Avandia (Rosiglitazone Maleate) Patient Information: Side Effects and Drug Images at RxList

Avandia Patient Information Including Side Effects

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Brand Names: Avandia

Generic Name: rosiglitazone

What is rosiglitazone (Avandia)?
What are the possible side effects of rosiglitazone (Avandia)?
What is the most important information I should know about rosiglitazone (Avandia)?
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking rosiglitazone (Avandia)?
How should I take rosiglitazone (Avandia)?
What happens if I miss a dose (Avandia)?
What happens if I overdose (Avandia)?
What should I avoid while taking rosiglitazone (Avandia)?
What other drugs will affect rosiglitazone (Avandia)?
Where can I get more information (Avandia)?

What is rosiglitazone (Avandia)?

Rosiglitazone is an oral diabetes medicine that helps control blood sugar levels.

Rosiglitazone is for people with type 2 diabetes. Rosiglitazone is sometimes used in combination with other medicines, but it is not for treating type 1 diabetes.

Rosiglitazone is not recommended for use with insulin. Taking rosiglitazone while you are using insulin may increase your risk of serious heart problems.

Rosiglitazone may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What are the possible side effects of rosiglitazone (Avandia)?

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have:

shortness of breath (even with mild exertion), swelling, rapid weight gain;
changes in your vision;
chest pain or pressure, pain spreading to your jaw or shoulder, nausea, sweating;
nausea, upper stomach pain, itching, tiredness, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes); or
pale skin, feeling light-headed or short of breath, rapid heart rate, trouble concentrating.

Common side effects may include:

headache; or
cold symptoms such as stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What is the most important information I should know about rosiglitazone (Avandia)?

You should not use rosiglitazone if you have severe or uncontrolled heart failure. Do not use rosiglitazone if you are in a state of diabetic ketoacidosis (call your doctor for treatment with insulin). Rosiglitazone is not for treating type 1 diabetes.

Rosiglitazone can cause or worsen congestive heart failure. Call your doctor at once if you have shortness of breath (even with mild exertion), swelling, or rapid weight gain.

Avandia Patient Information including How Should I Take

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking rosiglitazone (Avandia)?

You should not use rosiglitazone if you are allergic to it, or if you have severe or uncontrolled heart failure. Do not use rosiglitazone if you are in a state of diabetic ketoacidosis (call your doctor for treatment with insulin).

To make sure rosiglitazone is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:

congestive heart failure, heart disease, a history of heart attack or stroke;
fluid retention;
eye problems caused by diabetes; or
liver disease.

Women may be more likely than men to have bone fractures in the upper arm, hand, or foot while taking rosiglitazone. Talk with your doctor if you are concerned about this possibility.

It is not known whether rosiglitazone will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using this medicine.

Some women using rosiglitazone have started having menstrual periods, even after not having a period for a long time due to a medical condition. You may be able to get pregnant if your periods restart. Talk with your doctor about the need for birth control.

It is not known whether rosiglitazone passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. You should not breast-feed while using this medicine.

Rosiglitazone is not approved for use by anyone younger than 18 years old.

How should I take rosiglitazone (Avandia)?

Follow all directions on your prescription label. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose to make sure you get the best results. Do not take this medicine in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended.

You may take the medicine with or without food.

Your blood sugar will need to be checked often, and you may need other blood tests at your doctor's office.

Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) can happen to everyone who has diabetes. Symptoms include headache, hunger, sweating, pale skin, irritability, dizziness, feeling shaky, or trouble concentrating. Always keep a source of sugar with you in case you have low blood sugar. Sugar sources include fruit juice, hard candy, crackers, raisins, and non-diet soda. Be sure your family and close friends know how to help you in an emergency.

If you have severe hypoglycemia and cannot eat or drink, use a glucagon injection. Your doctor can prescribe a glucagon emergency injection kit and tell you how to use it.

Check your blood sugar carefully during times of stress, travel, illness, surgery or medical emergency, vigorous exercise, or if you drink alcohol or skip meals. These things can affect your glucose levels and your dose needs may also change. Do not change your medication dose or schedule without your doctor's advice.

Use rosiglitazone regularly to get the most benefit. Get your prescription refilled before you run out of medicine completely.

Rosiglitazone is only part of a treatment program that may also include diet, exercise, weight control, blood sugar testing, and special medical care. Follow your doctor's instructions very closely.

Store at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light. Keep the bottle tightly closed when not in use.

Avandia Patient Information including If I Miss a Dose

What happens if I miss a dose (Avandia)?

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose (Avandia)?

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. You may have signs of low blood sugar, such as extreme weakness, blurred vision, sweating, trouble speaking, tremors, stomach pain, confusion, and seizure (convulsions).

What should I avoid while taking rosiglitazone (Avandia)?

Avoid drinking alcohol. It can lower your blood sugar.

What other drugs will affect rosiglitazone (Avandia)?

Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any you start or stop using, especially:

insulin;
heart or blood pressure medicine; or
cholesterol-lowering medicine.

This list is not complete and many other medicines may increase or decrease the effects of rosiglitazone on lowering your blood sugar. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible interactions are listed in this medication guide.

Where can I get more information (Avandia)?

Your pharmacist can provide more information about rosiglitazone.

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

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