ACTOS Reviews (PIOGLITAZONE HYDROCHLORIDE)Average Rating: 1.7 (361 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare ACTOS with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
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Results are sorted by Date added. Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) |
More on ACTOS: Reviews Summary | Drug Safety Information
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR ACTOS | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 1 | I experienced painful and extreme water retention and weight gain. I was not overweight before (5'10" and 160 pounds,) but by the time I stopped taking actos, I was 200 pounds. I gained 40 pounds over a period of 2 years. I have since lost 21 pounds since using byetta injections instead of actos. I severly hate actos. It is counter-productive in keeping a diabetic healthy. | The only positive part about it is that it controls the blood sugar levels well. | F | 21 | 2 years | 2/16/2009 | 1 | Diabetic 11 | Extreme weight gain. Gained weight in places I've never had weigh before. | I am going to get off this medication before I have a heart attack. I retired to become stress free and stop having fattening lunches with colleages. I lost my weight gradually and felt better. The doctor kept pushing drugs for that perfect AIC number, so I agreed to Actos. Big mistake and larger me. Gained 15 pounds and a overlapped gut to boot. | F | 58 | 5 months | 1/28/2009 | 5 | Type II Diabetes | Have been on Actos 30mg for 6 years, and have maintained an A1C of 5.7. Prior to Actos, I was on Metformin and Amaryl for 5 years, but A1C was never below 7. Actos does a great job controlling your sugar, but that doesn't mean you can start eating whatever you want. I want to laugh at you people who say you've gained 50-100lbs because of the drug. Quit shoveling Twinkies, 3 plates of pasta and a stick of butter into your mouths daily and you probably will stop ballooning. This comment section just gives obese people something other to blame their obesity on besides themselves. Honestly, how did 99% of you become diabetic anyway??? | And Actos doesn't cause heart attacks. I've done a ton of research in the area. Avandia causes heart attacks, Actos actually decreases the risk of having one. Januvia is weight neutral, and doesn't control your blood sugar (might as well take Tylenol). Byetta will make you lose weight, but then you have an increased risk of pancreatitis. Glimipiride, glyburide, glicizide can all lead to your beta cells burning out quicker and hypoglycemia. Actos is the best drug on the market to treat the disease we have, pharmacologically speaking. Dump the excuses, take ownership of your disease and maybe you'll live to see your grandchildren. | M | 49 | 6 years | 1/18/2009 | 2 | Diabetes 2 and infertility | EXTREME, fast weight gain....CONSTANT fatigue, loss of muscle/skin tone, unexplained sharp back/shoulder pain, increased hunger. | I started taking Actos and thought I had found my "miracle". I was already taking glyburide and metformin for diabetes, with great success. I was having some infertility issues, as well as thinning hair. Doctor said this would be "Great" for infertility...would make me ovulate . If only I had known! My hair did get thicker, and my periods became regular again. BUT in the process I have gained almost 40 lbs. in 4 months. I have aches/pains all the time and I am so tired I could just sleep all the time. So now, I can either be fatter and pregnant with thick hair, or be thinner, not pregnant and going bald. I HATE Actos! Don't even want pregnancy now, not weighing this much! I would not recommend this drug to anyone, for any reason. Now, I have extreme depression because of the weight gain ( I was already heavy to begin with), and I don't have the engery to even do basic day to day things. | F | 36 | 4 months | 1/16/2009 | 1 | Type 2 Diabetes | Started taking Actos 3 months ago after being taken off of Avandia. Noticed a chest discomfort shortly after starting Actos but then all of my muscles started hurting. I couldn't even get out of a chair without being in tears because I hurt so bad. The doc thought my arthritis was flaring up and that I might have fibrmyalgia so he increased my Ibuprophen to 2400 mg per day and added pain pills for breakthroughs. My chest started hurting more so I thought it was my esophogus because of all of the Ibuprophen. When I couldn't breathe and my chest was pounding so hard that I could take my pulse without even touching myself, I went back to the doc. EKG was fine and am waiting on the stress test results. After reading everyone's comments I see many other side effects that I didn't even realize were due to the drug. I stopped it 5 days ago and I feel like I am alive again. My chest stopped pounding, I can breathe, my ankles don't itch or swell, I can see clearly and I don't hurt. Bot | F | 49 | 3 months | 1/12/2009 | 1 | Type ll Diabetes | I have been taking actos for approx 8 months. Shortly after be prescribed Actos I began iching. I told my Dr. and she said that," I will take you off Actos once you have fallen below two hundred pounds". I have begun vomitting and having nausea during my period. I will stop taking actos on my own. | Side Effects of Actos to Report There are a number of less common (but more serious) side effects of Actos that you should report immediately to your healthcare provider. These include, but are not limited to: Symptoms of high blood sugar, including: o Increased hunger o Increased thirst o Increased urination o Blurred vision o Fatigue o Shortness of breath o Nausea or vomiting Symptoms of low blood sugar, including: o Sweating o Shakiness o Extreme hunger o Dizziness o Cold sweats o Blurry vision o Changes in behavior, such as irritability o Loss of coordination o Difficulty speaking o Confusion o Seizures Trouble breathing (which may be a sign of new or worsening congestive heart failure) Swelling, especially in the legs or ankles Rapid increase in weight (three to five pounds in less than one week) Liver problems, including o Nausea or vomiting o Stomach pain o Unusual or unexplained tiredness o Loss of appetite o Dark urine o Yellowing of you | F | 44 | 8 months | 12/22/2008 | 1 | for diabetes 2 | swollen ankles, leg pain, weight gain,shortness of breath, | I had echocardiogram, had angiogram with no problems with my heart.2 x bone marrow tests, results were non specific.Spoke to my endochronologist who told me that the symptoms were due to Actos and stop taking Actos. It is exactly 1 week since I stopped and all symptoms are still there. I wonder how long does it take for Actos to go out of the system? | M | 79 | 9 months | 12/7/2008 | 2 | Diabetes Type II | Weight gain of 18 pounds. Extreme sugar lows (as low as 43) if I don' eat enough. I now have chronic headache and just started experiencing swollen feet and ankles this weekend. I am chronically tired and weary. I also have muscle aches but am not sure if this is from not going to the gym or from the drug. | I did not tolerate Glucophage so I was switched to Glipizide. THe side affects from the Glucophage stopped, but my fasting tests were still averaging about 140 (beats 280). So my doctor added Actos. It did bring my blood sugar down, but I have to be very careful to eat at two to four hour intervals or the bottom drops out on me. I carry snacks everywhere with me. My car trunk looks like a grocery store. Also since my feet started swelling, my walking program is in jeopardy and I just got my feet into shape with orthopedic shoes, pads, and physical therapy! | F | 56 | 9 months | 11/3/2008 | 1 | Diabetes Type II | I started out on 30MG/day for about 3 months but even with exercise it did not control my sugar. I was put on Actos Plus twice a day and that controlled sugar well. After being on Actos Plus for 2 months I gained 17 pounds. I continued my exercise routine but noticed occasional shortness of breath while resting, eyestrain, and swollen ankles. I took a routine stress test and after 5 min my heart went into Ventricular Tachycardia for about 30 or 40 beats and then resumed normal rhythm after several minutes of rest. I had never experienced problems in previous stress tests. I have Echocardiogram scheduled. | I have also experienced extreme hunger right after eating and feel like this may have contributed to weight gain | M | 65 | 5 months | 9/19/2008 | 1 | Diabetes | 40lb weight gain...leg and ankle swelling...shortness of breathe...stress over all three problems | Am seeing my Dr in 2 days and will be telling him that 'I AM NOT nor WILL NOT BE TAKING ACTOS EVER AGAIN'...have been complaining about Actos for months...weight gain menace is depressing...goodbye ACTOS...bye George...(~.-) | M | 66 | 2 years | 9/6/2008 | 1 | Diabetes | Medium amnemia and strong muscle aches | Doctor insists that I have internal bleeding and that this is not a side effect of Actos. No blood in stool, now going through colonoscopy and complete 'light' tube down throat and into intestines. Have been on Actos-Avandia for years. Doctor jokingly said I would not die of disease but of side effects of medication! WHY DON'T DOCTORS KNOW MORE ABOUT SIDE EFFECTS OF DANGEROUS DRUGS? They take at face value what the drug pushers tell them when they deliver their little samples of death. | M | 70 | 3 years | 8/20/2008 | 1 | Poor glucose control | I have had Type II Diabetes for 17 years. I had been well controlled up until a year ago. My doctor tried many different medications which were not working. He was about to put me on insulin, but wanted to try Actos plus Amaryl first. I have tolerated Amaryl very well for a number of years. When I began taking Actos, I was initially pleased to see my glucose become well controlled again. That, however, is the only positive thing I can say about Actos. My initial satisfaction with the drug turned to complete dissatisfaction within a few weeks. I began to gain weight. My appetite soared. My eyes became very blurry. I also experienced chronic headaches, muscle aches, and extreme swelling of my feet, ankles and legs. | To sum up, the only thing I can add is that for me, Actos was worse than the disease! | F | 56 | 90 days | 8/19/2008 | 4 | Type II Diabetes | None after about 15 years of treatment | No weight gain or other side effects. I am a physician. My Hgb Aic is 5.9. I also take Metformin and Starlix. | M | 72 | 15 years | 8/16/2008 | 2 | Type 2 Diabetic | Significant, fast weight gain (40 lbs), edema in ankles/feet, constant backache, bloat in stomach, loss of energy, loss of muscle tone, increased carb cravings. Didn't start to feel these side effects until after being on actos 45mg about 9 mths, probably because I'm also on metformin, metoprolol, lisinopril & hctz and was introduced to those drugs at about the same time and was dealing with the side effects from those as well (I was diagnosed in 11/06 as diabetic and hypertensive). I 'adjusted' to the other drugs after 6 mths and have not felt too many side effects from them in the last year but started feeling more of the actos side effects by winter 2007. | My understanding of how actos works is that it helps your stem cells to make more fat cells to 'soak' up the extra glucose floating around in your blood after you have eaten-this helps to keeps your blood glucose (BG) levels within acceptable limits when you test your BG with a monitor. Now, this is just MY opinion, not a medical fact, but because you have those extra fat cells floating around in your body, you also get increased appetite (the carb cravings), thus a vicious cycle emerges...you crave more food, then actos responds by making more fat cells to soak up the extra glucose from the extra food, thus producing even more craving for food, etc, etc, etc. You see my point...the other problem is that since actos is 'tying' up all of your stem cells' time into making more fat cells, the stem cells don't have as much time to make more muscle cells to help keep your body toned, so you start to feel more 'flabby' over time even if you do maintain a regular exercise routine. So you a | F | 47 | 19 months | 8/9/2008 | 1 | Better blood sugar control | Weight gain, 40-50 pounds in 4 or so years, severe leg swelling | I was taking 2000 mg Metformin and my doctor added the Actos several years ago for better control. Better control did occur with A1C levels well below 7. I was trying to ignore the weight gain, but finally I couldn't ignore it any longer as I was obese to begin with. I had lap band surgery to get rid of the weight and was allowed to go off Actos after surgery. I've lost 48 pounds in about 3 months, but it's been hard work. The Actos weight comes on easily but doesn't come off as easily. I think I've lost the Actos weight now and can now begin to lose the rest of the weight I need to. My husband had the same Actos experience. He's type 2 but insulin dependent. He begged his doctor to take him off Actos so they switched him to 3 more shots per day with Symlin and he's lost 13 pounds. He'd rather take extra shots than deal with the Actos weight gain. Actos is evil!! | F | 51 | 4 years | 7/27/2008 | 1 | Type II diabetes | Extreme hunger, 3 lb. weight gain in 10 days, water retention and after approx. an hour after taking Actos, the back of my eyes ached. | I am going off this medication (under Dr. supervision)and do not recommend this medication. | F | 40 | 10 days | 7/21/2008 | 1 | Type II diabetes | After taking 1st dose 5 days ago, muscle aches began--especially arms, shoulders & legs. Since then, I've had a headache every day, am lethargic & have been EXTREMELY hungry (which is not my usual situation). I'm afraid to weigh myself, after losing 15 lbs. in the last 2 months from dieting & exercising. I was taking metformin & glucotrol, but PA, not regular doctor, changed me to actos with metformin because my bg was a little high in the morning and went low after exercise. | After seeing the effects that others have had while taking this med., I'm not going to wait a year or so & gain 100 lbs. before I stop taking it. It is going into the trash right now & I'll go back to metformin ONLY! THANKS! to others who have given their symptoms & opinions. I thought maybe I was getting sick--now I'm sure it's the actos! | F | 57 | 5 days | 6/21/2008 | 1 | high blood sugar | Beyond horrible upper left back muscle pain that crossed over entire shoulder and traveled into the base of my head, I stopped taking actos 10 days later on my own and oow i am out of work because I cant stand any matereal near my skin. | my Dr. had to put me on muscle spasm pills for the pain to stop. I am so frustrated now with the sensitivity with my skin not being able to have matereal near it. I am type one diabetic and my Dr.gave me this hell pill and I just dont why, why, why. | F | 58 | 10 days | 6/19/2008 | 1 | Diabetes Type II | Extreme weight gain, even though I am exercising and eating healthy, fatigue, anemia, edema of face and extremities. | After I discovered the reason why I am gaining weight and cannot lose any (Actos makes your body develop fat cells to absorb sugar from your blood so you have better numbers-just what we all need more fat cells!)I have stopped all Actos and will only continue my Metformin. I have not been able to lose weight in over a year and a half and have gained over 20 lbs in the last 4 mos. even though I should have been losing. I will wait till I get my lab results in two months before I tell my doctor because he probably will not be happy with my decision. So far my sugars are fine without the Actos so I hope I will stay that way and I will start losing weight! | F | 55 | 2 years | 5/27/2008 | 3 | Type 2 Diabetes | Been on Actos now for a little over 3 months and it has lowered my blood sugar...HOWEVER...I have also gained 15 more pounds!!! This is horrible. I feel so bloated and suffering with muscle cramps. I have some metformin left over from 3 months ago, I might just go back on it myself until my next appt and see what my numbers show then. All I want to do now is eat eat eat. | F | 58 | 3 months | 5/22/2008 |