageable. Staying well-hydrated helps with the increased urination, and good genital hygiene can reduce the risk of yeast infections. If you notice itching, unusual discharge, burning during urination, or swelling in the genital area, those are signs of an infection that needs attention.
Serious Risks to Be Aware Of
A rare but important concern with Jardiance and related medications is a type of ketoacidosis where blood sugar may appear normal or only mildly elevated. Typical ketoacidosis in diabetes comes with very high blood sugar, but this version can be deceptive. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fatigue, and difficulty breathing. If you experience these, seek medical attention promptly. This risk increases during situations that stress the body, which is why Jardiance is sometimes temporarily stopped before planned surgery or during extended intense exercise like marathon running.
An extremely rare but serious complication is Fournier’s gangrene, a severe infection of the tissue around the genitals. This requires immediate emergency care and permanent discontinuation of the medication. It is exceptionally uncommon, but any rapidly worsening pain, swelling, or redness in the genital or perineal area warrants urgent evaluation.
Storing Your Medication
Keep Jardiance at room temperature, ideally between 68°F and 77°F. Brief exposure to temperatures as low as 59°F or as high as 86°F is fine, but avoid leaving it in a hot car or near a window with direct sunlight for extended periods. Store the tablets in their original container to protect them from moisture.