Tradjenta Tablet: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Tradjenta Tablet (linagliptin) is a prescription DPP-4 inhibitor used along with diet and exercise to help lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. It is not used for type 1 diabetes. It is taken once daily, with or without food, and may be used alone or combined with other diabetes medicines such as metformin, glimepiride, insulin, or rosiglitazone.

What is Tradjenta Tablet

Tradjenta is a prescription tablet used along with diet and exercise to help lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. It is not used for type 1 diabetes.

Tradjenta Tablet uses

• Helps manage blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes, used together with a balanced diet and regular exercise
• Used alone or combined with other diabetes medicines such as metformin, glimepiride, insulin, or rosiglitazone

Benefits of Tradjenta Tablet

• Can help lower blood sugar and A1C levels
• Has a once-daily, simple dosing schedule
• Can be taken with or without food
• Does not need dose adjustment for kidney function
• Has a low risk of causing low blood sugar or weight gain when used alone

How Tradjenta Tablet works

Tradjenta blocks an enzyme called DPP-4 that normally breaks down certain body hormones (GLP-1 and GIP). By blocking this enzyme, more of these hormones stay active, which signals the pancreas to release more insulin and tells the liver to make less sugar. This helps lower blood sugar levels.

Tradjenta Tablet dosage

Take it once daily, at any time, but try to take it around the same time each day. It can be taken with or without food. Tradjenta comes as a tablet that is swallowed; it's not known if it can be split, crushed, or chewed, so talk to your doctor if you have trouble swallowing tablets. It is meant to be used long term along with diet, exercise, and blood sugar monitoring. It is not approved for use in anyone younger than 18 years old.

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember, but if it's almost time for your next dose, skip the missed one — never take two doses at once.

Available forms and strengths

• Oral tablet (film-coated)

Side effects of Tradjenta Tablet

Common

• Runny or stuffy nose
• Sore throat
• Cough
• Diarrhea
• Headache
• Upper respiratory tract infections (common cold or sinus infection)

Serious

• Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), which can be severe and rarely fatal
• Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), especially when taken with insulin or sulfonylurea medicines
• Heart failure (shortness of breath, cough, fatigue, swelling in legs or feet, fast heartbeat)
• Severe or ongoing joint pain
• Serious allergic reaction (swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat; hives; trouble breathing or swallowing; skin peeling)
• Bullous pemphigoid, a rare serious skin condition causing blisters

Warnings and precautions

• Tradjenta can cause severe, life-threatening inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis). Stop taking it and call your doctor right away if you get severe stomach pain that doesn't go away, especially if it spreads to your back, with or without vomiting.
• Watch for signs of heart failure, such as swelling, rapid weight gain, or shortness of breath, even while lying down, and call your doctor right away if these occur.
• Do not use this medicine if you have diabetic ketoacidosis; call your doctor for treatment instead.
• Some people taking Tradjenta have developed a rare serious skin condition called bullous pemphigoid, causing blisters and skin breakdown that may need hospital treatment.
• It isn't known for certain if Tradjenta is safe during pregnancy, as it hasn't been studied enough in pregnant people. Doctors will likely not prescribe it during pregnancy and will recommend other ways to manage blood sugar.
• It isn't known if Tradjenta is safe while breastfeeding, as it hasn't been studied in people who are breastfeeding. In animal studies it passed into milk, but effects on human breast milk and breastfed children are unknown.
• There is no special dosing adjustment for people with kidney problems, and the drug itself doesn't cause kidney problems. However, your doctor will want to know about any kidney issues, since kidney problems may raise your risk of heart failure, a possible side effect.
• Alcohol hasn't been specifically reported to interact with Tradjenta, but drinking alcohol can make blood sugar harder to manage and may raise the risk of pancreatitis, especially if you have a history of alcohol use disorder.

Storage

• Store at room temperature between 68°F and 77°F (20°C and 25°C)
• Keep in a tightly sealed container away from light
• Avoid storing in areas where it could get damp or wet, such as bathrooms
• Keep out of the reach of children
• Ask your pharmacist how to properly dispose of unused or expired medication

When to see a doctor

• Get emergency help right away if you have signs of a serious allergic reaction, such as hives, rash, itching, skin peeling, trouble breathing, or swelling of the face or throat, or a severe skin reaction with fever, sore throat, burning eyes, or a red/purple rash with blistering
• Stop taking the medicine and call your doctor right away if you have severe stomach pain that spreads to your back, with or without vomiting, as this could be pancreatitis
• Call your doctor right away if you have severe or ongoing joint pain, signs of an autoimmune skin reaction like itching or blisters, or symptoms of heart failure such as shortness of breath, leg or feet swelling, or rapid weight gain
• If you think you've taken too much Tradjenta, seek emergency medical attention or contact a poison control center right away

Alternatives

• Vildagliptin
• Saxagliptin
• Sitagliptin