Actos Tablet: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Actos Tablet (pioglitazone) is a prescription medicine from the Thiazolidinediones drug class, used to help control blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes. It is used along with diet and exercise and is not approved for type 1 diabetes. Actos can be taken alone or combined with other diabetes medicines such as metformin, insulin, or sulfonylureas, and it is not approved for use in anyone younger than 18 years old.

What is Actos Tablet

Actos is a prescription tablet used to help control blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes. It is used along with diet and exercise, and is not approved for type 1 diabetes.

Actos Tablet uses

• Helps control blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus, used together with diet and exercise
• Used in the management of type 2 diabetes not controlled by diet alone
• Can be used alone or together with other diabetes medicines such as metformin, insulin, or sulfonylureas

Benefits of Actos Tablet

• Helps lower fasting blood glucose levels
• Helps lower hemoglobin A1c (average blood sugar over about 3 months)
• Can be combined with other diabetes medicines to further improve blood sugar control

How Actos Tablet works

Actos makes your body's cells more sensitive to insulin, so they can take sugar out of your blood and use it for energy. This lowers your blood sugar level and your risk of diabetes complications like heart disease, nerve damage, and kidney failure. It can take a week or longer before you notice changes in your blood sugar.

Actos Tablet dosage

Take this medicine once a day, at about the same time each day, with or without food. Swallow the tablet whole with a glass of water; do not break, crush, split, or chew it. Keep taking it even if you feel well, since it controls but does not cure diabetes.

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember, but if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed one — never take two doses in one day. Do not stop taking this medicine suddenly without talking to your doctor, as your blood sugar may rise and your diabetes symptoms may get worse. Tell your doctor right away if you have a fever, infection, accident, or are having surgery, since your dose may need to change. Not approved for use in anyone younger than 18 years old.

Available forms and strengths

• Tablet (15 mg, 30 mg, and 45 mg strengths)

Side effects of Actos Tablet

Common

• Upper respiratory infection, such as the common cold
• Headache
• Sinus infection
• Weight gain
• Muscle pain
• Sore throat
• Swelling (edema)

Serious

• Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) when used with other diabetes medicines, with symptoms like dizziness, sweating, headache, feeling anxious or nervous
• Liver problems, with symptoms like yellowing of the skin or eyes, belly pain, nausea or vomiting, dark urine, pale stools, itching, loss of appetite
• Bone fractures, with symptoms like swelling, pain, or being unable to use the affected bone
• Allergic reaction, including swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat, trouble breathing, rash, itching, or hives
• Congestive heart failure, including quick weight gain, trouble breathing, and swelling especially in the legs and feet
• Bladder cancer, with symptoms like painful urination, back or belly pain, or blood in the urine
• Macular edema (fluid buildup in part of the eye) causing blurry vision or changes in color vision

Warnings and precautions

Actos has the FDA's most serious type of warning because it can cause new or worsening congestive heart failure, a condition where the heart cannot pump blood properly, leading to fluid buildup in the body. Watch for quick weight gain, trouble breathing, and swelling, especially in the legs and feet.

• Do not use Actos if you already have heart failure with symptoms, or if your heart failure is classified as a more serious type (NYHA Class III or IV)
• Do not use Actos if you have type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis, a serious condition with too much acid in the blood
• Actos may increase the risk of developing bladder cancer. Do not take it if you currently have bladder cancer, and tell your doctor if you have had it in the past
• Women taking Actos may be more likely to break a bone, so talk with your doctor about ways to keep your bones healthy
• Women with irregular periods who take Actos may start ovulating again, which can lead to unplanned pregnancy, so discuss birth control needs with your doctor
• Do not stop taking Actos suddenly without talking to your doctor, since this could worsen your condition or cause unwanted effects
• It is not known if Actos is safe during pregnancy and it is not generally recommended. Uncontrolled diabetes in pregnancy carries its own risks, so talk to your doctor about the benefits and risks before starting or continuing this medicine while pregnant.
• It is not known if Actos passes into human breast milk, and it is recommended that you do not breastfeed while taking it. Talk to your doctor about your feeding options.
• Actos is not recommended if you have kidney problems that require dialysis.
• Actos may cause liver problems or worsen existing liver conditions. Tell your doctor if you have liver disease before starting, and stop the medicine and call your doctor if you notice signs of liver damage.
• Alcohol can lower blood sugar and may interfere with your diabetes treatment, so tell your doctor if you drink alcohol; they may advise avoiding it or tell you what amount is safe for you.
• Actos can cause dizziness in some people, especially if your blood sugar drops too low. Do not drive or use machines until you know how this medicine affects you.

Storage

• Store Actos tablets at room temperature (77°F/25°C) in a tightly sealed container away from light
• Tablets can be kept between 59°F and 86°F (15°C and 30°C) for short periods if needed
• Avoid storing in areas where it could get damp or wet, such as bathrooms; protect from humidity and moisture
• Keep tablets in the original packaging until it is time to take them, away from children
• Do not use this medicine after the expiry date
• If you no longer need the medicine or it is out of date, take it to a pharmacy for safe disposal

When to see a doctor

• Get emergency help right away if you have signs of a severe allergic reaction, such as hives, difficulty breathing, or swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat
• Stop taking Actos and call your doctor right away if you notice signs of liver damage, such as nausea, upper stomach pain, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, pale stools, or yellowing of the skin or eyes
• Call your doctor right away if you have shortness of breath (especially when lying down), unusual tiredness, swelling, or rapid weight gain — these can be signs of heart failure
• Call your doctor right away if you notice pink or red urine, painful or difficult urination, or a new or worsening urge to urinate, which could be signs of bladder cancer
• Call your doctor right away if you notice changes in your vision, which could be a sign of eye swelling (macular edema)
• Call your doctor right away if you have sudden, unusual pain in your hand, arm, or foot, which could be a sign of a bone fracture
• If you think you have taken too much Actos, seek urgent medical attention right away, such as calling your doctor, calling a poison control center, or going to the nearest emergency room, even if you feel fine

Alternatives

• Empagliflozin
• Gliclazide
• Metformin