Pioglitazone
Pronounced pye-oh-GLIT-ah-zone
Brand names: Actos
Type: Thiazolidinedione (diabetes medicine) · All Diabetes Medicines
What Pioglitazone is used for
- Type 2 diabetes
- Fatty liver disease with diabetes, on specialist advice
◆ Kidney note
No dose change is needed for kidney function, but the fluid retention it causes can be a problem in kidney disease and heart failure.
Common side effects
- Weight gain
- Swelling of legs or ankles
- Headache
- Muscle pain
Important cautions
- Can cause or worsen heart failure through fluid retention — report new breathlessness or rapid weight gain
- Can weaken bones and raise fracture risk, especially in women
How it comes
Tablets. This guide lists forms only — it never lists strengths or doses.
Related medicines — Diabetes Medicines
Condition guides on MedicalVideos.com
Please note: This page is a patient-education summary, not medical advice, and it deliberately contains no doses. Medicines affect everyone differently — always follow your own prescription and talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.