OpenClaim

Pioglitazone Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of pioglitazone include bladder cancer, blood glucose increased, and nausea, based on 48,915 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 1.9% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Pioglitazone side effects

Percentages show how often each reaction appears relative to total reports for pioglitazone.

1
Bladder Cancer15.8%7,740
2
Blood Glucose Increased5.4%2,658
3
Nausea4.3%2,080
4
Weight Decreased3.4%1,644
5
Death3.0%1,484
6
Bladder Cancer2.8%1,376
7
Nausea2.5%1,233
8
Diarrhoea2.3%1,149
9
Blood Glucose Increased2.2%1,087
10
Fatigue2.1%1,003
11
Blood Glucose Decreased2.0%998
12
Dizziness2.0%965
13
Decreased Appetite1.9%951
14
Drug Ineffective1.9%940
15
Vomiting1.8%901

These are voluntary reports and do not establish that pioglitazone caused these reactions.

Report severity

71.3%Serious34,855 reports
28.1%Hospitalizations13,766 reports
10.2%Fatal4,967 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Pioglitazone drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside pioglitazone. Drugs flagged as a suspected cause appear in the first column. Drugs taken at the same time but not suspected appear in the second.

Also suspected

1
Exenatide-synthetic9.9%4,830
2
Metformin6.3%3,106
3
Insulin3.6%1,774
4
Sitagliptin2.7%1,299
5
Esomeprazole1.7%853
6
Lenalidomide1.6%795
7
Omeprazole1.6%782
8
Adalimumab1.6%766
9
Dulaglutide1.5%710
10
Atorvastatin-calcium1.3%644
11
Liraglutide1.3%622
12
Glimepiride1.2%586
13
Pantoprazole-sodium1.2%581
14
Niacin1.2%569
15
Rosiglitazone-maleate1.1%535

Taken alongside

1
Metformin35.6%17,425
2
Insulin16.2%7,935
3
Aspirin15.5%7,565
4
Atorvastatin-calcium12.7%6,199
5
Glimepiride10.7%5,215
6
Lisinopril10.3%5,048
7
Glipizide10.0%4,870
8
Simvastatin9.2%4,487
9
Furosemide9.0%4,383
10
Amlodipine9.0%4,379
11
Hydrochlorothiazide7.9%3,883
12
Levothyroxine-sodium7.6%3,699
13
Acetaminophen7.5%3,687
14
Metoprolol7.5%3,674
15
Sitagliptin6.9%3,353

Co-occurrence in adverse event reports does not establish a drug interaction. Patients often take multiple medications, and these lists reflect prescribing patterns rather than causal relationships. Consult a healthcare provider about potential drug interactions.

Who reports pioglitazone side effects

38.4% of pioglitazone adverse event reports involve female patients and 43.8% involve male patients. The largest age group is elderly at 50%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female38.4%
Male43.8%
Unknown17.8%

Age group

< 20.1%
2–110.2%
12–170.2%
18–6449.5%
65+50.0%

What is pioglitazone used for

Conditions and purposes for which patients were taking pioglitazone when the adverse event was reported.

Abdominal DiscomfortAcneAcute Myeloid LeukaemiaAdjuvant TherapyAdministration Site ThrombosisAlopeciaAlveolar ProteinosisAmyotrophic Lateral SclerosisAnaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma T- And Null-cell TypesAngina PectorisAngiopathyAntibacterial ProphylaxisAnticoagulant TherapyAntiviral ProphylaxisAscariasis

Showing 15 of 299 indications

Pioglitazone brand names and reporting trend

Pioglitazone is sold under the brand name Oseni.

Brand names

Oseni78

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

An upward trend reflects increased FAERS reporting overall, not necessarily increased risk.

Taking pioglitazone with another medication?

Ask OpenClaim about your specific drug combination. Get a sourced report using FDA data, drug labels, and medical literature.