The short explanation
It can. One group of diabetes medicines works by making the kidneys pass extra sugar out in the urine. This helps lower blood sugar, but the sugar in the urine can make genital thrush, itching, and urine infections more likely in some women. Please do not stop the medicine yourself. Tell your doctor about the itching and infections, because they can treat the infections and decide whether to continue, adjust or change the medicine.
What depends on your situation
The parts of this that change from woman to woman. Uncertainty is stated, not hidden.
- Good genital hygiene with plain water, avoiding perfumed washes, wearing cotton underwear and drinking enough fluids may help. Overall sugar control also matters; high sugars from any cause increase these infections.
- Rarely, a serious infection of the genital area can occur with these medicines. Pain, swelling, redness or fever in the genital area with feeling unwell needs urgent care.
What this answer cannot determine
The boundary of online education. These need a clinician who can see you.
- This answer cannot tell whether your symptoms are caused by your medicine. Your doctor will decide that after examining you and reviewing your treatment.
Questions for your clinician
Take these with you. You can add any of them to an appointment card.
- Could my new diabetes medicine be causing these infections?
- Should we change or adjust my treatment?
- Do I need a urine culture or vaginal swab?
- What signs should make me seek urgent care?
When to seek help
Clinician-approved guidance for this topic. When in doubt, being seen is never the wrong choice.
Get help the same day
- Get care the same day if you have fever, back pain, vomiting, or pain, redness or swelling in the genital area with feeling unwell.
Book an appointment soon
- See your doctor within a few days about the itching and repeated infections.
Raise it at a routine appointment
- Review your diabetes treatment with your doctor at your next routine visit.
Sources
The evidence this explanation is built on.
- Urinary tract infections MedlinePlus (NIH)
- Urinary tract infection — adults MedlinePlus (NIH)
- Urinary tract infections (UTIs) NHS
Who wrote and reviewed this
Every AskHer answer names its author. A clinically reviewed answer also names the clinician who signed it off — if no clinician is named below, it has not been clinically reviewed.
- Author
- AskHer Editorial (AI-assisted draft) AskHer's editorial team — not an individual clinician Works in English, தமிழ், हिन्दी
- Clinical reviewer
- Nobody yet No clinician has signed this answer off, and no person on the editorial team has read it yet. That is what the “Written with AI assistance” label means. It is queued for an editor to read, and then for a clinician who works in this area. The sources it was drafted against are listed above.
- Review status
- Written with AI assistance — not yet reviewed by a person
- Last reviewed
- Not yet reviewed by a person
- Version
- 1
Correction history
Substantive changes are listed, not quietly edited away.
No corrections have been made since this answer was first published.
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