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Pioglitazone (Actos)

 

Pioglitazone (generic Actos) Review

brand name: Actos
generic names: Pioglitazone, Pioglitazone hydrochloride, pioglitazone hydrochloride, Metformin hydrochloride

Actos is used for:

Treating type 2 diabetes in certain patients. It is used along with diet and exercise. It may be used alone or with other antidiabetic medicines.

Actos is a thiazolidinedione antidiabetic. It lowers blood sugar by making the cells of the body more sensitive to the action of insulin.

Overdosage

The effects of a massive Actos (Pioglitazone) overdose are unknown, but any medication taken in excess can have serious consequences. If you suspect an overdose with Actos, seek medical attention immediately.

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, nutritional supplements, including non-prescription medicines, Gantrisin® Septra®)
•tacrolimus
•tegaserod
•thyroid hormones
•water pills (diuretics)

Tell your prescriber or health care professional about all other medicines you are taking, Bactrim®, medicines for infection (examples: Azulfidine®, ofloxacin)
•some herbal dietary supplements
•steroid medicines such as used to treat high cholesterol (examples: fenofibrate and gemfibrozil)
•glucagon
•growth hormone (somatropin)
•guanethidine
•isoniazid
•lithium
•metoclopramide
•male hormones or anabolic steroids
•medications to suppress appetite or for weight loss
•medicines for allergies, asthma, cold, or cough
•niacin
•nicotine (including nicotine found in patches and gum)
•octreotide
•pentamidine
•phenytoin
•quinolone antibiotics (examples: ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, prednisone or cortisone
•sulfonamides, birth control pills
•fibric acid derivatives,. 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.

How does it work?

Actos tablets contain the active ingredient pioglitazone hydrochloride, which is a type of medicine called a thiazolidinedione or glitazone. It is used to help control blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes.

People with diabetes have a deficiency or absence of a hormone produced by the pancreas called insulin. Insulin is the main hormone responsible for the control of sugar in the blood. In type 2 diabetes the pancreas does not produce sufficient insulin and the cells of the body are resistant to the low levels of insulin circulating in the blood. Insulin would normally make the cells remove sugar from the blood, hence in type 2 diabetes blood sugar levels can rise too high.

Pioglitazone helps to lower blood glucose levels by increasing the sensitivity of liver, fat and muscle cells, to insulin. This enables the cells to remove glucose from the blood more effectively. Pioglitazone also reduces the amount of glucose produced by the liver, and preserves the functioning of the cells in the pancreas (beta cells) that produce insulin. The overall effect of this medicine is therefore to help the body control blood sugar levels and prevent them becoming too high.

What is pioglitazone?

Pioglitazone is an oral diabetes medicine that help control blood sugar levels.

Pioglitazone may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.

Pioglitazone is for people with type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes. Pioglitazone is sometimes used in combination with insulin or other medications, but it is not for treating type 1 diabetes.

Possible food and drug interactions when taking Actos (Pioglitazone)

It is possible that Actos (Pioglitazone) may reduce the effectiveness of birth control pills containing ethinyl estradiol and norethindrone. To guard against an unwanted pregnancy, be sure to use some other form of contraception.

If Actos (Pioglitazone) is taken with certain other drugs, decreased, the effects of either could be increased, or altered. It is especially important to check with your doctor before combining Actos with the following:

Ketoconazole (Nizoral)
Midazolam (Versed)