About ACTOplus met

ACTOplus met and blood sugar (glucose)

The main goal of type 2 diabetes treatment is to keep your blood sugar level within a target range. The American Diabetes Association recommends the following blood sugar goals for people with diabetes:

  • Before meals: Your premeal blood glucose should be between 90 mg/dL and 130 mg/dL.
  • After meals: Your highest postmeal (1 to 2 hours after eating) blood glucose should be less than 180 mg/dL.
  • Your average blood sugar for the last 2–3 months (A1C): Your A1C should be less than 7%.

Reasons for high blood sugar levels

Healthy eating and physical activity are always essential to help meet these goals, but despite your best efforts, your blood sugar could end up out of control due to one or more of the following factors:

  • Stress or illness.
  • Change in diet.
  • Limited physical activity.
  • Need for medication or adjustment of medication.
  • Forgetting to take diabetes medication as prescribed.

People with type 2 diabetes still produce insulin. However, two things can happen:
1. their body doesn’t respond to insulin’s action (it’s resistant) or,
2. there isn’t enough insulin being produced.

ACTOplus met contains 2 medications in 1 tablet that, along with healthy eating and physical activity, work together to help lower your blood sugar. The ACTOS component in ACTOplus met works by decreasing insulin resistance. And the metformin works mainly by lowering the amount of sugar made by your liver.

Next: ACTOplus met, cholesterol, and blood fats (triglycerides)

Management of type 2 diabetes should also include nutritional counseling, weight reduction as needed, and exercise.

Please see Important Safety Information, including warnings about heart failure and lactic acidosis, below.

Important Safety Information About ACTOplus met® (pioglitazone HCl and metformin HCl)

ACTOplus met contains two prescription antidiabetic medicines: pioglitazone HCl (ACTOS) and metformin HCl. ACTOplus met is used with diet and exercise to improve blood sugar (glucose) control in adults with type 2 diabetes who are already taking ACTOS and metformin together, or taking metformin alone and it is not controlling blood sugar at normal levels.

ACTOplus met is not for everyone. Certain patients with heart failure should not start taking ACTOplus met. ACTOplus met can cause or worsen congestive heart failure. Talk to your doctor immediately if you experience rapid weight gain, fluid retention (swelling), or shortness of breath.

A small number of people who have taken metformin, a component of ACTOplus met, have developed a rare, serious condition called lactic acidosis. Lactic acidosis, a buildup of lactic acid in the blood, can be fatal in about half the cases. Because lactic acidosis occurs most frequently in people with kidney problems, ACTOplus met should not be used in people with kidney disease or in people 80 years of age and older whose kidneys do not work properly. ACTOplus met should not be taken by people with metabolic acidosis, or with hypersensitivity to pioglitazone, metformin, or any other component of ACTOplus met. ACTOplus met should not be taken by people who drink excessive amounts of alcohol. ACTOplus met should be discontinued in patients with severe infection or in patients undergoing X-ray studies using intravenous contrast dye. Talk to your health professional before discontinuing any medications.

Your health professional should perform a blood test to check for liver problems before you start ACTOplus met and periodically thereafter. Do not take ACTOplus met if you have active liver disease. Talk to your doctor immediately if you experience nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, tiredness, loss of appetite, dark urine, or yellowing of the skin. If you are of childbearing age, talk to your doctor before taking ACTOplus met, as it could increase your chance of becoming pregnant. Some people, particularly women, are at higher risk of having bone fractures while taking ACTOplus met. Patients with diabetes should have regular eye exams. If you experience vision problems, consult your doctor immediately. Very rarely, some patients have experienced visual changes while taking pioglitazone, a component of ACTOplus met.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.