Actos
Actos is generic pioglitazone: a once-daily tablet that lowers blood sugar in type 2 diabetes, sold here in 15mg and 30mg strengths and a range of pack sizes.
All strengths and pack prices
| Strength | Pack | Price | Per tablet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15mg | 30 tablets | $22.80 | $0.76 |
| 15mg | 60 tablets | $40.20 | $0.67 |
| 15mg | 90 tablets | $55.80 | $0.62 |
| 15mg | 120 tablets | $68.40 | $0.57 |
| 15mg | 180 tablets | $93.60 | $0.52 |
| 15mg | 360 tablets | $176.40 | $0.49 |
| 30mg | 10 tablets | $14.00 | $1.40 |
| 30mg | 30 tablets | $37.50 | $1.25 |
| 30mg | 60 tablets | $67.80 | $1.13 |
| 30mg | 90 tablets | $95.40 | $1.06 |
| 30mg | 120 tablets | $120.00 | $1.00 |
| 30mg | 180 tablets | $163.80 | $0.91 |
| 30mg | 360 tablets | $302.40 | $0.84 |
- Category
- Diabetes Management
- Active ingredient
- Pioglitazone
- Route
- Oral
- Form
- Tablet
- Strengths
- 15/30mg
You will receive a quality generic equivalent, depending on stock.
Shipped in a discreet, unmarked envelope.
Details
- Conditions
- Type two diabetes
- Therapeutic Class
- Thiazolidinedione
- Pharmacological Class
- Insulin sensitizer
- Minor Side Effects
- Weight gain, Mild swelling
- Moderate Side Effects
- Headache, Upper respiratory infections
- Dosage Forms
- Tablet
- Administration Route
- Oral
- Originator
- Takeda
- Onset Time
- Weeks
- Duration
- 24 hours
- Storage Instructions
- Store in a dry place protected from humidity.
- Drug Interactions
- Insulin, Gemfibrozil
- Age Restrictions
- Not for children.
What you will receive
Actos 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 Actos.
- The same active ingredient (Pioglitazone) at the same strength.
- The exact brand supplied depends on what is in stock when your order ships.
FAQ
Which generic Actos strengths and pack sizes can I order?
Generic Actos comes as tablets in 15mg and 30mg strengths. The 15mg packs range from 30 to 360 tablets, while 30mg packs range from 10 to 360 tablets. It is generic pioglitazone, not the original Actos. Larger packs cost less per tablet.
How is generic Actos shipped to Hong Kong for long-term use?
For long-term generic Actos orders, tracked courier takes 5 to 9 business days with online tracking. Standard airmail takes 14 to 21 business days, up to 30, and is untracked. Very large orders may be split into several parcels.
What is another name for pioglitazone?
Actos is a brand name of pioglitazone, which is also sold as Pioglit. Here, pioglitazone can be bought online as generic Actos. These are generics, not the original brand.
How long does pioglitazone take to work?
Blood sugar usually starts to fall within a few weeks, but pioglitazone builds up slowly and the full effect can take two to three months. Progress is judged by HbA1c tests rather than by how you feel day to day, so one odd reading early on does not mean the tablet is failing.
Does Actos cause weight gain?
Yes, weight gain is one of the most common effects of pioglitazone, and part of it is fluid rather than fat. Swollen ankles, or shoes that feel tight by the evening, point to the fluid side. The gain tends to be gradual rather than sudden.
Can pioglitazone cause low blood sugar?
Used alone it rarely does, because pioglitazone does not force the pancreas to release insulin. The risk appears when it is taken alongside insulin or a sulfonylurea such as gliclazide, which lower blood sugar by other means. Shakiness, sweating, hunger and confusion are the usual signs of a hypo.
Can I drink alcohol with Actos?
A drink with a meal is not off limits while taking pioglitazone, since there is no direct interaction between the two. Heavy drinking is a different matter: it makes blood sugar harder to control and puts strain on the liver, the organ pioglitazone already asks a little more of.
Can I take pioglitazone with metformin?
Yes. They are often used together because they lower blood sugar in different ways: metformin cuts how much glucose the liver makes and helps insulin work better, while pioglitazone acts on insulin sensitivity inside cells. Metformin does not change how much pioglitazone is in the blood.
About Actos
What Actos tablets are for
Pioglitazone is one of the tablets used to bring down blood sugar in type 2 diabetes, the form of diabetes in which the body gradually stops responding to its own insulin. Actos is the name the medicine is best known by; the tablets sold here are generic pioglitazone, 15mg and 30mg, in pack sizes that go up to 360 tablets.
How pioglitazone works
Pioglitazone is an insulin sensitiser rather than a stimulant for the pancreas. It switches on PPAR-gamma, a receptor inside cells, and that makes muscle and fat cells take up more glucose while the liver releases less between meals. Because the pancreas is not pushed to make extra insulin, pioglitazone taken alone seldom causes low blood sugar.
How to take it
One tablet a day at about the same time, with or without food. Pioglitazone is not a quick fix; it builds up over a few weeks and the full effect can take two to three months, which is why it is judged on HbA1c rather than on a single morning reading. Missing one day is not a reason to take two tablets the next morning.
Side effects to expect
Weight gain and swollen ankles are the two complaints that come up most, both linked to the fluid pioglitazone can make the body hold. Headache, sinus trouble and a sore throat are also common. That same fluid retention is why pioglitazone is not used in people whose heart is already failing: breathlessness and puffy legs are the signs to take seriously.
Blurred or distorted vision can point to macular oedema, a swelling at the back of the eye that has been reported to settle once the medicine is stopped. Over long-term use there is a small extra risk of bladder cancer, so blood in the urine is worth having looked at. Women taking pioglitazone break bones more often than women who are not.
Interactions and storage
Gemfibrozil, used for cholesterol, slows the body's removal of pioglitazone and raises its level; rifampicin, a tuberculosis antibiotic, lowers it. Insulin and sulfonylureas such as gliclazide add to the blood sugar fall and can tip it too low. Keep the tablets in their own pack, out of sunlight and away from damp.
Sources
- Pioglitazone 15 mg Tablets - Summary of Product Characteristics — Electronic Medicines Compendium (emc)
- Type 2 Diabetes - NIDDK — NIDDK / NIH