Pioglitazone is used for:

Treating type 2 diabetes in certain patients. It is used along with diet and exercise. It may be used alone or with other antidiabetic medicines.

Pioglitazone is a thiazolidinedione antidiabetic. It lowers blood sugar by making the cells of the body more sensitive to the action of insulin.

Do NOT use Pioglitazone if:

• you are allergic to any ingredient in Pioglitazone
• you have moderate to severe heart failure
• you have type 1 diabetes
• you have a history of liver problems, including jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes), during therapy with a similar medicine called troglitazone

Contact your doctor or health care provider right away if any of these apply to you.

Before using Pioglitazone :

Some medical conditions may interact with Pioglitazone. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have any medical conditions, especially if any of the following apply to you:

• if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding
• if you are taking any prescription or nonprescription medicine, herbal preparation, or dietary supplement
• if you have allergies to medicines, foods, or other substances
• if you have diabetic ketoacidosis (a severe problem associated with diabetes)
• if you have a history of liver problems, abnormal liver function tests, heart problems (eg, congestive heart failure), or eye or vision problems
• if you have swelling problems (edema)

Some MEDICINES MAY INTERACT with Pioglitazone. Tell your health care provider if you are taking any other medicines, especially any of the following:

• Gemfibrozil, insulin, or oral antidiabetic medicines (eg, glipizide) because the risk of low blood sugar may be increased
• Rifampin because it may decrease Pioglitazone 's effectiveness, resulting in high blood sugar
• Anticoagulants (eg, warfarin) because their effectiveness may be decreased or the risk of their side effects may be increased by Pioglitazone

This may not be a complete list of all interactions that may occur. Ask your health care provider if Pioglitazone may interact with other medicines that you take. Check with your health care provider before you start, stop, or change the dose of any medicine.

How to use Pioglitazone :

Use Pioglitazone as directed by your doctor. Check the label on the medicine for exact dosing instructions.

• Take Pioglitazone by mouth with or without food.
• Continue to take Pioglitazone even if you feel well. Do not miss any doses. Taking Pioglitazone at the same time each day will help you remember to take it.
• If you miss a dose of Pioglitazone , take it as soon as possible. If it almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not take 2 doses at once.

Ask your health care provider any questions you may have about how to use Pioglitazone.

Important safety information:

• Carry an ID card at all times that says you have diabetes.
• Proper diet, regular exercise, and regular blood sugar testing are important for best results with Pioglitazone. Follow the diet and exercise program given to you by your health care provider.
• Check your blood sugar levels as directed by your doctor. If they are often higher than they should be and you take Pioglitazone exactly as prescribed, tell your doctor.
• It may be harder to control your blood sugar during times of stress such as fever, infection, injury, or surgery. Talk with your doctor about how to control your blood sugar if any of these occur. Do not change the dose of your medicine without checking with your doctor.
• Do NOT take more than the recommended dose without checking with your doctor.
• Pioglitazone may lower your blood sugar levels when it is used along with insulin or other oral diabetic medicines. Low blood sugar may make you anxious, sweaty, weak, dizzy, drowsy, or faint. It may also make your heart beat faster; make your vision change; give you a headache, chills, or tremors; or make you more hungry. It is a good idea to carry a reliable source of glucose (eg, tablets or gel) to treat low blood sugar. If this is not available, you should eat or drink a quick source of sugar like table sugar, honey, candy, orange juice, or non-diet soda. This will raise your blood sugar level quickly. Tell your doctor right away if this happens. To prevent low blood sugar, eat meals at the same time each day and do not skip meals.
• Pioglitazone may cause ovulation in women who have not reached menopause but do not ovulate. Be sure to use effective birth control while using Pioglitazone.
• Tell your doctor or dentist that you take Pioglitazone before you receive any medical or dental care, emergency care, or surgery.
• Pioglitazone may be associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer. Discuss any questions or concerns with your doctor.
• Lab tests, including fasting blood sugar, hemoglobin A_1c, eye examinations, and liver function, may be performed while you use Pioglitazone. These tests may be used to monitor your condition or check for side effects. Be sure to keep all doctor and lab appointments.
• Pioglitazone should not be used in CHILDREN younger than 18 years old; safety and effectiveness in these children have not been confirmed.
• PREGNANCY and BREAST-FEEDING: If you become pregnant, contact your doctor. You will need to discuss the benefits and risks of using Pioglitazone while you are pregnant. It is not known if Pioglitazone is found in breast milk. Do not breast-feed while taking Pioglitazone.

Possible side effects of Pioglitazone :

All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome:

Headache; muscle aches; sore throat; weight gain.

Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur:

Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); blurred vision or other vision changes; symptoms of heart failure (eg, shortness of breath; sudden unexplained weight gain; swelling of the hands, ankles, or feet); symptoms of liver problems (eg, dark urine; yellowing of the skin or eyes; unexplained nausea, vomiting, or loss of appetite; stomach pain); symptoms of low blood sugar (eg, anxiety, increased sweating, dizziness or drowsiness, headache, chills, tremors, increased hunger); unusual tiredness or weakness.

What is the shelf life of the pills?

• The expiry date is mentioned on each blister. It is different for different batches. The shelf life is 2 years from the date of manufacture and would differ from batch to batch depending on when they were manufactured.

Other Useful Information:

Calcium: A mineral found mainly in the hard part of bones, where it is stored. Calcium is added to bones by cells called osteoblasts and is removed from bones by cells called osteoclasts. Calcium is essential for healthy bones. It is also important for muscle contraction, heart action, nervous system maintenance, and normal blood clotting. Food sources of calcium include dairy foods, some leafy green vegetables such as broccoli and collards, canned salmon, clams, oysters, calcium-fortified foods, and tofu. According to the National Academy of Sciences, adequate intake of calcium is 1,200 milligrams a day (four glasses of milk) for men and women 51 and older, 1,000 milligrams a day for adults 19 through 50, and 1,300 milligrams a day for children 9 through 18. The upper limit for calcium intake is 2.5 grams daily.

Cavities: Holes in the two outer layers of a tooth called the enamel and the dentin. The enamel is the outermost white hard surface and the dentin is the yellow layer just beneath enamel. Both layers serve to protect the inner living tooth tissue called the pulp, where blood vessels and nerves reside. Small cavities may not cause pain, and may be unnoticed by the patient. Larger cavities can collect food, and the inner pulp of the affected tooth can become irritated by bacterial toxins, foods that are cold, hot, sour, or sweet - causing toothache.

Naturopathy: A system of therapy based on preventative care, and on the use of heat, water, light, air, and massage as primary therapies for disease. Some naturopaths use no medications, either pharmaceutical or herbal. Some recommend herbal remedies only. A few who are licensed to prescribe may recommend pharmaceuticals in those cases where they feel their use is warranted.

Naturopathy is an American healthcare profession. It was founded in the US as a formal healthcare system at the turn of the 20th century by medical practitioners from various natural therapeutic disciplines. By the early 1900s, more than 20 naturopathic medical schools existed, and naturopathic physicians were licensed in most States. Today there are more than 1,000 licensed naturopathic doctors in the US.

As practiced today, naturopathic medicine integrates traditional natural therapeutics -- including botanical medicine, clinical nutrition, homeopathy, acupuncture, traditional oriental medicine, hydrotherapy, and naturopathic manipulative therapy -- with modern scientific medical diagnostic science and standards of care. The medical research base of naturopathic practice consists of empirical documentation of treatments using case history observations, medical records, and summaries of practitioners' clinical experiences.

At present, the two accredited naturopathic medical schools in the US have active research departments. Naturopathic researchers have investigated the pharmacology and physiological effects of nutritional and natural therapeutic agents, and naturopathic physicians have been active in the investigation of new homeopathic remedies and in the natural treatment of women's health problems. The most recently completed naturopathic study in women's health tested the clinical and endocrine effects of a botanical formula as an alternative to estrogen replacement therapy.

Blood: The familiar red fluid in the body that contains white and red blood cells, platelets, proteins, and other elements. The blood is transported throughout the body by the circulatory system. Blood functions in two directions: arterial and venous. Arterial blood is the means by which oxygen and nutrients are transported to tissues while venous blood is the means by which carbon dioxide and metabolic by-products are transported to the lungs and kidneys, respectively, for removal from the body.

Blood pressure: The blood pressure is the pressure of the blood within the arteries. It is produced primarily by the contraction of the heart muscle. It's measurement is recorded by two numbers. The first (systolic pressure) is measured after the heart contracts and is highest. The second (diastolic pressure) is measured before the heart contracts and lowest. A blood pressure cuff is used to measure the pressure. Elevation of blood pressure is called "hypertension".

Brain: That part of the central nervous system that is located within the cranium (skull). The brain functions as the primary receiver, organizer and distributor of information for the body. It has two (right and left) halves called "hemispheres."

Disease: Illness or sickness often characterized by typical patient problems (symptoms) and physical findings (signs). Disruption sequence: The events that occur when a fetus that is developing normally is subjected to a destructive agent such as the rubella (German measles) virus.

Doctor: In a medical context, any medical professional with an MD, a PhD, or any other doctoral degree. The term doctor is quite nonspecific. A doctor may, for example, be a physician, psychologist, biomedical scientist, dentist, or veterinarian. In a nonmedical context, a professor of history might be addressed as doctor, an eminent theologian might be named a doctor of a church, and a person awarded an honorary doctorate by a college or university might also be called a doctor.

The word "doctor" comes from the Latin "docere" meaning to teach. A doctor was a teacher, especially a learned or authoritative one.