Actos Side Effects

Actos (pioglitazone) side effects

What is Actos used for?

Actos, in addition to diet and exercise, improves blood sugar control in
patients with type 2 diabetes (non-insulin dependent diabetes). Actos
can be used alone or in combination with a sulfonylurea, metformin, or
insulin when diet, exercise, and one of these agents or diet, exercise,
plus Actos alone are not are not enough to control blood sugar.

Who should not take Actos?

Do not take Actos for Type 1 diabetes (juvenile diabetes) or diabetic
ketoacidosis.

If you have heart failure, fluid retention or active liver disease your
health care provider will evaluate you to decide if Actos is right for you.

Reports of PatientsÂ’ Experiences Since Actos Became Available:

There have been reports of inflammation of the liver (hepatitis) and
elevated liver enzymes. It has not been determined whether these
events are directly related to Actos. It is recommended that patients
taking Actos have their liver enzymes monitored periodically.

General Precautions with Actos:

Actos is in the same class of drugs as Rezulin, which has been
associated with rare but serious liver injury, including liver failure leading
to transplant or death. Because the liver safety profile of Actos is not
fully determined yet, your doctor will do blood tests that evaluate your
liver before starting you on Actos. These blood tests should be
repeated every two months for the first year, then regularly after that.

Call your health care provider right away if you develop nausea,
vomiting, stomach pain, a feeling of tiredness or having no energy, loss
of appetite, dark urine, or jaundice (yellow coloring of eyes and skin).
These may be the symptoms of liver problems.

Patients who experience an unusually rapid increase in weight or retain
fluid (edema) or who develop shortness of breath or other symptoms of
heart failure while on Actos should immediately report these symptoms
to their health care provider.

When taking Actos with insulin or certain other oral diabetes medicines,
there is a risk of your blood sugar becoming dangerously low. Ask your
health care provider about symptoms of low blood sugar, conditions that
make low blood sugar more likely, and what to do if you get it. Make
sure to explain to family members.

If you are a woman who has not reached menopause but have not had
menstrual periods; you may become pregnant unless you use an
effective method of birth control. Actos, like other drugs in this class,
may cause insulin resistant women to start ovulating again.

Women should tell their doctor if they notice any changes in their
monthly menstrual cycle.

During periods of stress on the body, such as fever, trauma, infection,
or surgery, your medication requirements may change; contact your
health care provider promptly.

What should I tell my doctor or health care provider?

Women taking oral birth control pills should talk to their health care
provider when taking Actos, because the effectiveness of oral birth
control pills can be reduced.

Tell your health care provider if you are trying to become pregnant, are
already pregnant, or are breast-feeding.

Because certain other medications may interact with Actos, review all
medications that you are taking with your health care provider, including
those that you take without a prescription.

What are some possible side effects of Actos? (This list is not a
complete list of side effects reported with Actos. Your health care
provider can discuss with you a more complete list of side effects.)

cough or cold

headache

inflammation of the sinuses or throat

muscle pain

swelling or fluid retention

[1] Actos Heart Failure Warning Strengthened in Canada www.
aboutlawsuits.com December 22nd, 2008 [2] Women Have
Double the Fracture Risk with Avandia and Actos www.
diabeteshealth.com22 December 2008

NEWS 2008 Health Canada has said that the warning label
information about potential Actos heart failure side effects will be
strengthened to indicate that the diabetes drug should not be used
in patients with pre-existing heart failure or taken together with
metformin and a sulfonylurea. [1]

Avandia (rosiglitazone) and Actos (pioglitazone), two medications
used to lower blood sugar in type 2 patients, double the risk of
fractures in women, but not in men, says a new study. [2]

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