Actos and Avandia

I am on Metformin myself, and I reached a point where I was taking 1 250-mg tablet four times a day but my sugar levels stayed up. My doctor put me on 15 mg Actos once a day and my sugar level has come down significantly (3 points down) from 9-10 to 5-6. What I heard on the radio about Actos is that it helps to avert strokes in people who take it. If that is true, then I am happy because I have had three strokes, the latest and the worst one in June 2006. So, for myself, I find no problem continuing with it. I will ask my doctor about the risk of heart failure, though. Thanks for the info!

I hope you *did* ask your doctor about Actos, as your physician is the best person to give you the statistics for the meds he prescribes for you and if he does not want to share that info, then I think a second opinion is well-justified! You are right to be careful of the meds you take and to be concerned about any reports. Do you have a link to the report that linked Avandia and Actos to heart failure or do you remember the website where you read that information? I believe doctors who push for a switch to Actos are doing so to save your liver because I think that is what the current research suggests as the positive outcome for Actos therapy vs other meds that diabetics may be taking. I also think (not sure though) that heart risk comes with the territory of diabetes and may not necessarily be directly a result of the medications you take....however I would love to read the article...I think I will try to look for it when I have some time.