The US Food and Drug Administration issued a safety alert for Avandia, a widely prescribed drug to treat type-2 diabetics. According to FDA, Studies show that there is “a potentially significant increase in the risk of heart attack and heart-related deaths in patients taking Avandia.” By “potentially significant” they are referring to the 30% – 40% increased risk as suggested by data provided to FDA by GlaxoSmithKline, the manufacturers of Avandia.
However, there are also studies that provide contradictory evidence about any link between heart attacks and Avandia in patients treated with the drug for type-2 diabetes. Furthermore, FDA warns that there are risks in switching patients from one diabetes treatment to another. Therefore, patients who are taking Avandia should speak to their doctor before ceasing their treatment.
Diabetics who have underlying heart disease, or who are at high risk for heart attacks should immediately speak to their physician about Avandia and the possible increase in heart attacks and the risks of heart-related death.
Avandia was approved in 1999 for treatment of type 2 diabetes, which affects about 20-million Americans. Diabetes is a leading cause of coronary heart disease, blindness, kidney failure and limb amputation. Since Avandia was approved, FDA has been monitoring several heart-related side effects, including congestive heart failure. FDA has updated the product’s labeling on several occasions to reflect these new data, most recently in 2006. The most recent labeling change for Avandia also includes a new warning about a potential increase in heart attacks and heart-related chest pain in some patients using Avandia. This new warning was based on the result of a controlled clinical trial in patients with EXISTING congestive heart failure.
However, Avandia’s manufacturer (GlaxoSmithKline) recently provided FDA with an analysis of 42 randomized, controlled clinical trials in which Avandia was compared to either placebo or other anti-diabetic therapies in patients with type 2 diabetes. The pooled analysis suggested that patients receiving short-term treatment with Avanda may have a 30-percent to 40-percent greater risk of heart attack and other heart-related side effects than patients treated with a placebo or another anti-diabetic therapy. This is a significant concern because patients with diabetes are already at an increased risk of heart disease.
i took avanda for a long time. I have congested heart fallaer. I also have a bad time with my bones, truable in my spine, arms, hands i craked a bone in my left foot. I have to take shots in my back, shoulder, hands
I was on avandia for several years on the insistance of my doctor . I developed congestive heart failure from the medicine and I had to have heart surgery and I have had bad congestive heart problems ever since. I wish the drug companies would better test these drugs be fore the doctor’s dispence them.
I have been taking Avanda for the past six years along with other medication. I have discovered that my blood pressure has shot up, much higher than I would like it to be. I am now on two blood pressure pills and I am not getting any better. I try to eat what I am told to eat, but even moreso,because I love fruits and I live in the tropics I am able to get plenty of fresh fruits. My daily diet consists mainly of fresh fruits and vegetable, sweet potatoes (yellow belly) and yam. I also eat fresh fish and chicken.
I do my blood test each morning as I awake, but my blood count is up and down li
ke a yo-yo.
What other steps can I do to help my diabetese.
P.S. My eyes are good I make sure I take my test as they become due.
I have no pain in my feet, i am energetic and actually dont feel ill except for the high blood presure.
I took avandia for about three months and gained 10 pounds of fluid. My Dr. at the time took me off it and put me on another similar pill and I gained another 8 pounds of fluid. I am a RN and know the s/s of congested heart failure , had trouble breathing, called called the Dr. and stopped taking it. (he didn’t want me to stop it). He is no longer my Dr.! People shoud be careful of the drugs they are given. These drugs are not tested by the FDA, as most people think, but by the same drug companies that developed them; then they send the test results to the FDA This is like giving the fox full range of the hen house. I never take any drug unless it has been out on the market for at least 5 years and then I research itreally well before taking it.
About 2-3 years ago, my heart specialist recommended Avandia & my then doctor prescribed it. In two weeks, I went to the emergency ward of our hospital with heart beats of 160 bpm which wouldn’t revert to 80 bpm without special medication administered at the hospital. I immediently returned all the pills left to the pharmacist. My specialist wanted me to undergo evasive surgery to sever the part of my heart which caused the increased rate, and he said I should continue take Avandia. I canceled the schedule surgery, left that specialist & left the doctor at that time who couldn’t help me with glucose reading 3 x normal.except to send me to emergency. My present doctor has never suggested anything to avoid the fast heartbeats. Roy
i took avadia for about two years, mixed with metaforming i put on three stone ,,,,,,
my dad was on it for 7 years and he passed away 5 years ago at the age of 47
and this drug is still on a market when i think after all the ppl that died it shod come off p.s sorry evey one had to be on this pill
We sit and read about our avanda cases .. There are things we can do ..we can look thur our paper work to find the judges name that made the judgment and perhaphs we can write letter to them,after all we payed him as while…And keep in the back of your mind there is power in numbers.;.He sould know there are news orazintions that would be willing to investagate and help..The avanda cases ;the lawylers bar in each states could give us sugestions..There maybe a large amount of money in each of our cases could you inmagine how much interist is being made or invested,,Are you going to standup togeather or going to keep crying on the web site..We can help each other and our love ones ;waiting to hear from you chuck and janet main while you can call these numbers,Karen Clerici phone;1-415-774-2656 fax 1-415-982-5287 and address two Embarcadero center suite 1500 san Francisco calf. 94111 Tricia Lunceford phone;1-714-937-8251 fax;1-714-939-8710 addresss;500 n. state college blvd. 14 floor orange country calf.92868 ps;; there is something else I sould tell you the two main judges on our cases panelli and trotter are both retired how does this help”’