Get Informed: Actos
Active Ingredient(s)
Pioglitazone
What does it do?
This product is used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. It works by increasing the body's sensitivity to insulin.
- Last Text Update:
- 2009-Nov-20 10:58 PM
- Last Data Update:
- 2009-Nov-20 6:53 PM
Other Names
- Actos
- Pioglitazone
- Pioglitazone Hydrochloride
How Safe Is It?
- Your Risk Rating
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- Average Risk Rating
-
- Pregnancy Category:
- C
Black Box Warning
This product has a black box warning relating to its potential to cause or exacerbate heart failure.
Facts & Figures
- Date Approved
- 15 Jul 1999
- Est US Patients*
- 3,576,000
- Generic Available
- No
- OTC Available
- No
User Age Distribution*
< 21
21-39
40-59
60+
Age (Years)
* Estimated number of US people currently taking Actos or its active ingredient based on population adjusted patient numbers registered with iGuard.org.
Actos Safety Report
Learn more about iGuard's risk ratings
- Please login or register (it's free) so iGuard can check how Actos interacts with other drugs and diseases in your profile.
What is Actos used for?
iGuard.org is currently tracking more than 20,900 patients that use Actos (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)). Use the table below to learn why iGuard users take this product; click on any underlined condition to get information on other medications used for treatment.
| Disease / Condition | % | Average Severity |
|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 90% | 
|
| Other | 10% |
|
How well does Actos work?
iGuard.org regularly polls our more than 20,900 users taking Actos (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) using the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medications (TSQM) . This feedback is continuously updated in tables below for the benefit of the iGuard community. To request scores for specific patient subgroups, please contact research@iguard.org.
Average Satisfaction Score
(out of 10)
Average Effectiveness Score
(out of 10)
- 72%
- of patients are confident that the good things about Actos outweigh the bad things.
- 16%
- of patients wish they were told more before they started taking Actos.
Common Side Effects of Actos
iGuard.org regularly polls our more than 20,900 users taking Actos (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) to monitor the development and frequency of side-effects. This feedback is continuously updated in tables and graphs below for the benefit of the iGuard community.
25% of patients experience side-effects on Actos
4% of patients experience signifcant side-effects on Actos
Most Common Side Effects...
-
Weight Gain
-
= 10%
Less than 1%: Blurred Vision, Diarrhea, Dizziness, Fatigue, Glucose Problems, Headache, Low Blood Glucose, Mood/Behavior Problems, Muscle Pain, Muscle Spasms, Swelling/Edema
Global Patient Feedback for Actos (Pioglitazone) ( Post a comment )
Question/Comment:
I'm one of those people who had side effects from taking Actos for 19 mths. Weight gain, hard-to-control carb cravings, unexplained muscle aches, etc. The problem was the effects didn't show up on me until after 6 mths, so it may be awhile before you notice the effects based on dosage (I started on low dose 15mg 1 mth and then went to max dose 45mg thereafter) and length of use (19 mths). I was also on a strict diet and exercise routine. After researching online I switched to Janumet in 08/08 which is working better for me w/o the side effects of Actos. Lost the weight, better appetite control, and no muscle aches (I also take a multivitamin). Please do some research online before taking any drug, there is better info on them now than even 3-5 years ago.
48 year old Female
Posted: 2009-10-11 17:09:42
Question/Comment:
Does actos have a side effect of pain in your side nearly up under your rib cage? My husband takes actos and he has had some pain on his right side under the rib cage. Could this be a side effect? It is really hard to find the right meds for him because he has high blood pressure and has had pain in his legs and feet in the past. He has had this pain in his side for about a year now. It comes and goes depending on what meds the doctor puts him on. He has been on metformin, avandaryl, glimerpride, glucophage and all sorts of pills. But this has been over time. He doesn't have insurance now and it is hard seeing a doctor. He pays from $65 to $200 every visit.
42 year old Male
Posted: 2009-09-15 09:36:45
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
Muscle pain and spasms have been reported by less than 1% of iGuard patients taking Actos. It would be good for your husband to write down which medications he was taking each time the pain occurred. The next time he has a doctor's appointment, have him take the list with him and discuss the symptoms with the doctor and which medications seem to be causing them.
Posted: 2009-09-22 00:47:59
Question/Comment:
Its has been two years since finding out I have diabetes 2, Metformin was the first drug I was put on and made me feel horrible. It was replaced by Januvia which worked very well. Insurance issues bumped me off that and now I am taking glimepiride and actos which is managing to control my blood sugar. I do see weight gain though and it is hard to work it off as I go to the gym every day, eat well and see no improvement with the weight. It may very well be simply how it is.
66 year old Male
Posted: 2009-08-22 01:57:15
Question/Comment:
i was on actos for several years. my blood sugar was high so i asked to bf put on insulin. i started gaining weight slowly (about 30 pounds per year ) then whike i was unable to go to the dr. i ran out of actos and discovered that it was the combination of the two that was causing my weight to go up.but my sugar was better with the two.also he told me i had been taken off the actos because there were more reports of heart attacks and strokes. i haven't heard that of actos but i have of glucophage which is what he switched me to.
49 year old Male
Posted: 2009-08-12 15:17:37
Answer/Reply:
i am the 48 year old male gaining 30 pounds but i don't know why it says that but i am a 49 year old female and it was 20 pounds
49 year old Male
Posted: 2009-08-12 15:23:39
Answer/Reply:
Hello there, I am a 39 yr old female who was recently on Actos. I too gained tremendous weight on this med but it did get my sugar under control at 45mg. My A1c went from 9.5 to 6.8 (my best reading). My doc recently put me back on Glucophage, as I was on this drug in the past but my liver became inflamed. She said my past doctor didn't do the proper testing on my liver to make an assumption that the Glucophage inflamed my liver. Glucophage never ever worked for me, my levels were always elevated but this new doctor seems to think that with all the changes she has made to my meds, Glucophage should work better this time. We shall see...I already wake up in sweats and my A1c went back up to 8.5. I am not a happy camper. Let's face it people, Diabetes is a life changing disease and it can take quite a while to find a drug that works. What works for me, may not work for you. Keep trying, eat healthy and exercise!!
40 year old Female
Posted: 2009-08-18 14:31:12
Answer/Reply:
I also used to have uncontrollably high sugar. They had me on a bunch of different pills, including Actos. Nothing worked. Finally, my doctor sent me to a respiratory specialist for a cough that torned out to br sinusitis, but in trying to figure out the problem he sent me to be tested for Sleep Apniea. I had it bad, and I started using a CPAP machine to sleep.
It was like magic. All of a sudden my sugar was almost normal. I now take just 10 mg of Actos every other day instead of 45 MG a day and a bunch of other drugs as well.
If you snore a lot and have consistantly high sugar (mine is NEVER low) get tested for Sleep Apnea.
57 year old Male
Posted: 2009-08-18 18:18:29
Question/Comment:
My husband was recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and put on Metformin which totally incapacitated him mentally. His doctor didn't much care so we switched doctors and she put him on Actos after learning of his history with metformin. he's been on Actos for one month and his blood glucose is much higher now than before he was on anything (before was upper 90's to maybe 120's, now its up to 212 and higher before breakfast. We see the doctor in three weeks but since we are new at this, was wondering if anyone has had similar experience with elevated glucose while taking Actos. Thanks.
S Carlson
64 year old Male
Posted: 2009-08-10 15:24:44
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
Since your husband is newly diagnosed with diabetes there may be some trial and adjustments needed to optimize and control his blood glucose both short and long term. The blood sugar levels over 200 are concerning. If these high levels continue, please contact your physician to have an immediate appointment and evaluation. There may be a dose adjustment needed or there may be the possibility that an additional complementary drug may be needed to control his blood glucose.
Posted: 2009-08-11 22:00:40
Answer/Reply:
I am a almost 63 yr girl. I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes after my Dad died which I have heard many cases arise after serious health, family, accident problems arise. It runs in our family also. I was put on Amaryl which lowered my readings sometimes too low, then changed to Metformin 500 once a day and then changed to 3x a day with each meal. Doc added Actos in am and Prandin in pm. (I'm also on Singulair for asthma & allergies) The weight piled on.
The appetite increase 3fold. I finally have heard that both actos and Prandin have this appetite increase problem. I have also been told that Singulair can blow you up, water gain.
Insulin can also bring on weight gain for many folks.
Metformin helped me loose weight. I wonder if the medical world really knows what all these drugs do to folks. I also am allergic to sulfite drugs of all kinds. I have the drugstore and the mail order pharmacy notified of the allergies I have and my doc has ordered meds that they won't fill.
I am also on Pravastatin as I was on Lipitor and a nurse asked me about reactions and told me to stop the lipitor immediately. I couldn't stand up without holding on to something as my knees buckled each time.
63 year old Female
Posted: 2009-08-16 15:22:09
Answer/Reply:
I am a 56 year old male which was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2002. The Doctor who diagnosed me had me on Metformin and Actos twice a day and my sugars were not great. I moved and found a great Dr who got me under control, I am still on Actos once a day and now on Levemir Flexpen once a day and also on Byette twice a day and now my sugars are averaging 80 to 110 with an A1C of 6.5
57 year old Male
Posted: 2009-08-17 22:57:09
Answer/Reply:
I am a Type 2 diabetic. I have taken both Metformin and Actos. I didn't have any side effects from the Metformin (which I took first) but after awhile it no longer lowered my blood glucose so my doctor switched me to Actos. The Actos worked well; however, I had severe side effects from it. Some symptons were: extremely dry mouth, body aches, headaches -- but the worst was foot pain and foot/leg swelling. I could hardly walk. I just wanted to alert you to the side effects I had with Actos. Also, I'm not a doctor, of course, but I have found that if I have something to eat - like yogurt - before bedtime, I wake up with lower blood numbers.
61 year old Female
Posted: 2009-08-22 07:58:29
Answer/Reply:
I have been on Actos for several years and it has really helped me. My A1C has gotten so much better and my insulin has been lowered to 20 units twice a day. I am very happy with it and so far no side efects. I had been taken off of it at one time and my insulin had increased to 75 units twice a day so for me it works.
65 year old Female
Posted: 2009-08-29 12:22:58
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Patient Comments about
Actos