Januvia User Reviews & Ratings

• Clo...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 11, 2019

For Diabetes, Type 2 "My husband began taking Januvia when his A1C tested at 7.2 in February 2016. Although his level dropped to 5.6 and remained stable, he came down with necrotizing pancreatitis on June 2, 2018. He died on June 26, 2018 after spending 22 days suffering in ICU."

• Sre...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 22, 2013

For Diabetes, Type 2 "One month before, I got newly diagnosed that I am diabetic. My A1C test shows 6.9 and the doctor told me I have diabetes. He prescribed Januvia 100mg (1 time) with metformin 500mg (2 times). I felt some side effects initially that went away after a few days. Now I am doing regular exercise. But if I stop exercising or eat more food, the side effects like stomach problems easily come back. When I check my sugar on the device, it shows around 70-80 when fasting and 90-105 two hours after breakfast. I notice my glucose coming down when I miss a meal anytime, which I find hard to tolerate. So I believe exercise is more important than any medicine. Once I dropped all medicines for ten days and exercised only, my glucose levels showed normal."

• Lau...
• April 9, 2012

For Diabetes, Type 2 "On 100 mg daily for almost 2 years and could hardly walk, lay, or sit anymore. EXTREME joint pain, increasing monthly. Sent to arthritis doctor and ortho with no relief, only more pills. I researched online and found others with the same problem. Took myself off Januvia and joint pain is GONE! I can walk again!"

• Tam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 6, 2020

For Diabetes, Type 2 "Started taking Januvia with Metformin, and blood sugars normalized. Unfortunately, I started having severe joint pain in my shoulders, hands, hips, and back, as well as pain in my arm and leg muscles. I’m going to contact my doctor and stop the Januvia. The pain is excruciating!"

• Sta...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 13, 2020

For Diabetes, Type 2 "My mother died from this medication Januvia. The hospital had no reason, they said her brain swelled as if someone bludgeoned her but no bruising. My boyfriend was on this about a year before I met him. Multiple hospitalizations occurred, and the doctors were trying to figure out how to safely get off. If anyone has safely gotten off, PLEASE share your experiences. Anyone with a HEADACHE, get OFF NOW. Anyone with pancreas pain, get OFF NOW. This medication KILLS. Look into the lawsuits."

• Mit...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 4, 2019

For Diabetes, Type 2 "Nov. 5, 2019, was given this medicine and didn't have any problems until 3 weeks later. I went to the doctor because I thought I had strep, but I wasn't getting better and stayed sick for weeks. Then, on Nov. 19, I woke up with hands swollen and throat swollen. The ER couldn't figure it out, and it got worse with red and purple spots, inflamed taste buds, and overall swelling—all signs of bad side effects from Januvia."

• Ste...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 3, 2024

For Diabetes, Type 2 "I’ve seen a lot of reviews about different medicines, and to be very honest, I have tried just about all of them, but this one, Januvia 100 mg, seems to be the one. My favorite medicine was Jaridence, but all the side effects were true and accurate when I developed a nasty yeast infection, and after seeing it can develop into gangrene, where they amputate and it’s a flesh-eating disease, I decided to end that medicine. I tried metformin, unfortunately, it did not work, and that was the regular metformin and the extended release. I tried glipizide, regular and extended release, but I think it caused a fib for me, and so I stopped taking that. I know everyone has to make their own decision. They all have-every medicine has its own side effects-but this one seems to be OK. This one works in a dual fashion. It works by stimulating the pancreas and also working within your liver, so it’s very similar to glipizide and metformin, but right now everything seems to be OK, and I give it an eight out of 10."

• Dav...
• May 24, 2017

For Diabetes, Type 2 "For years, I was on no drugs for type 2 diabetes, only diet. My A1C tests were always around 6.1, and then my doctor put me on Januvia. My sugars are now averaging 15.7. The doctor has just upped my dose to 1-1/2 pills of Januvia and added Metformin. WHY?? From good control with no pills to out of control in 4 months. I'm really starting to doubt the doctor's motives."

• Jan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 1, 2020

For Diabetes, Type 2 "A1C was 8.2 in December. Was prescribed 100mg daily of Januvia in addition to metformin which I have been on for a few years. By February my A1C was 11.1 and I ended up in the hospital with chest pain and excruciating leg pain. Was taken off Januvia immediately and started feeling better within a couple of days. Still on metformin and now taking insulin. My glucose numbers are back in the normal range and I'm feeling 100% better. I will never take Januvia again!! It's horrible and I will never recommend it to anyone."

• Anonymous
• February 6, 2017

For Diabetes, Type 2 "I have been on Januvia for about a year and a half. My A1C went down from 9.0 to 8.0. However, I have developed nausea, dizziness, vomiting which I never know when it will hit. Had colonoscopy and they found nothing. In the last six months, developed numbness in my right arm and hand, reflux which keeps me up at night, constant urination about every 45 minutes, and fatigue (this has added three more pills to my daily intake for those symptoms). Told my doctor, and he said to keep taking Januvia and that I was not getting any younger. However, I read here that others have similar side effects once on Januvia."

• Pic...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 5, 2019

For Diabetes, Type 2 "My doctor switched me to Januvia last year because I couldn't get past the side effect of diarrhea from metformin. It didn't change my A1C much, but I had zero side effects. 6 months ago I developed 'frozen shoulder'. The pain in my shoulder is excruciating and I lost mobility in that arm. I went to my doctor twice complaining of this joint pain. She sent me to physical therapy which didn't help. 5 days ago I stopped taking Januvia after reading side effects. My shoulder pain is going away. Very disappointed in my doctor."

• Chr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 15, 2016

For Diabetes, Type 2 "I have had type 2 for about 6 years and used Metformin, which with constant usage reduced in its effectiveness. I was told to reduce my Metformin to 1 per day and take Januvia. I lost 12 KG in 4 weeks, most excellent, and then 2 weeks ago severe pain in my right knee. After many X-rays and MRIs, I was diagnosed with Arthritis and told to take painkillers and consider a replacement in the next 10 years. Despite both of my doctors knowing that I am diabetic type 2, and both knowing that I take Januvia, they did not inform me of any side effects, so I believed the information and set about studying what I could to repair the damage. Then I had pain in my hips, fingers, and cramp in the legs. Googled and found this site."

• Zan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 14, 2019

For Diabetes, Type 2 "I've been taking Januvia since August 2018. I started itching in about 2 weeks, then started noticing fluid-filled bumps where I was itching on the backside of my entire body trunk. I went to the dermatologist for 2 months before she finally did 2 biopsies of the bumps since I was miserably itching constantly. The biopsies came back last week showing that it was a medication causing these awful effects. She asked about the last medication I had been taking. It was JANUVIA!"

• Hap...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 12, 2012

For Diabetes, Type 2 "I have been on a combination of Januvia and Metformin (called Janumet) for a year. A HUGE difference with everything that was tried for the last 30 years (I am 60 now). The key factor with this is that its operation depends to some extent on the blood sugar level so it does not cause Hypoglycemia! This enables me to be a bit more hungry before a meal compared to what I was used to (always being scared of entering Hypoglycemia and therefore making sure I was never hungry i.e. eating all the time. It has changed my life. My fasting sugar is 100, my HbA1C is now 5.7 (used to be 140 and 7.0 with normal glib ethic type medication). Unbelievable!"

• str...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 15, 2017

For Diabetes, Type 2 "I took Januvia for about 1 year. Then one day, my stomach started to swell up drastically, and my wife took me to the hospital. When I arrived, I could no longer walk and was put in a wheelchair. I was admitted but passed out. When I came to, I had 4 IVs in me and was totally soaked, like I had just jumped in a pool. My white blood cell count was over 3,000, off the chart. One nurse accused me of overdosing on street drugs. I was in the hospital for 3-1/2 days and spent 2 weeks on the couch. Then, 2-3 months were spent having people tell me I looked like I was dying and asked what was wrong. Januvia snuck up on me like a poisonous snake. It overtook my system in 45 minutes, from having an irritable stomach to knowing I was dying, and there was nothing I could do."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 24, 2017

For Diabetes, Type 2 "I took Januvia for 1 year and a half. It was helping me regulate my diabetes. But I started to have abnormal pain in my abdomen and didn't know why. I never thought that it was caused because of this medication. One day, I had the pain so bad that I couldn't walk or stand. I went to the hospital and got admitted right away because I had pancreatitis. I got Metformin for my diabetes, and for the pain I had a lot of IVs. I stayed in the hospital for 4 days. On the 3rd day, the doctor told me that the cause of my pancreatitis was the medication I was taking, JANUVIA. I know this works for a lot of people to help them control the sugar like it did for me, but please make sure that you tell your doctor and make the necessary tests every time you go to see if you are okay internally."

• per...
• January 12, 2008

For Diabetes, Type 2 "I have been on Januvia for three weeks. My blood sugar has been great. What a big change from Amaryl! And I've lost 5 lbs in these 3 weeks, a side benefit. I have read a scary blog on this drug though, that causes me to be a bit worried. They mention something called Stevens-Johnson syndrome, some are complaining with really bad joint pain, some with really bad acne, and skin infections. Hope they don't come in a few months from now and recall it like they have others in the past."

• Anonymous
• December 1, 2008

For Diabetes, Type 2 "While I was on Januvia it felt like I was on a high-power diet pill. I did not go to the bathroom but once in 5 days, had bloating and stomach problems, and it felt like my hormones were out of whack. I could not sleep. This is my second day off Januvia, and I can't wait to go home and sleep tonight. All of the not sleeping is finally catching up with me. I hope when someone else tells their doctor about this, you don't get the look like I got. Hope this helps someone."

• fmi...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 14, 2019

For Diabetes, Type 2 "My original doctor that diagnosed me with type 2 diabetes told me that he saw no results from Januvia. After he retired, my new doctor believes very strongly in Januvia. I have been taking it for over 2 years and see absolutely no results from taking it. In my experience, Januvia is useless."

• Bob...
• October 20, 2019

For Diabetes, Type 2 "I'm Type 2 and take 5 mg Glipizide and 2000 mg Metformin XR. Blood sugar A1C range from 6.8 to 7.4. Lower range is when I'm practicing a good Keto diet. I've gone from 240 lbs to 205 lbs, so expect BS to go a bit lower over time. Januvia is not a bad drug, it is just a useless drug, IMHO. It actually raised my A1C a little until I stopped taking it. The side effects for me were a runny nose and some chest congestion, which was okay if it did anything. Then I did some research, which prompted me to stop taking it. I'm not even going into how expensive it was, if it did anything, I'd be happy to take it, but it didn't. But let's look at the actual clinical trials. Januvia reduces A1C by 0.8 percent or less than 1 percent. What does that actually mean? If you have an A1C of 7.5 before Januvia, expect 7.44 after taking Januvia. Not impressive at all considering the cost and minor side effects."

• Paa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 23, 2019

For Diabetes, Type 2 "Was on metformin 500 mg twice a day. Wasn't working, so added Januvia 50 mg six days ago. Since taking, haven't been thinking clearly. Today was worse, and right after taking it with my metformin, I felt like I was having a heart attack. Neck hurting bad, chest, and heart rate up really bad. Now I'm getting a little better tonight, but neck sore and heartburn. I will never take this drug again. I knew it wasn't right from the beginning."

• Pay...
• January 25, 2008

For Diabetes, Type 2 "I have been on Januvia for almost a month. My blood sugars run in the 90s, but my appetite has increased, and I crave sweets. I have gained 4 pounds and am experiencing all-over joint pains and muscle aches."

• Gab...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 16, 2020

For Diabetes, Type 2 "After a bad case of shingles, my feet were giving me a lot of problems. Felt like I was walking on stones. My doctor said my sugar was elevated and prescribed Januvia 50 mg for type 2 diabetes. I had changed my diet drastically. No wheat, pasta, rice, breads, cakes, potatoes, and counted my carbs, ate more protein, vegetables, and fruit. I was on Januvia for one week when I started getting joint and muscle pain very bad. I couldn’t sleep three nights in a row because of bad pain in my body. Back pain, shoulders, legs, and my feet got worse. I took myself off and called the doctor’s office to tell them my problem with Januvia. It’s now two weeks I’m off it, and my pain went away, my feet are back to where they were from nerve problems from shingles. I don’t want to go on another medication until I get blood work in two weeks just to see if my drastic diet change has changed my readings. I’ll never go on Januvia again."

• Vet...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 29, 2016

For Diabetes, Type 2 "My A1c was 13.9, and I was prescribed Januvia 100mg tablet 34 days ago. My A1c is now 9.6. I have noticed a change in my health since starting Januvia. I'm experiencing severe painful muscle spasms in both legs and feet, numbness in my right arm and hand, slight abdominal pains, urination every 5 minutes, bowel movements 3 times a day, and a slight pain in my lower back is constant. Typing on my laptop keyboard is a challenge because both hands and arms are shaking, it took me 2 hours to type this review correctly. Only 34 Januvia pills later, I'm feeling these effects that were not normal 34 days ago. My blood pressure meds have been increased from 10mg to 30mg after 15 years on the lower dosage. The doctor said, 'Keep taking Januvia. We have to get A1c to a 5.'"

• blu...
• October 3, 2011

For Diabetes, Type 2 "I have been taking Januvia for about a year and have experienced these side effects: difficulty swallowing, pain in the stomach that radiates to my back, hard time eating because of nausea. I finally had to quit taking it. I was also constipated all the time. Now that I am off Januvia, everything is back to normal."