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 used together with diet and exercise to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Rosiglitazone is not for treating type 1 diabetes.

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 in your face or throat) or a severe skin reaction (fever, sore throat, burning eyes, skin pain, red or purple skin rash with blistering and peeling).

Stop using rosiglitazone and call your doctor at once if you have symptoms of liver damage: nausea, upper stomach pain, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, or jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

Call your doctor at once if you have:

shortness of breath (especially when lying down), unusual tiredness, swelling, rapid weight gain;
chest pain or pressure, pain spreading to your jaw or shoulder, nausea, sweating;
pale skin, feeling light-headed or short of breath, cold hands and feet;
loss of appetite, stomach pain, dark urine, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);
changes in your vision; or
sudden unusual pain in your hand, arm, or foot.

Common side effects may include:

headache; or
cold symptoms such as stuffy nose, sinus pain, 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)?

Rosiglitazone can cause or worsen congestive heart failure. You should not use this medicine if you have severe or uncontrolled heart failure.

Stop using this medicine and call your doctor at once if you have shortness of breath (especially when lying down), unusual tiredness, 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 this medicine if you are allergic to rosiglitazone, or if you have:

severe or uncontrolled heart failure; or
diabetic ketoacidosis (call your doctor for treatment).

This medication may increase your risk of developing bladder cancer. Talk with your doctor about your specific risk.

Tell your doctor if you have ever had:

congestive heart failure or heart disease;
a heart attack or stroke;
eye problems caused by diabetes; or
liver disease.

Rosiglitazone may increase your risk of serious heart problems, but not treating your diabetes can also damage your heart and other organs. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of this medicine.

Follow your doctor's instructions about using this medicine if you are pregnant. Blood sugar control is very important during pregnancy, and your dose needs may be different during each trimester.

Rosiglitazone may stimulate ovulation in a premenopausal woman and may increase the risk of unintended pregnancy. Talk to your doctor about your risk.

Women may be more likely to have a broken bone while using rosiglitazone. Talk with your doctor about ways to keep your bones healthy.

You should not breast-feed while using rosiglitazone.

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 and read all medication guides or instruction sheets. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose. Use the medicine exactly as directed.

You may take rosiglitazone with or without food.

Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) can happen to everyone who has diabetes. Symptoms include headache, hunger, sweating, irritability, dizziness, nausea, and feeling shaky. To quickly treat low blood sugar, always keep a fast-acting source of sugar with you such as fruit juice, hard candy, crackers, raisins, or non-diet soda.

Your doctor can prescribe a glucagon emergency injection kit to use in case you have severe hypoglycemia and cannot eat or drink. Be sure your family and close friends know how to give you this injection in an emergency.

Blood sugar levels can be affected by stress, illness, surgery, exercise, alcohol use, or skipping meals. Ask your doctor before changing your dose or medication schedule.

It may take up to 2 weeks before your blood sugar levels start to improve. Keep using the medication as directed and tell your doctor if your levels do not improve within 2 or 3 months.

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 medicine as soon as you can, but skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next dose. Do not take two doses at one time.

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 lowers blood sugar and may interfere with your diabetes treatment.

What other drugs will affect rosiglitazone (Avandia)?

Tell your doctor if you use insulin. Taking rosiglitazone while you are using insulin may increase your risk of serious heart problems.

Many drugs can affect rosiglitazone. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible interactions are listed here. Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any medicine you start or stop using.

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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