PIOGLITAZONE (Actos.) helps to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus. Pioglitazone helps your body to use insulin more efficiently and helps to lower high blood sugar.
What should I tell my health care provider before I take this medicine?
They need to know if you have any of these conditions:
heart problems
kidney or liver problems
swelling of the arms, legs, or feet
an unusual or allergic reaction to pioglitazone, other medicines, foods, dyes, or preservatives
pregnant or trying to get pregnant
breast-feeding
How should I take this medicine?
Take pioglitazone tablets by mouth. Follow the directions on the prescription label. Swallow the tablets with a drink of water with meals. Take your doses at the same time each day; do not take more often than directed.
What if I miss a dose?
If you miss a dose, take it with the next meal. If it is almost time for your next dose, take only that dose. Do not take double or extra doses.
What drug(s) may interact with pioglitazone?
atorvastatin
birth control pills or other hormonal methods of birth control
bosentan
itraconazole
ketoconazole
midazolam
nifedipine
other medicines for diabetes, including insulin
topiramate
Many medications may cause changes (increase or decrease) in blood sugar, these include:
alcohol containing beverages
angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors), often used for high blood pressure or heart problems (examples: captopril, enalapril, lisinopril)
sulfonamides, medicines for infection (examples: Azulfidine®, Bactrim®, Gantrisin® Septra®)
tacrolimus
tegaserod
thyroid hormones
water pills (diuretics)
Tell your prescriber or health care professional about all other medicines you are taking, including non-prescription medicines, nutritional supplements, or herbal products. Also tell your prescriber or health care professional if you are a frequent user of drinks with caffeine or alcohol, if you smoke, or if you use illegal drugs. These may affect the way your medicine works. Check with your health care professional before stopping or starting any of your medicines.
What side effects may I notice from taking pioglitazone?
Side effects that you should report to your prescriber or health care professional as soon as possible:
anxiety or nervousness, confusion, difficulty concentrating
blurred vision
breathing problems such as rapid, deep breathing or difficulty breathing with activity
cold sweats, increased sweating
cool, pale skin
dark yellow or brown urine, or yellowing of the eyes or skin
diarrhea
drowsiness
muscle pain
nausea, vomiting
skin rash or hives
slow heartbeat
tremors or shakiness
unusual tiredness or weakness
swelling of the hands, legs, and/or feet
Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report to your prescriber or health care professional if they continue or are bothersome):
headache
weight gain
What should I watch for while taking pioglitazone?
Visit your prescriber or health care professional for regular checks on your progress. Learn how to monitor blood or urine sugar and urine ketones regularly. Check with your prescriber or health care professional if your blood sugar is high, you may need a change of dose of pioglitazone. Do not skip meals. If you are exercising much more than usual you may need extra snacks to avoid side effects caused by low blood sugar. If you have mild symptoms of low blood sugar, eat or drink something containing sugar at once and contact your prescriber or health care professional. It is wise to check your blood sugar to confirm that it is low. It is important to recognize your own symptoms of low blood sugar so that you can treat them quickly. Make sure family members know that you can choke if you eat or drink when you have serious symptoms of low blood sugar, such as seizures or unconsciousness. They must get medical help at once.
Your health care professional will have to check blood tests regularly to assess the effect of this medication on your liver. Pioglitazone may rarely cause changes in some of these measurements.
If you are going to have surgery, tell your prescriber or health care professional that you are taking pioglitazone.
Wear a medical identification bracelet or chain to say you have diabetes, and carry a card that lists all your medications.
Where can I keep my medicine?
Keep out of the reach of children in a container that small children cannot open.
Store at room temperature between 15 and 30 degrees C (59 and 86 degrees F). Keep container tightly closed and protect from moisture and humidity. Throw away any unused medicine after the expiration date.
What is the shelf life of the pills?
The expiry date is mentioned on each blister. It is different for different batches. The shelf life is 2 years from the date of manufacture and would differ from batch to batch depending on when they were manufactured.
Very often our web site visitors ask us about generic medications. In this section we have placed some useful information about generic pills in general and about the ones we have in our product list. Click here
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