Avandamet and Weight Gain

There are many side effects that have been reported with the use of Avandamet, and weight gain is one of the more common problems. Any rapid weight gain with Avandamet should be reported to your healthcare provider because it may be a sign of heart failure. Notify your healthcare provider immediately if you gain more than three to five pounds in a week, and your unexplained weight gain is accompanied by a cough and/or swelling in the ankles, feet, or legs.

 

Avandamet and Weight Gain: An Overview

There are a number of possible side effects with Avandamet® (rosiglitazone and metformin). Weight gain may be one of them. This data comes from clinical trials where Avandamet was extensively studied and side effects were documented.
 
One thing to keep in mind is that rapid weight gain (more than three to five pounds in a week) could be a sign of congestive heart failure, a condition that sometimes occurs as a less common but more serious side effect of Avandamet.
 

Understanding Clinical Trials

Before medicines are approved, they must go through several clinical studies where thousands of people are given a particular medicine and compared to a group of people not given the medicine.
 In these studies, side effects are always documented. This way, it is possible to see what side effects occur, how often they appear, and how they compare to the group not taking the medicine.
 
In clinical studies, people taking Avandamet did not gain weight (on average). However, some people lost up to 7.5 pounds, while others gained up to 6.5 pounds. Weight gain with the use of Avandamet is likely due to the rosiglitazone component of Avandamet, since rosiglitazone has been shown to cause weight gain. Weight loss while taking Avandamet is likely due to the metformin component of Avandamet, since metformin may actually cause weight loss (see Metformin and Weight Loss). More people gained weight with Avandamet doses that contained higher doses of the rosiglitazone component.
 
(Avandamet and Weight Gain Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;