Avandia Side Effects

Avandia is a medication in common use for diabetes type II. This has been true up until September of 2010, when the US FDA (Food and Drug Administration) severely restricted the US of Avandia in patients with diabetes type II. It is reserved now for those who cannot get better with other drugs used for type II diabetes. All of this came on the heels of drug studies showing a risk of heart attacks and strokes, which have been found to be increased in those who took Avandia for their diabetes. People who are already doing well on Avandia and those who can't take anything else are able to take Avandia for their diabetes.

Avandia is also known as rosiglitazone maleate. It causes few side effects in most people who take it but, when statistically measured, it has been shown to increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. It is a drug that has been studied in many different studies. Based on these carefully performed studies, several common side effects have been detected. These include a ten percent risk of cold symptoms, a nine percent risk of broken bones in women due to osteoporosis, injury in seven percent of individuals, water weight gain in about five percent, headache in six percent, back pain in four percent and anemia in about two percent. These are usually self limited problems that do not last and don't often interfere with the taking of the drug for the long haul.

More severe side effects include those thing related to having a high blood sugar, such as hunger, thirst, blurry vision, increased urination, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and shortness of breath. You can also get a low blood sugar situation, which yields shakiness, sweating, hunger, cold sweats, dizziness, irritability, seizures, confusion, lack of coordination and problems speaking.

You should seek medical attention immediately if you have difficulty breathing, pitting edema of the legs consistent with congestive heart failure, an increase in weight that occurs rapidly, and signs of liver damage like jaundice, nausea, vomiting, tiredness, dark urine and loss of appetite. If you have changes in vision, seek medical attention immediately and if you have evidence of an allergic reaction, such as an itchy rash or shortness of breath.

After Avandia came on the market, the incidence of heart attacks and strokes was found to be higher than expected. Symptoms include having shortness of breath, chest pain radiating to the neck, arm and back in situations of a heart attack. If you have stroke-like symptoms, you will have focal weakness of one side of the body or the other, seizure, numbness or tingling and problems speaking. Vision can be impaired as well.

Because heart attacks and strokes are serious complications of taking Avandia, it was recommended to severely restrict its use. If you are taking Avandia and develop stroke or heart attack symptoms, you may need to seek legal advice as well as medical advice. If you are on Avandia and have the option of stopping the drug, you should consider talking to your doctor about getting off the drug and taking something else for your type II diabetes. You can do this even if you are not having any current side effects from taking Avandia. There are many other medications for diabetes type II and you can try them instead of Avandia. Under no circumstances should you stop taking the Avandia without seeking medical advice first. Your blood sugar can go severely out of control if you suddenly stop taking the Avandia. You should talk to your doctor about gradually switching over from Avandia to a drug similar to Glucophage or even to insulin.