Use of Pioglitazone to control Type 2 DM

[NRIPESH]

Anybody have the experience about taking Pioglitazone to control Type 2 DM? If yes please share the experience

[Activity2004 Administrator]

Has your doctor suggested that you go on the medication? What is the dosage?

[NRIPESH in reply to Activity2004]

Yes, I am currently on Metformin but my Doctor changed it Pioglitazone 30mg 1 tab per day

[sandybrown in reply to NRIPESH]

Is this because your blood glucose is changing your doctor has changed your medication?

[NRIPESH in reply to sandybrown]

Yes, it is nearing to normal range

[sandybrown in reply to NRIPESH]

If you were to give your blood glucose numbers for a day a week, members can comment.

[NRIPESH in reply to sandybrown]

Fasting: 110 and after meal 140 and A1C 6.2

[sandybrown in reply to NRIPESH]

Is your A1c, (6.2%) measured or calculated using home device?

You may need a lab blood test!

[NRIPESH in reply to sandybrown]

Sorry it was done on lab and written as HBA1C whole blood glycosylated hemoglobin

[sandybrown in reply to NRIPESH]

If you look at the top of the page, your number is in green. You have to be very careful and watch your numbers and medication. Also look at side effect. May be now you can think of life style change.

[Activity2004 Administrator in reply to NRIPESH]

What was your blood sugars before switching medications?

[NRIPESH in reply to Activity2004]

Fasting: 110 and after meal 140 and A1C 6.2

[Activity2004 Administrator in reply to NRIPESH]

6.2 is good for tight control.😀👍 Please don’t let the numbers go too much lower.😀👍

[rnpath in reply to NRIPESH]

please check again. pioglit is always a supplement to other oral drugs.so you need to continue metformin.

there is a slight risk for diabetics with compromised cardiac status or coronary heart disease since it may promote narrowing of the arteries.

so you need to be constantly under your physician care,and

dont increase the dose arbitrarily with your desire to titrate sugar down

[namaha Administrator]

Dear nip1975

You must note that there are two classes of medications for T2DM..

(1) One is an insulin secretagogues meaning the drug acts upon Pancreas beta cells to produce Insulin. Examples: Sulphonylurea such as Gliclazide , DPP4 inhibitor such as Sitagliptin and Vildagliptin....

These are useful when the pancreas is not able to produce adequate insulin...

(2) The other class of drugs are called insulin sensitisers. These do not act on pancreas to produce insulin...

It helps in proper utilisation of available insulin such that the body cells are able to take up the excess blood sugar.

This drugs are Metformin and Pioglitazone..

(3) However, metformin and Pioglitazone will work only if your pancreas produces some insulin... If pancreas does not produce enough insulin , then Metformin and Pioglitazine are of no use...

(4) That is the reason why the physicians always give a combo of one insulin secretagogues and one insulin sensitiser.

(5) But scientifically speaking , one should check and confirm whether he is insulin deficient ( pancreas not producing enough insulin ) or he has strong insulin resistance - IR before taking any drugs...

(5) After having a clear knowledge about his conditions , he should take drugs after consultation with his physician...

(6) Moreover, if it is a case of Insulin Resistance and his pancreas is able to produce enough insulin , in most cases he may not require a drug...Only diet and exercise could control his conditions of IR ...

(7) In case he is not able to control IR with diet and exercise and a drug is required, then Metformin is the drug of choice if he is obese / overweight and Pioglitazone is the drug of choice for thin type 2 ..

If the thin type 2 is insulin deficient, then along with Pioglitazone , he also needs to have an insulin secretagogue..

(8) Incidentally , Pioglitazone patented by Takeda pharma , Japan is the only insulin sensitiser known to preserve beta cells..though it landed up in controversy in many countries with regards to its side effects at high doses.. and many countries banned the drug but later lifted ban considering its safety risk with very low % of people vs benefits to a very high % of people.

As long as the dose is at 15-30 mg max , you may not have any side effects....

Disclamer: I am not a doctor.. i have gathered this information during my research work...you may please consult your Physician before making any change to your current medications..

[NRIPESH in reply to namaha]

Thank you for the detail information on medications available for treatment of Type II DM.