The Internet is a noisy, crowded place and it can be confusing to know who to trust and what websites are reliable. It can be especially overwhelming looking up medications because you have to filter through difficult to understand medical terms or you have to scan through sites that seem to want to make money off of you. We get it because we view these types of websites everyday.

If you are taking Invokana for Type 2 diabetes, maybe you’re wondering what websites can give you the information that you’re looking for about dosage, side effects, and long term usage. Here are some of our favorite places to learn about medications on the market:

1. WebMD - WebMD is a great site that is like having a huge medical library at your fingertips. When you look up a medication such as Invokana, you’ll find several tabs that help you to learn about critical aspects of the drug such as what it is used for, side effects that you should be aware of, warnings and precautions about possible dangerous drug interactions, what to do in case of an overdose, and pictures of what the medication looks like to ensure you’re taking the right pill.
2. Drugs.com - This site is a favorite of nurses and doctors alike and for good reason: it’s up-to-date, easy to navigate, and gives practical information on dosing and side effects. Another incredibly helpful tool on this website is that there’s a “User Reviews for Invokana” page in which other patients can share their experiences with this medication. This is helpful if you’re wondering if you’re the only one suffering from a certain side effect or if you’re deciding if the benefits outweigh the risks of a specific drug.
3. DailyMed - This site is sponsored by the U.S. National Library of Medicine so you won’t see all of the drug advertisements here. While it’s not the most consumer friendly site with easy-to-read descriptions, it is extremely helpful if you want the most information available on a medication. It lists all of the warnings and dosing information like the other websites, but it also has valuable information about how the medication was tested, studied, and how the drug works in the body. (Okay, much of this is confusing if you’re not in the medical profession, but if you’re willing to take the time to read this information, you’ll be able to make more educated choices concerning what you’re putting into your body.)
4. MedlinePlus - This is the FDA’s consumer-friendly site that shares the conditions that this drug is approved to treat (as opposed to off label use where the drug is given for a problem that wasn’t thoroughly tested or approved for), how to store and dispose of the medication, and possibly the most important aspect, what warnings the FDA has required the drug to have due to patient and doctor complaints.
5. Periscope Group - At Periscope Group, we work extremely hard to become a trusted resource for you and our goal is to help you to live a healthy life. Unfortunately, many times patients are kept in the dark about the dangerous problems that are associated with the medications they’re being prescribed. We’re not ambulance chasers and we don’t believe in using scare tactics to make money off of your pain. Our purpose is to provide you with the full story of the benefits and risks associated with the drugs that you may be taking and if you are harmed, you’ll know that you have a safe place to turn to.

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