pioglitazone vs trimethoprim

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Side-by-side comparison of pioglitazone and trimethoprim. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.

minor Known Drug Interaction

Sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim potentiates the effect of oral hypoglycemics that are metabolized by CYP2C8 (e.g., pioglitazone, repaglinide, and rosiglitazone) or CYP2C9 (e.g., glipizide and glyburide) or eliminated renally via OCT2 (e.g., metformin).

Drug Class
pioglitazone Thiazolidinedione
trimethoprim Dihydrofolate Reductase Inhibitor
Type
pioglitazone Prescription
trimethoprim Prescription
Summary
pioglitazone

Pioglitazone (Actos) is a medicine that helps control blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes. It works along with diet and exercise.

trimethoprim

This medicine contains sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim. It is an antibiotic that fights bacteria in your body.

What It Treats
pioglitazone

Pioglitazone is used to help manage blood sugar in adults who have type 2 diabetes. It is used in addition to diet and exercise. This medicine will not work for type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis.

trimethoprim

This medicine can treat urinary tract infections, ear infections in children, and bronchitis in adults. It also treats shigellosis, a type of diarrhea. It can also treat or prevent Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia, and treat traveler's diarrhea.

How It Works
pioglitazone

Pioglitazone belongs to a class of drugs called thiazolidinediones. It makes your body more sensitive to insulin, which helps lower blood sugar. It works by activating a certain receptor in your body called PPAR gamma.

trimethoprim

This medicine works by stopping bacteria from making folic acid. Bacteria need folic acid to grow and multiply. By blocking folic acid production, the medicine kills the bacteria.

Common Side Effects
pioglitazone
  • Upper respiratory infection
  • Headache
  • Sinus infection
  • Muscle pain
  • Sore throat
trimethoprim
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Loss of appetite
  • Skin rash
  • Hives
FAERS Reports
pioglitazone
  • Bladder Cancer 8,736
  • Blood Glucose Increased 3,385
  • Nausea 2,919
  • Weight Decreased 2,083
  • Diarrhoea 1,679
trimethoprim
  • Nausea 945
  • Diarrhoea 848
  • Headache 835
  • Malaise 816
  • Pyrexia 721
Serious Warnings
pioglitazone

Pioglitazone can cause or worsen heart failure in some people. Watch for signs like rapid weight gain, shortness of breath, and swelling. If you have heart failure, it should be managed, and stopping or lowering the dose of pioglitazone should be considered. If you have severe heart failure (NYHA Class III or IV), you should not start taking pioglitazone.

trimethoprim

Rarely, sulfonamide drugs like this one have caused severe reactions. These include Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, liver damage, and blood problems. Tell your doctor right away if you have a fever, rash, blisters, mouth sores, or signs of infection.

Pregnancy
pioglitazone

It is not known if pioglitazone can harm an unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is also not known if pioglitazone passes into breast milk, so talk to your doctor about breastfeeding while taking this medicine.

trimethoprim

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. This medicine may not be safe for your baby. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking this medicine while breastfeeding.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

Compare pioglitazone with

How to Read This pioglitazone vs trimethoprim Comparison

pioglitazone is classified in the Thiazolidinedione drug class, while trimethoprim sits within the Dihydrofolate Reductase Inhibitor class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.

Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, pioglitazone has 18,802 submissions while trimethoprim has 4,165. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to trimethoprim slows down the liver's ability to break down pioglitazone. this can make the blood sugar-lowering effect of the medicine stronger than intended.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.

A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for pioglitazone or trimethoprim.

Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.