Pioglitazone (Systemic)

Brand Names : Actos

Before Using This Medicine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For pioglitazone, the following should be considered:

Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to pioglitazone. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy - Pioglitazone has not been studied in pregnant women. However, it is easier during pregnancy to control your blood sugar by using injections of insulin, rather than by taking pioglitazone. Close control of your blood sugar can reduce the chance of your baby gaining too much weight, having birth defects, or having high blood sugar before birth. Pioglitazone should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit outweighs the potential risk. Be sure to tell your doctor if you plan to become pregnant or you think you are pregnant.

Breast-feeding - It is not known whether pioglitazone passes into the breast milk of humans. However, pioglitazone is not recommended during breast-feeding.

Children - Studies on this medicine have been done only in adult patients, and there is no specific information comparing use of pioglitazone in children with use in other age groups.

Older adults - This medicine has been tested in a limited number of patients 65 years of age or older and has not been shown to cause different side effects or problems in older people than it does in younger adults.

Other medicines - Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking pioglitazone, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking the following:

• Ketoconazole - Use of this medicine with pioglitazone may decrease the effect of pioglitazone

Other medical problems - The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of pioglitazone. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially

• Diabetic ketoacidosis (ketones in the blood) or
• Type 1 diabetes - Insulin is needed to control these conditions

• Heart disease or
• Liver disease - Pioglitazone may make these conditions worse

• Problems with fluid retention or swelling - may make these conditions worse

• Hypersensitivity to pioglitazone or any ingredients in pioglitazone.