Jardiance vs Farxiga: How the Two SGLT2 Inhibitors Compare

Jardiance vs Farxiga at a Glance

Jardiance and Farxiga share nearly the same listed uses as daily oral sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors. Both medications help control their listed conditions but do not cure them. The table below outlines how these two therapies compare across active ingredients, dosing rules, and listed uses.

The drug-information pages on MedlinePlus empagliflozin and MedlinePlus dapagliflozin describe each medication individually. The two MedlinePlus pages give no head-to-head comparison.

How Each Drug Works in the Kidneys

Both medications lower blood sugar levels by prompting the kidneys to excrete glucose directly through urine. Empagliflozin causes the kidneys to get rid of more glucose in the urine. Dapagliflozin works by helping the kidneys remove glucose (sugar) and excess fluid through the urine.

Patients take each medication as a tablet by mouth once a day. Empagliflozin is usually taken in the morning, with or without food. Dapagliflozin is taken with or without food, once a day, at around the same time every day.

A doctor may start a patient on a low dose and increase that dose as needed. Both drugs help control the underlying medical condition but do not cure it. You should continue taking your medication even if you feel well, and you must not stop taking it without talking to your doctor.

Deciding Between Jardiance and Farxiga

No head-to-head clinical trial comparison exists on the MedlinePlus reference pages to prove that one medication is superior to the other. Both drugs belong to the exact same pharmacological class and share almost identical treatment purposes. Choosing between them comes down to your doctor's clinical judgment, your medical diagnoses, and your insurance coverage.

See diabetes guidelines for related reading. The choice between them belongs to your prescriber based on your conditions and coverage. The MedlinePlus pages publish no price or cost information. Questions about cost, coverage, and the choice between them should be directed to your prescriber and pharmacist.

Jardiance vs Farxiga Listed Uses Compared

The listed medical uses for Jardiance and Farxiga match across almost all clinical categories, with one specific difference for people who have type 2 diabetes. Both medications lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. However, the published cardiovascular uses for that group use distinct phrasing on MedlinePlus.

The empagliflozin page states that it is used to reduce the risk of stroke, heart attack, or death in certain people who have type 2 diabetes. In contrast, the dapagliflozin page states that it is used to reduce the risk of being hospitalized for heart failure in certain adults with type 2 diabetes. The wording of the listed uses differs in this one place only.

Both medications are used to reduce the risk of being hospitalized for heart failure and death in adults with heart failure. Furthermore, both are used to reduce the risk of worsening of kidney disease, being hospitalized for heart failure, and death in certain adults with kidney disease. The empagliflozin page says it is not used to treat type 1 diabetes; the dapagliflozin page does not say either way, so ask your prescriber.

Side Effects and Safety Warnings

Both medications list common side effects, but their listed symptoms differ on MedlinePlus. Empagliflozin lists urinating a lot, including at night, and increased thirst. Dapagliflozin lists urinating a lot, including at night, stuffy or runny nose, sore throat, leg or arm pain, and constipation. Tell your doctor if these symptoms become severe or do not go away.

Both pages describe serious side effects that require you to call a doctor immediately. These include frequent, urgent, burning or painful urination, cloudy, red, pink, or brown urine, and pelvic or rectal pain. Watch for genital yeast-infection symptoms in women, such as vaginal odor, white or yellowish discharge, or itching, and in men, including redness, itching, swelling of the penis, rash, or foul-smelling discharge. Seek immediate care for a fever accompanied by pain, tenderness, redness, and swelling of the genitals or the area between the genitals and the rectum.

Both medications warn of ketoacidosis, a serious condition marked by nausea, vomiting, stomach-area pain, tiredness, or difficulty breathing. If you notice these symptoms, stop taking the drug immediately and call a doctor or get emergency treatment. Check urine ketones if possible, even if your blood sugar is under 250 mg/dL. Related reading includes how to test ketones and the anion gap.

Both drugs can cause dehydration, so you must drink plenty of water and ask your doctor or pharmacist how much fluid to consume. Inform your doctor if you eat or drink less due to illness, or experience recent diarrhea, vomiting, or heavy sweating. Empagliflozin may also cause dizziness, lightheadedness, and fainting when getting up too quickly from lying down, which happens more commonly when first starting the medication.

The empagliflozin MedlinePlus page states that it can increase the risk of lower limb amputation involving the toe, foot, or leg. Patients taking empagliflozin must call a doctor right away for pain, tenderness, sores, ulcers, a swollen, warm, reddened area on the leg or foot, or fever and chills. The dapagliflozin MedlinePlus page does not carry this lower limb amputation warning in its text. Ask your prescriber about foot care and current product labeling.

Before You Start

Inform your surgeon or dentist that you take an SGLT2 inhibitor before any planned procedure. A doctor may tell you to stop empagliflozin at least 3 days before surgery, while a doctor will probably tell you to stop dapagliflozin at least 3 days before surgery.

Tell your doctor about low blood pressure, kidney disease, liver disease, pancreatic disease including pancreatitis, urinary tract infections, urination problems, or genital yeast infections. Tell your doctor if you have never been circumcised or follow a ketogenic diet, and ask your doctor about safe alcohol use because alcohol can change blood sugar. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, planning pregnancy, or breastfeeding; do not breastfeed while taking either medication, and call your doctor if you become pregnant.

Because empagliflozin causes the kidneys to release sugar, your urine may test positive for glucose. Always inform laboratory staff about your medication before taking any urine test. Related lab resources include the A1c test, an eGFR test, and a comprehensive metabolic panel.

Both active ingredients exist in combination products. Empagliflozin is formulated in Glyxambi (with linagliptin), Synjardy (with metformin), and Trijardy (with linagliptin and metformin). Dapagliflozin is formulated in Qtern (with saxagliptin), Qternmet XR (with metformin and saxagliptin), and Xigduo XR (with metformin), though MedlinePlus notes Xigduo XR is no longer on the market and generic alternatives may be available.

The Verdict

The choice between Jardiance and Farxiga belongs to your prescriber based on your conditions, coverage, and tolerability. The empagliflozin page says it is not used to treat type 1 diabetes, and the dapagliflozin page is silent on it, so anyone with type 1 diabetes should ask a prescriber first. Ask your prescriber if you have had ketoacidosis, are dehydrated, or eat or drink less due to illness. Patients heading into surgery should ask their doctor about stopping at least 3 days prior, and you must not breastfeed while taking either medication.

A prescriber's decision could change with a coverage change. The prescription could also change if you develop a side effect or receive a new diagnosis. Bring your questions to your prescriber to review any A1c or eGFR lab results, or visit our assessment.