Compare Tradjenta vs. Actos
Head-to-head comparisons of medication uses, side effects, ratings, and more.
Lowers blood sugar.
Tradjenta (linagliptin) is good add-on medicine for controlling your blood sugar, but may cause body aches.
Lowers blood sugar.
Actos (pioglitazone) can improve blood sugar control but is not a top choice since it has a lot of side effects.
●●●●●
3.1/ 5 average rating with 175 reviewsforActos
Upsides
- Good add-on medicine if your blood sugars are still not controlled
- Good option if you have bad liver or kidney function.
- Can be taken once daily.
- Does not cause weight gain.
- Does not cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) when taken by itself.
- 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.
Downsides
- Not first-choice anti-diabetes medicine because it doesn't lower blood sugar levels as much as others.
- Available as brand only and may be expensive
- 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.
Used for
- Type 2 diabetes
- Prediabetes
- Diabetic nephropathy
- Atherosclerosis
- Polycystic ovarian syndrome
Dosage forms
- Pill
- Pill
Price
Lowest price
$460.39
Find instant savings near youLowest price
$14.62
Find instant savings near youWant to save even more money?
Sign up now for a 30-day trial and save up to 95% at CVS, Kroger, Albertsons, and other pharmacies.
Learn more
Reviews
Not enough review data.Leave a review
175 reviews so far
42%
saidit'sworth it
30%
saiditworked well
21%
saidit'sa big hassle
Have you used Actos (pioglitazone)?
Leave a reviewSide effects
6possible side effects
- Back pain9%
- Joint pain8%
- Lung infection8%
- Headache6%
- Cough6%
- Pain in the limbs5%
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
- Inflammation of pancreas (pancreatitis)
- Alcoholism
- Elevated triglycerides
- History of pancreatitis
- Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
- Alcoholism
- Exercising more than you usually do
- Insulin
- Other antidiabetic medications
- Severe allergic reactions
- Severe joint pain
- Fluid-filled blisters on the skin (bullous pemphigoid)
- Heart failure
- Heart failure
- Fluid buildup
- Liver damage
- Current liver problems
- Bladder cancer
- History of bladder cancer
- Bone fracture
- Women
- Low blood sugar