Compare Actos vs. Glucovance
Head-to-head comparisons of medication uses, side effects, ratings, and more.
Lowers blood sugar.
Actos (pioglitazone) can improve blood sugar control but is not a top choice since it has a lot of side effects.
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3.1/ 5 average rating with 175 reviewsforActos
Lowers blood sugar.
Glyburide / Metformin is an effective combination medicine for lowering blood sugar, but it is likely to cause diarrhea in the first few weeks.
Upsides
- Improves sugar control and lowers A1c levels by around 1%.
- Easily taken by mouth as a once a day pill.
- Prevents the harmful effects of high sugar levels on your organs.
- Rarely causes low blood sugar.
- Lower the risk of heart attack or stroke.
- Glyburide / Metformin effectively lowers blood sugar levels more so than if each of the individual medicines it contains are taken alone.
- Protects your organs and blood vessels from the harmful effects of high blood sugar levels.
- Can potentially lower your "bad cholesterol" levels.
- Glyburide / Metformin is available in a generic form and is cheaper than many other combination diabetes medicines.
Downsides
- May take several weeks to lower blood sugar.
- Can cause weight gain.
- People with heart failure or history of bladder cancer shouldn't use this medicine.
- Some people might get fluid accumulation (edema), from minor ankle swelling to fluid in lungs that makes it hard to breathe.
- Raises the risk of bone fractures, especially for people who already have a risk for fractures.
- Has a higher risk than other diabetes medicine for causing blood sugar levels to be too low.
- Glyburide / Metformin is likely to cause nausea, stomach upset, or diarrhea in the first few weeks.
- Not a good treatment option for those with kidney and/or liver problems.
- Drinking large amounts of or frequently using alcohol while taking Glyburide / Metformin can cause harm to your body.
- Can cause some weight gain.
Used for
- Type 2 diabetes
- Prediabetes
- Diabetic nephropathy
- Atherosclerosis
- Polycystic ovarian syndrome
Dosage forms
- Pill
- Pill
Price
Lowest price
$12.63
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$22.98
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Reviews
175 reviews so far
42%
saidit'sworth it
30%
saiditworked well
21%
saidit'sa big hassle
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Side effects
11possible side effects
- Low blood sugar27%
- Swelling27%
- Colds and flu13%
- Headache9%
- Heart failure8%
- Sinus infection6%
- Back pain6%
- Pain in arms and legs6%
- Muscle pain5%
- Sore throat5%
- Chest pain5%
6possible side effects
- Upper respiratory infection17%
- Diarrhea17%
- Headache9%
- Nausea/vomiting8%
- Stomach pain7%
- Dizziness6%
Risks and risk factors
- Heart failure
- Heart failure
- Fluid buildup
- Liver damage
- Current liver problems
- Bladder cancer
- History of bladder cancer
- Bone fracture
- Women
- Low blood sugar
- Lactic acid build up in blood
- History of kidney problems
- History of liver problems
- Those with congestive heart failure
- Using contrast dye for procedures
- Undergoing surgery
- Drinking large amounts or frequent use of alcohol
- Serious heart problems
- Low blood sugar
- Skipping meals or having inconsistent meal times
- Drinking alcohol
- Using other blood sugar-lowering medicine
- People age 60 or older
- Those with kidney and/or liver problems
- Severe allergic reaction
- History of allergy to sulfa-containing medicine
- Breakdown of red blood cells
- People with G6PD deficiency