{"id":54762,"date":"2022-10-24T11:34:49","date_gmt":"2022-10-24T15:34:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=54762"},"modified":"2025-09-03T09:05:09","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T13:05:09","slug":"pioglitazone-side-effects","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/pioglitazone-side-effects\/","title":{"rendered":"Pioglitazone side effects and how to avoid them"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pioglitazone<\/span><\/a>, also prescribed as the brand-name medication <\/span>Actos<\/span><\/a>, is a generic prescription drug that helps control <\/span>blood sugar levels<\/span><\/a> in people with <\/span>Type 2 diabetes mellitus<\/span><\/a>. Often combined with other glucose-lowering drugs such as <\/span>metformin<\/span><\/a>, pioglitazone is a <\/span>thiazolidinedione<\/span><\/a>, one of only two drugs in that class. It works by making muscle and fat cells more <\/span>sensitive to insulin<\/span><\/a>, so these cells take in more blood glucose.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Unlike other antidiabetic drugs, pioglitazone only works when insulin is present, that is, right after eating. So low blood sugar is not a common side effect when it\u2019s taken alone, but it can contribute to low blood sugar when combined with other antidiabetic drugs. It does, however, have other notable side effects that people should be aware of.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Common side effects of pioglitazone<\/span><\/h2>\n

The most common side effect of <\/span>pioglitazone<\/span><\/a> is infections of the upper respiratory tract. However, when combined with other diabetes drugs, the most common side effect is fluid retention and swelling. The most <\/span>common side effects<\/span><\/a> of pioglitazone are:<\/span><\/p>\n