Pioglitazone

What is Pioglitazone?

Pioglitazone is a generic tablet treatment for type-2 diabetes. It belongs to the ‘thiazolidinedione’ class of medicines, in which two are FDA-approved for diabetes (Rosiglitazone being the other). These meds work by helping your body to use the insulin it produces better, and lowering the amount of glucose your body makes.

Insulin is a hormone that helps lower blood sugar by storing the sugar that you eat in your cells for you to use as energy. Type-2 diabetes is a condition that causes hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), usually because your pancreas doesn’t produce as much insulin as it should, or because your cells aren’t able to properly use the insulin that you do produce.

Sometimes type-2 diabetes can be well controlled by only making lifestyle adjustments, such as a healthy diet and exercise, but sometimes you need to take treatments like Pioglitazone to help you maintain low blood sugar levels.

How does Pioglitazone work?

Pioglitazone works by increasing your cell’s sensitivity to insulin. It does this by stimulating specific receptors in your cells responsible for interacting with insulin. By doing this, your cells become better able to transport and use the glucose in your blood, which can lower your blood sugar levels. ^[1]

Pioglitazone doesn’t increase your insulin production. Because of this, Pioglitazone won’t be as effective for you if your pancreas’ insulin secretion is low, and you might need to take an additional treatment alongside Pioglitazone to increase your insulin levels.

What doses of Pioglitazone are there?

Pioglitazone is available in three different doses: 15mg, 30mg and 45mg. The typical starting dose is for you to take one 15mg tablet a day, which will then be increased if needed up to a maximum of 45mg once a day.

Our doctor will recommend the most suitable dose for you once you’ve talked to us about your health.

How to take Pioglitazone

You should always take Pioglitazone exactly as instructed by our clinician.

To take Pioglitazone, simply swallow one tablet, whole, with water.

If you’re following a special diet for your diabetes, you should continue with this while you’re taking Pioglitazone.

How long does it take Pioglitazone to work?

Pioglitazone takes a few weeks to lower your blood sugar levels. If your diabetes doesn’t give you any symptoms you might not notice any effect from taking Pioglitazone – this doesn’t mean it’s not working, though. It’s important that you keep taking your diabetes treatment, even if you don’t feel any different, to reduce your risk of getting health problems in the future. ^[1]

What should I do if I make a mistake when taking Pioglitazone?

If you accidentally take too much Pioglitazone you should seek medical help straight away. Taking too much Pioglitazone can cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), which can be very serious if left untreated.

You should take one tablet of Pioglitazone a day (or as prescribed). If you forget to take your tablet one day, don’t take an extra one the next day to make up for it. Just continue with your prescribed schedule as normal.