Rosiglitazone & Metformin

Rosiglitazone & Metformin is part of the drug class:

• Combinations of oral blood glucose lowering drugs

Metformin/rosiglitazone may cause serious side effects. See "Drug Precautions". Some serious side effects include:

• new or worse heart failure
• heart attack
• swelling (edema)
• weight gain
• liver problems. Call your doctor right away if you have unexplained symptoms such as:
  • nausea or vomiting
  • stomach pain
  • unusual or unexplained tiredness
  • loss of appetite
  • dark urine
  • yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes.
• macular edema (a diabetic eye disease with swelling in the back of the eye)
• fractures (broken bones), usually in the hand, upper arm or foot
• low red blood cell count (anemia)
• low blood sugar(hypoglycemia)
• ovulation (release of egg from an ovary in a woman) leading to pregnancy

Common side effects of metformin/rosiglitazone include:

• diarrhea, nausea, and upset stomach
• cold-like symptoms
• headache
• joint aches
• dizziness

This is not a complete list of metformin/rosiglitazone side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Before receiving metformin/rosiglitazone, tell your doctor about all your medical conditions, including if you:

• have heart problems or heart failure
• have kidney problems
• have type 1 (“juvenile”) diabetes or had diabetic ketoacidosis. These conditions should be treated with insulin.
• are going to have dye injected into a vein for an X-ray, CAT scan, heart study, or other type of scanning
• drink a lot of alcohol (all the time or short binge drinking).
• develop a serious condition such as a heart attack, severe infection, or a stroke.
• are 80 years old or older. People who are over 80 years old should not take metformin/rosiglitazone unless their kidney function is checked and it is normal.
• have a type of diabetic eye disease called macular edema (swelling of the back of the eye).
• have liver problems. Your doctor should do blood tests to check your liver before you start taking metformin/rosiglitazone and during treatment as needed.
• had liver problems while taking Rezulin (troglitazone), another medicine for diabetes.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins or herbal supplements. 

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed. It is not known if metformin/rosiglitazone passes into breast milk. You should not use metformin/rosiglitazone while breastfeeding.

Metformin/rosiglitazone comes as a tablet to be taken by mouth with meals. This medicine should be taken at the same time(s) each day. If you miss a dose of metformin/rosiglitazone, take it as soon as you remember, unless it is time to take your next dose. Take your next dose at the usual time. Do not take double doses to make up for a missed dose.

• It can take 2 weeks for metformin/rosiglitazone to start lowering your blood sugar. It may take 2 to 3 months to see the full effect on your blood sugar level.
• Test your blood sugar regularly as your doctor tells you.

• Store metformin/rosiglitazone at room temperature.
• Keep metformin/rosiglitazone in the container it comes in. Keep the container closed tightly.
• Safely, throw away metformin/rosiglitazone that is out of date or no longer needed.
• Keep metformin/rosiglitazone and all medicines out of the reach of children.