Compare Actos vs. Precose
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.
Precose (acarbose) helps lower your post-mealtime blood sugar levels, but it must be taken at the beginning of each main meal in order for it to be most effective.
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.
- Precose (acarbose) helps control meal-time blood sugar levels without causing weight gain.
- When used alone it doesn't normally cause blood sugar levels to be too low unlike other anti-diabetes medicines.
- Safe to be used in people age 65 or older.
- Has relatively few interactions with other 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.
- Not a first choice medicine because it isn't as effective at lowering blood sugar compared to other treatment options.
- Associated with bothersome side effects like excessive gas and diarrhea.
- Relatively more expensive than other diabetes medicines.
- Has to be taken three times a day with each meal.
- Might cause episodes of low blood sugar when taken together with insulin or medicines that stimulate insulin release.
Used for
- Type 2 diabetes
- Prediabetes
- Diabetic nephropathy
- Atherosclerosis
- Polycystic ovarian syndrome
Dosage forms
- Pill
- Pill
Price
Lowest price
$14.42
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$15.16
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Reviews
175 reviews so far
42%
saidit'sworth it
30%
saiditworked well
21%
saidit'sa big hassle
Have you used Actos (pioglitazone)?
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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%
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
- Low blood sugar
- Using insulin or other medicines that stimulate insulin release
- Kidney function
- Those with kidney problems
- Interactions with other medicines
- Taking multiple medicines together