Experiences with
Linagliptin

Linagliptin is a medicine used to treat type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is a condition where the body does not make enough insulin, or the insulin that it makes does not work properly. This can cause high blood sugar levels (hyperglycaemia).

Linagliptin is usually prescribed when a healthy diet and exercise alone have not been enough to control your blood sugar levels.

It works by increasing the amount of insulin that your body makes. Insulin is the hormone that controls sugar levels in your blood.

Linagliptin is only available on prescription.

It comes as tablets. It also comes as tablets containing a mixture of linagliptin and metformin (called Jantadueto) and as tablets containing a mixture of linagliptin and empagliflozin (called Glyxambi).

Who can take linagliptin

Most adults aged 18 years and older can take linagliptin.

Who may not be able to take linagliptin

This medicine is not used to treat type 1 diabetes (when your body does not produce insulin).

Linagliptin is not suitable for some people. To make sure it's safe for you, tell your doctor if you:

have ever had an allergic reaction to linagliptin or any other medicine
have ever had problems with your pancreas
are pregnant or breastfeeding, or trying to get pregnant

Dosage and strength

Linagliptin comes as 5mg tablets.

The usual dose is 5mg a day.

How to take it

Take linagliptin once a day.

You can take it at any time – for example, in the morning or in the evening. But try to take it at the same time every day.

Swallow the tablet whole with a drink of water, without breaking it.

You can take it with or without food.

How long to take it for

Linagliptin helps keep your blood sugar level as normal as possible to prevent health problems.

You'll probably have to take it for a long time, even for the rest of your life.

Over time it gets harder to control blood sugar levels, so your doctor might eventually recommend stopping linagliptin and trying a different treatment.

Do not stop taking linagliptin without speaking to your doctor.

If you forget to take it

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember, unless it's nearly time for your next dose. In this case, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the usual time.

Do not take 2 doses to make up for a forgotten dose.

If you often forget doses, it may help to set an alarm to remind you. You could ask your pharmacist for advice on other ways to help you remember to take your medicines.

If you take too much

you take more than your prescribed dose of linagliptin and:

you have stomach pains
you are feeling or being sick (nausea or vomiting)
you feel dizzy
you are worried

Get help from 111 online or call 111

If you need to go to A&E, do not drive. Ask someone to drive you or call 999 and ask for an ambulance.

Bring the linagliptin packet or leaflet inside it, any remaining medicine, and any other medicines you take.

Serious side effects

It happens rarely, but some people may have serious side effects after taking linagliptin.

Contact your doctor or call 111 straight away if:

you get severe stomach pains
the whites of your eyes turn yellow, or your skin turns yellow although this may be less obvious on brown or black skin – this can be a sign of liver problems

Low blood sugar

Linagliptin does not usually cause low blood sugar (known as hypoglycaemia, or "hypos") when taken on its own.

But hypos can happen when you take linagliptin with other diabetes medicines, such as insulin or gliclazide.

Early warning signs of low blood sugar include:

feeling hungry
trembling or shaking
sweating
confusion
difficulty concentrating

It's also possible for your blood sugar to go too low while you're asleep. If this happens, it can make you feel sweaty, tired and confused when you wake up.

Low blood sugar may happen if you:

take too much of some types of diabetes medicines
eat meals irregularly or skip meals
are fasting
do not eat a healthy diet and are not getting enough nutrients
change what you eat
exercise too much without eating enough carbohydrates
drink alcohol, especially after skipping a meal
take some other medicines or herbal medicines at the same time
have a hormone disorder, such as an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)
have kidney or liver problems

Preventing hypos

To prevent hypos, it's important to have regular meals, including breakfast. Never miss or delay a meal.

If you're planning to exercise more than usual, make sure you eat carbohydrates like bread, pasta or cereals before, during or after exercise.

Always carry a fast-acting carbohydrate with you, like sugar cubes, fruit juice or some sweets, in case your blood sugar level gets low. Artificial sweeteners will not help.

You may also need to eat a starchy carbohydrate, like a sandwich or a biscuit, to maintain your blood sugar for longer.

Call your doctor or contact 111 if taking in sugar does not help or the hypo symptoms come back.

Make sure your friends and family know about your diabetes and the symptoms of low blood sugar levels so they can recognise a hypo if it happens.

Serious allergic reaction

It's possible to have a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to linagliptin.

Meds New IA (H4) - serious allergic reaction

These are not all the side effects of linagliptin. For a full list, see the leaflet inside your medicines packet.

Linagliptin and pregnancy

Linagliptin is not recommended as there's not much information about its safety during pregnancy. Other medicines used to treat diabetes, such as insulin and metformin, are safe to take while pregnant.

If you are pregnant or thinking of getting pregnant, talk to your doctor as they will need to review your treatment. They will be able to suggest a different medicine that is safer for you to take in pregnancy.

Linagliptin and breastfeeding

Linagliptin is not usually recommended while breastfeeding. We do not know how much of it passes into breast milk, but it is likely to be a small amount.

If you are breastfeeding, or planning to breastfeed, talk to your doctor about what's best for you and your baby. They will need to review your treatment and may be able to suggest a different medicine for you, particularly if you're breastfeeding a newborn or premature baby.

If your doctor says it's OK to keep taking linagliptin while breastfeeding, contact your health visitor, midwife, pharmacist or doctor as soon as possible if:

your baby is not feeding as well as usual
your baby seems unusually sleepy or drowsy
your baby seems unusually restless or irritable
your baby is paler, or more sweaty, than usual
your baby seems hungrier than usual
your baby is peeing more
you have any other concerns about your baby

Linagliptin and fertility

There's no evidence to suggest that taking linagliptin reduces fertility in either men or women.

Speak to a pharmacist or your doctor if you're trying to get pregnant. They may want to review your diabetes treatment.

Meds New IA (H2) - Pregnancy non-urgent care card

Cautions with other medicines

Some medicines and linagliptin can affect each other. Some can increase your risk of getting side effects.

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you're taking any of these medicines before you start linagliptin:

insulin or any other diabetes medicine including sulfonylureas, such as glimepiride or glipizide
rifampicin, an antibiotic used to treat tuberculosis (TB)
epilepsy medicines including carbamazepine, phenobarbital or phenytoin

Make sure that your doctor and pharmacist know you're taking linagliptin before starting or stopping any other medicine.

Mixing linagliptin with herbal remedies and supplements

There's not enough information to say that herbal remedies or supplements are safe to take with linagliptin. They're not tested in the same way as pharmacy and prescription medicines. They're generally not tested for the effect they have on other medicines.

Some herbal remedies might increase your chance of getting low blood sugar with linagliptin.

Meds New IA (H2) - Cautions with other medicines alert