Actoplus Met
Actoplus Met pairs metformin with pioglitazone in one 500/15mg tablet for type 2 diabetes, sold as generic packs of 30 to 180 tablets.
All strengths and pack prices
| Strength | Pack | Price | Per tablet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500/15mg | 30 tablets | $42.60 | $1.42 |
| 500/15mg | 60 tablets | $79.20 | $1.32 |
| 500/15mg | 90 tablets | $114.30 | $1.27 |
| 500/15mg | 120 tablets | $145.20 | $1.21 |
| 500/15mg | 180 tablets | $205.20 | $1.14 |
- Category
- Diabetes Management
- Active ingredient
- Metformin · Pioglitazone
- Route
- Oral
- Form
- Tablet
- Strengths
- 500/15mg
You will receive a quality generic equivalent, depending on stock.
Shipped in a discreet, unmarked envelope.
Details
- Conditions
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Therapeutic Class
- Biguanide
- Pharmacological Class
- Antidiabetic
- Minor Side Effects
- Gastrointestinal upset, Diarrhoea
- Moderate Side Effects
- Fatigue, Metallic taste
- Dosage Forms
- Tablet
- Administration Route
- Oral
- Originator
- Takeda
- Onset Time
- Days to weeks
- Duration
- 12–24 hours
- Storage Instructions
- Store at room temperature.
- Drug Interactions
- Iodinated contrast dye, Diuretics
- Age Restrictions
- Follow specialist guidance.
What you will receive
Actoplus Met is the originator brand name, made by Takeda. We use it to identify the medicine; the pack you receive is a generic equivalent, not the original Actoplus Met.
- The same active ingredient (Metformin / Pioglitazone) at the same strength.
- The exact brand supplied depends on what is in stock when your order ships.
FAQ
Which generic Actoplus Met strengths and pack sizes can I order?
One strength, 500/15mg (metformin with pioglitazone), in packs from 30 up to 180 tablets. They are generic tablets rather than the original Actoplus Met, and the bigger packs cost less per tablet.
Can I pay for generic Actoplus Met delivery to Hong Kong by card?
Yes, you can pay for generic Actoplus Met with Visa, Mastercard or American Express on a secure, encrypted payment page, or with Bitcoin or Ethereum. Card details never reach PockDose servers. Every order ships in plain, unbranded packaging.
How long does Actoplus Met take to work?
Metformin starts lowering glucose within a few days, but the pioglitazone half builds up over several weeks. An HbA1c blood test after two or three months gives the real picture of how well the pair is doing.
Is Actoplus Met the same as Actos?
No. Actos is pioglitazone alone. Actoplus Met is pioglitazone plus metformin in one tablet. It suits people whose readings are still high on a single medicine.
Does Actoplus Met cause weight gain?
Yes, it can. The weight comes from the pioglitazone. Expect a few kilos, partly fat and partly fluid, mostly in the first months. Swollen ankles often come with it.
Can I drink alcohol with Actoplus Met?
One drink with a meal is unlikely to matter. Regular heavy drinking does. Alcohol and metformin both raise acid in the blood, which makes the rare reaction called lactic acidosis more likely.
Can I take Actoplus Met if I have heart failure?
No. Pioglitazone makes the body hold fluid, and a weak heart cannot cope with the extra load. Puffy ankles, sudden weight gain and new breathlessness are the signs of fluid building up.
About Actoplus Met
Two diabetes medicines in one 500/15mg tablet
Actoplus Met is a generic tablet holding 500mg of metformin hydrochloride and 15mg of pioglitazone, so one tablet stands in for two separate diabetes medicines. The two reach blood sugar from different directions. Metformin cuts the glucose the liver releases and helps the body use the insulin it already makes; pioglitazone makes muscle and fat cells respond to that insulin more readily. It is used for type 2 diabetes once diet, exercise and a single medicine have not brought levels down far enough.
Taking the tablet with meals
Swallow the tablet with water during a meal. Breakfast and the evening meal are the usual slots for this strength. Metformin on an empty stomach causes most of the early nausea and loose stools, so food matters. Binge drinking is a separate risk: alcohol and metformin together make lactic acidosis (a rare build-up of acid in the blood) more likely.
Side effects worth knowing about
Metformin brings stomach trouble in the first week: nausea, loose stools and a metallic taste. These usually fade. Pioglitazone brings weight gain and puffy ankles, because the body holds on to fluid. If that fluid reaches the heart you get new breathlessness or legs that swell fast. Add insulin or gliclazide and blood sugar can drop too low: shaky, sweaty, suddenly hungry.
Lactic acidosis is very rare. It shows as muscle aches, unusual tiredness, stomach pain and trouble breathing. Pioglitazone taken for years has been linked to a slightly higher chance of bladder cancer, and blood in the urine is one sign.
Who should not order it, and how to store it
Pioglitazone is not for anyone with heart failure. The metformin half is avoided with badly impaired kidneys, liver disease, or a past lactic acidosis or bladder cancer. Gemfibrozil, a cholesterol medicine, makes pioglitazone build up. The antibiotic rifampicin clears it faster. Store the strips somewhere dry and shaded.
Sources
- Type 2 diabetes - NHS — NHS
- Type 2 diabetes - symptoms, causes and treatment - Healthdirect — Healthdirect Australia