ask your pharmacist

What is Avandia?

Doctors may prescribe Avandia to take alone or in combination with other diabetes drugs that work differently. When used alone, Avandia can lower hemoglobin A1C (a measure of blood glucose control) by 1 to 1.5 percent. But some people achieve greater control when combining Avandia with other drugs that lower blood glucose.

The dose of Avandia ranges from 4 to 8 mg once or twice a day, with or without food.

Due to potential heart risks for some people taking Avandia, people should ask their doctor about the benefits and risks of this medication but should not stop taking any prescribed medications without first discussing the issue with their healthcare provider.

Sources:
Avandia product information, GlaxoSmithKline, 2007.
Fonseca, V. "Effect Of Metformin And Rosiglitazone Combination Therapy In Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Randomized Controlled Trial"' Journal of the American Medical Association 283 (2000).
Drug Facts and Comparisons. Facts & Comparisons, 2007.
Micromedex® Healthcare Series. Thomson Micromedex, 2007.
Raskin, P. "Rosiglitazone Short-term Monotherapy Lowers Fasting and Post-prandial Glucose In Patients With Type 2 Diabetes," Diabetologica 43 (2000).
Wolffenbuttel, B.H. "Addition Of Low-dose Rosiglitazone To Sulphonylurea Therapy Improves Glycaemic Control In Type 2 Diabetic Patients," Diabetic Medicine 17 (2000).
Raskin, P. “A Randomized Trial of Rosiglitazone Therapy in Patients with Inadequately Controlled Insulin-Treated Type 2 Diabetes.” Diabetes Care 24 (2001).
Medline Plus. Medline, 2007.

This answer prepared 8/1/2001.
This information updated 6/11/2007.