PIOGLIT GF TABLET belongs to a group of medicines known as 'antidiabetics', used to treat type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus. In type 2 diabetes the body doesn't make enough insulin, or the insulin is not effectively used by the body. This is a type of diabetes that usually develops in adulthood. Insulin is a natural substance released by the body to break down the sugar of the body.

PIOGLIT GF TABLET is a combination of two drugs namely 'Pioglitazone' and 'Glimepiride'. Pioglitazone belongs to the class of thiazolidinedione (TZD) also called 'glitazones' which helps control the level of sugar in your blood by helping your body to make better use of the insulin it produces. Glimepiride belongs to a class of medicines known as 'sulfonylureas', which works by causing the pancreas to produce more amount of insulin and helping the body to use insulin effectively. This drug also works best for individuals whose bodies naturally produce insulin. 

Take PIOGLIT GF TABLET as suggested by the doctor. You are advised to take PIOGLIT GF TABLET for as long as your doctor has prescribed it for you depending on your medical condition. In some cases, you may experience certain common side effects such as upper respiratory tract infection, headache, sinusitis, myalgia (muscle pain) and pharyngitis. Most of these side effects do not require medical attention and will resolve gradually over time. However, you are advised to talk to your doctor if you experience these undesirable effects persistently.

PIOGLIT GF TABLET should not be taken if you have type 1 diabetes mellitus, if you are hypersensitive (allergic) to PIOGLIT GF TABLET or any of the other ingredients of PIOGLIT GF TABLET, have heart failure or have had heart failure in the past, diabetic ketoacidosis (a complication of diabetes causing rapid weight loss, nausea or vomiting), severe kidney or liver disease, bladder cancer. Please inform your doctor if you have any heart disease or planning to get pregnant or breastfeeding. Safety and efficacy of PIOGLIT GF TABLET in children under 18 years have not been established, so it should not be given to them. PIOGLIT GF TABLET is safe to taken by elderly persons whose age is 65 or over if prescribed by the doctor.

PIOGLIT GF TABLET is an antidiabetic drug used along with a proper diet and exercise to control high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) in patients with type 2 diabetes. PIOGLIT GF TABLET works by helping to restore your body's appropriate response to insulin, thereby lowering your blood sugar. PIOGLIT GF TABLET may be used on its own in patients who are unable to take metformin and where treatment with diet and exercise has failed to control blood sugar. As PIOGLIT GF TABLET helps to control the high blood sugar levels in the body, so it prevents the risk of blindness, nerve problems, kidney damage and other serious medical issues like a heart attack.

• Headache
• Sinusitis
• Myalgia (muscle pain)
• Upper respiratory tract infection
• Urinary tract infection
• Diarrhea
• Nausea
• Pharyngitis (inflammation of pharynx located back of neck)

PIOGLIT GF TABLET should not be stopped even if you feel better, without consulting your doctor as sugar level keeps changing. If you stop taking PIOGLIT GF TABLET suddenly, it may increase your sugar levels which could further increase the risk of eyesight loss (retinopathy), kidney damage (nephropathy), and nerve damage (neuropathy). PIOGLIT GF TABLET is used to lower the blood sugar however if your sugar level gets reduced to a very low level and you start experiencing symptoms including hunger, sweating, dizziness, headache and feeling shaky. To treat such a condition, it is suggested to keep a fast-acting source of sugar in your bag that includes hard candy, raisins, and non-diet soda. Fluid retention (edema) may occur and can lead to congestive heart failure so, combination use with insulin and use in heart failure may increase the risk in patients taking PIOGLIT GF TABLET. You should not take PIOGLIT GF TABLET if you have kidney disease, as measured by a blood test. PIOGLIT GF TABLET, when used with or without insulin, tends to extremely lower the blood sugar level. So, the doctor may lower the dose of insulin. Increased fractures may be reported in some women taking PIOGLIT GF TABLET. Patients with bladder cancer and macular edema (fluid build-up in the macula part of the retina of the eye) should consult the doctor before using PIOGLIT GF TABLET.

Drug-Drug Interaction: PIOGLIT GF TABLET may interact with antidiabetics (gemfibrozil), medications used to lower cholesterol (Colesevelam), Beta-blocker medications ( metoprolol, propranolol, glaucoma eye drops such as timolol) and antibiotics (rifampicin). So, tell your doctor if you are using these drugs before taking PIOGLIT GF TABLET.

Drug-Food Interaction: Taking PIOGLIT GF TABLET with alcoholic beverages may increase the risk of a rare but serious and potentially life-threatening condition known as lactic acidosis (build-up of lactic acid in the blood) and hypoglycemia.

Drug-Disease Interaction: PIOGLIT GF TABLET should be avoided in patients with congestive heart failure (heart-related issues), type I diabetes, bladder cancer, edema, liver disease, macular edema, premenopausal anovulation, obesity (weight gain), anemia as it may worsen the condition.

• GEMFIBROZIL
• RIFAMPICIN
• COLESEVELAM
• METOPROLOL
• PROPRANOLOL
• TIMOLOL

• Fill your half plate with starchy veggies, a quarter with proteins and a quarter with whole grains.
• Eat at regular intervals. Do not take the long gap between a meal or snack.
• Monitor your blood sugar level regularly especially when there are a lot of fluctuations.
• Invest in at least 150 min of moderate-intensity physical activity and 15 minutes of high-intensity exercise every week.
• Lose weight gradually to achieve a healthy body mass index (18.5 to 24.9).
• Replace refined carbohydrates-containing foods with whole grain foods and increase intake of fruits and veggies and other fiber-enriched foods.
• Reduce intake of saturated fat (or hidden fats) in food like chips, crisps, pastries, biscuits and samosas. Choose omega-3 fatty acid-containing oils for daily cooking. For frying, you may use palm oil, mustard oil, groundnut oil, rice bran oil and safflower oil.
• Do not take stress as it may elevate your blood sugar level. You may adopt stress management techniques like mindfulness, yoga or meditation to control stress-related blood sugar changes.
• Opt for low-fat dairy products (low-fat yogurt, fat-free milk, and cheese, etc.).
• Keep your blood pressure as normal (120/80) as possible. As it reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases in diabetes patients.

• Keep taking the drug even if you think your blood sugar levels are under control. If you miss a dose, do not take a larger dose, consult your treating physician for advice. 
• Take short frequent meals, avoid prolonged fasting when taking this drug. Beware of symptoms of hypoglycemia which include sweating, dizziness, palpitations, shivering, intense thirst, dry mouth, dry skin, frequent urination, etc. Whenever you experience the above-mentioned symptoms, immediately consume 5-6 candies or 3 glucose biscuits, or 3 teaspoons of honey/sugar, and also get in touch with your physician. Make sure to carry these with you at all times, especially for long travels. 
• It is always better that your physician knows about any underlying conditions like kidney disease or liver disease, prior heart attack, alcohol intake, etc before the doctor prescribes you this medicine.
• Avoid drinking alcohol while on this drug as it increases the risk of hypoglycemia (decrease in blood sugar which might be fatal in some cases) and lactic acidosis (when the lactic acid increases in the body which impacts the functioning of various organs in the body).
• Try to quit smoking and reduce intake of carbohydrate-rich food like potatoes, rice, mangoes, bread, sugar, etc.

Type 2 diabetes: It is a condition where the body is unable to make sufficient insulin, or the insulin that it makes doesn't work properly or is utilized by our body. This can cause high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia). Symptoms of type 2 diabetes include increased thirst, frequent urination at night, slow wound healing, increased hunger, fatigue, and blurred vision. In some cases, there may be weight gain while in rare cases weight loss may be observed. The complication of type 2 diabetes also include neuropathy (nerve problems), nephropathy (kidney problems) and retinopathy (damaged retina of eyes or blindness), loss of limbs, sexual dysfunction and increase chance of heart attack or stroke.