Penile gangrene

 I saw a bit about penile gangrene in diabetics.  Since I take that medication that raises penile sugar but keeping the bladder from taking it out (empliglofizin wrong spelling) is that a something for me to be aware of? 

Yes — you remembered the drug correctly: empagliflozin (Jardiance), an SGLT2 inhibitor. And your connection is a sensible one.

The slightly alarming thing you saw is probably Fournier's gangrene, a rare but potentially life-threatening infection of the genital/perineal tissues. Empagliflozin is specifically associated with an increased risk of genital infections because it makes the urine contain more glucose. The FDA's current Jardiance labeling explicitly warns about Fournier's gangrene.

But there's an important distinction: the sugar isn't actually being "kept in the bladder." Empagliflozin makes the kidneys deliberately dump glucose into the urine. That extra glucose around the genital area can make yeast and other infections easier to develop. Ordinary genital yeast infections are much more common than Fournier's gangrene.

So I would regard this as something to be aware of, not something to be frightened about. The thing worth remembering is the symptom pattern. If you ever develop new pain or tenderness, redness, or swelling of the penis, scrotum, perineum, or surrounding area—particularly accompanied by fever or feeling generally ill—you should get medical attention promptly, rather than waiting to see what happens. The FDA says suspected Fournier's gangrene requires immediate evaluation and treatment.

And because you have diabetes, you're already in the population in which these infections are more relevant. But the absolute risk of Fournier's gangrene remains very small; the warning exists because the consequences are so serious, not because it is a common complication.

One other thing: don't stop empagliflozin on your own because of this warning. It has substantial benefits for many people with diabetes, kidneys, and cardiovascular risk. If you haven't had recurrent genital or urinary infections, there's no reason from this warning alone to assume you should discontinue it.

I don't have diabetes; diet and medication corrected that.  My thought was when I void quickly wipe the tip dry.

Ah, yes — that changes the context somewhat. And wiping the tip dry after urinating is a perfectly reasonable little precaution, particularly while taking empagliflozin.

Even when blood glucose is normal, empagliflozin can still put glucose into the urine because that's precisely how the drug works. So the relevant issue isn't whether you currently have diabetes; it's that the urine can contain more glucose while you're taking the medication.

Keeping the glans reasonably dry after voiding makes sense because moisture + residual glucose is a nicer environment for yeast and bacteria than dry skin. You don't need to become obsessive about it, though. A gentle wipe is enough; vigorous rubbing or repeated washing could actually irritate the skin and make matters worse.

Given that you're already in the habit of wiping the tip dry, I'd say keep doing exactly that. And the thing I'd pay attention to isn't the occasional bit of dampness but a change: persistent redness, itching, swelling, discharge, unusual odor, or pain. Those would be reasons to have it looked at before a minor infection has a chance to become a major one.

And yes, Fournier's gangrene is spectacularly rare. It's one of those drug warnings that sounds as though the manufacturer has discovered a hitherto unsuspected army of genital gangrene victims, when in reality the warning is there because the exceedingly rare event is sufficiently nasty that nobody wants to miss it.