Rosiglitazone is used for:

Controlling blood sugar levels, along with diet and exercise, in patients with type 2 diabetes. This medication may also be used with other antidiabetes medicines.

Rosiglitazone is a thiazolidinedione. It lowers blood glucose (sugar) by making the cells of the body more sensitive to the action of insulin. Insulin is needed to allow sugar to be carried from the bloodstream into many cells of the body for energy. Rosiglitazone does not work in type 1 diabetes.

Do NOT use Rosiglitazone if:

• you are allergic to any ingredient in Rosiglitazone

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

Before using Rosiglitazone :

Some medical conditions may interact with Rosiglitazone. 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, type 1 diabetes, swelling problems (edema), or liver disease
• if you have experienced liver problems, including yellowing of the skin, with troglitazone
• if you have a history of heart disease (eg, chronic congestive heart failure)

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

• Rifampin because the effectiveness of Rosiglitazone may be decreased
• Gemfibrozil because actions and side effects of Rosiglitazone may be increased and excessively low blood sugar may occur

This may not be a complete list of all interactions that may occur. Ask your health care provider if Rosiglitazone 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 Rosiglitazone :

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

• Rosiglitazone may be taken with or without food. Take with food if stomach upset occurs.
• To help you remember to take Rosiglitazone , you may want to take it at the same time every day.
• Full effects of Rosiglitazone may not be seen for 2 to 3 months.
• If you miss a dose of Rosiglitazone , 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 double the dose.

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

Important safety information:

• Before you have any medical or dental treatments, emergency care, or surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are using Rosiglitazone.
• If your blood sugar level is often higher than it should be and you are taking Rosiglitazone according to your health care provider’s directions, check with your health care provider.
• If you are taking insulin, during periods of stress such as fever, infection, or surgery, you may need to change your insulin dose. Talk with your health care provider.
• When using Rosiglitazone with insulin or other diabetes medicine, be sure that you and your family members know the risks, symptoms (eg, numbness, fatigue, hunger, sweating, rapid pulse, confusion), and treatment (eg, sugar-containing drinks or food) of low blood sugar.
• Management of type 2 diabetes should include diet control. Restriction of calories, weight loss, and exercise are essential for proper treatment. It is important to follow the diet guidelines given to you by your health care provider.
• If you are taking 2 antidiabetic medicines each day and you become irritable, lightheaded, or very tired, tell your doctor at once.
• Carry an identification card at all times that says you are diabetic.
• Monitor your blood sugar level regularly according to your doctor's directions. If you blood sugar level is often higher than it should be and you are taking Rosiglitazone according to the directions, check with your health care provider.
• Rosiglitazone may cause ovulation in women who have not reached menopause but do not ovulate. Be sure to use adequate birth control methods while using Rosiglitazone.
• LAB TESTS, including liver function and blood, will be required while you are using Rosiglitazone. Be sure to keep all doctor and lab appointments.
• Rosiglitazone should be used with extreme caution in CHILDREN. Safety and effectiveness have not been confirmed.
• PREGNANCY and BREAST-FEEDING: If you become pregnant, discuss the benefits and risks of using Rosiglitazone during pregnancy with your doctor. Do not breast-feed while taking Rosiglitazone.

Possible side effects of Rosiglitazone :

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:

Back pain; diarrhea; headache; injury; sinus infection; upper respiratory tract infection.

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

Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); abdominal pain; bloating or swelling of the ankles, feet, or hands; chest pain; confusion; dark urine; fast heartbeat; hunger; loss of appetite; nausea; numbness; pain; rapid weight gain; shortness of breath; stomach problems; sweating; tiredness; unusual thirst or amount of urine; vision changes; vomiting; yellowing of the skin.

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.