Pioglitazone (Actos) is an oral medication used to treat Type 2 diabetes in adults, along with diet and exercise. It's a thiazolidinedione, which works by helping your body respond better to insulin. This medication is taken by mouth once a day and is available in both brand and generic forms. Learn about side effects, dosage, uses, what to consider, and more for Actos (pioglitazone), which is a prescription tablet that treats type 2 diabetes in adults. Actos is used to improve blood glucose management in adults with type 2 diabetes. Patients usually take Actos once a day. It may be taken with or without food. For a patient without congestive heart failure, the initial dose is usually 15 or 30 mg taken by mouth once a day. Actos is an oral diabetes medicine that helps control blood sugar levels. Actos is used together with diet and exercise to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Actos (pioglitazone) is a prescription tablet that’s used to control blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetes. Learn about side effects, dosage, uses, and more. Find patient medical information for Pioglitazone (Actos) on WebMD including its uses, side effects and safety, interactions, pictures, warnings, and user ratings Actos (pioglitazone) is an oral medication used to manage blood glucose (sugar) levels in adults with Type 2 diabetes. Common Actos side effects include upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs), headaches, and weight gain. Low blood glucose (hypoglycemia) is also possible. Pioglitazone is used together with diet and exercise to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Pioglitazone is not for treating type 1 diabetes. Pioglitazone is used with proper diet and exercise to treat high blood sugar levels caused by type 2 diabetes. It may be used alone or with other medicines such as insulin, metformin, or sulfonylurea agents. Pioglitazone works by helping your body use insulin better. Pioglitazone, sold under the brand name Actos among others, is an anti-diabetic medication used to treat type 2 diabetes. [3] It may be used with metformin, a sulfonylurea, or insulin. [3][4] Use is recommended together with exercise and diet. [4].