Avandamet Uses

Avandamet is a combination drug that is used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. By improving insulin sensitivity and decreasing sugar absorption into the body, the prescription medicine has proven to be effective in reducing and controlling blood sugar levels. Because Avandamet has not been studied extensively in children, it has only been approved for use in adults. Occasionally, your healthcare provider may recommend off-label Avandamet uses, such as the treatment of polycystic ovarian syndrome.

 

What Is Avandamet Used For?

Avandamet® (rosiglitazone and metformin) is a prescription medication that is used to treat type 2 diabetes. The drug is a combination of two different diabetes medications: rosiglitazone maleate (Avandia®) and metformin hydrochloride (Fortamet®, Glucophage®, Glucophage XR®, Glumetza®, or Riomet®).
 
Avandamet cannot be used to treat type 1 diabetes (see Avandamet and Type 1 Diabetes).
 

Using Avandamet for Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2
 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes (see Diabetes Types). It is also sometimes called adult-onset diabetes or noninsulin-dependent diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is a condition involving insulin resistance. With insulin resistance, body cells do not respond to insulin as well as they normally should. As a result, the body cells do not take sugar out of the blood very well. This is why people with type 2 diabetes have high blood sugar.
 
Over time, high blood sugar can lead to a number of problems, including diabetic impotence, diabetic neuropathy, kidney failure, and heart disease (see Diabetes Complications). The cause of type 2 diabetes is not fully understood, although it is known that obesity and genetics play an important role.
 
Avandamet is used for treating type 2 diabetes in people who cannot lower blood sugar through lifestyle changes (such as weight loss, diet, and exercise). Avandamet is a combination of two different diabetes drugs (rosiglitazone and metformin). These two medications work differently and have different effects in the body:
 
  • Rosiglitazone is part of a class of diabetes medications called thiazolidinediones (or sometimes called "glitazones"). Rosiglitazone helps to improve insulin sensitivity. This means that rosiglitazone helps your body respond to insulin better, which helps to lower blood sugar.
     
  • Metformin works in several ways. It decreases the amount of sugar (glucose) made by the liver. Metformin can also decrease the amount of sugar absorbed into the body (from the diet) and can make insulin receptors more sensitive, helping the body respond to its own insulin better. All of these effects cause a decrease in blood sugar levels.

 

(Avandamet Uses Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;