Anyone on Jardiance for Heart failure and your success with it

@altilla Interested to know how it helped initially - how did you feel different? And please give more info about the procedure you had - what was it? What did it do for you? How do you feel now? Thanks.

@cghader I am 82 and have been taking it now for a bout 3 months, no UTIs but did have a yeast infection that took a couple weeks and oral medication to get rid of. I have read where that is more likely when you first start taking it - don't know why.

@carculmer ...seems so many of these newer powerful drugs have much higher chance of serious side effects for geriatrics. UTIs and yeast infections can have serious outcomes. Afraid that sometimes the "cure" can be worse than the disease.

@jc76 My hopes to you, as well!

@carculmer It was like someone flipped a switch. I was immediately better without any of the HFpEF symptoms I had. I had forgotten it was possible to feel this good. Three weeks to the day today since the surgery and I followed my hunting dogs cross country for a little over a mile and then walked 4.6 miles at our local gym. No issues.

What the surgery consists of is cutting a “window” in the pericardium to allow my heart to fill better at reduced pressures. The cuts are made using the PeriCut catheter system. The study is trying to get FDA approval for the device. They have done five of the surgeries so far. I was number four.

I've had a very recent diagnosis of heart failure (HF), just starting on Jardiance. So far (1 week) no noticeable side effects, so fingers crossed. Re UTIs, has anyone been told, or learned if there is something we can/should do that might help prevent them? (Other than of course being as sanitary as possible, etc.)
I look forward to hearing more about how Jardiance has helped people with HF.

@bluelagoon Hi! Does anyone know how or why this med has any effect on our urinary tract? My doc is considering it. I'd never had a UTI. Then @ 61, I got a "silent" one, no pain, no fever. Then, one day I wasn't feeling good so I went in & it turned out I had polynephritis aka a double kidney infection. So I'm a bit concerned about UTI's. I would love to know if you've figured anything out about what triggers or caused yours before you were on Jardiance & while on it. Thank you 😊

@1tahoegal Jardiance relaxes blood vessels and kidney tubules/glomera which helps blood pressure (mine went from about 120/70 to 105/72) and also decreases pressure on the tubules and glomera (filters). UTIs and yeast infections are more common on the SGLT2 inhibitors because the meds work by flushing excess salts (S) and glucose (G) to your bladder and urethra, bypassing your kidneys rather than them working to process them. So, more sugar means more food for bacteria. I've been on Jardiance for a year and no symptoms, but I also don't have diabetes (my glucose and other numbers are stable). While on SGLT2 inhibitors it is important to avoid dehydration, to hydrate enough, and practice good hygiene down there. Frequent urination and also after sex helps. I take unsweetened cranberry juice/supplements, in case that decreases the ability of bacteria to attach to urethral walls (prevents UTIs, not treatment for). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7027998/ https://www.fda.gov/food/hfp-constituent-updates/fda-announces-qualified-health-claim-certain-cranberry-products-and-urinary-tract-infections https://www.cdc.gov/uti/about/index.html