Question from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada:

I am a 55 year old, obese female, diagnosed with type 2 diabetes about five years ago, and I am on insulin and Glucophage [metformin]. I was on Avandia [rosiglitazone] but had some problems (sudden weight gain of 35 pounds in six weeks, pneumonia, pleurisy, and swelling of ankles being the largest concerns) that I attributed to the drug based on reading I had done. I had been on it for about six months when I started to get the symptoms, and I was very ill. I told my GP that I wasn’t comfortable on the drug and was going off, and he said it was fine with him.

My specialist has been away, is now back, and I have an appointment in a couple of months. He has great faith in the Avandia, and I have faith in him. However, even though I am positive I made making the right decision to go off, now that I am starting to feel better, I’m nervous about telling him what I’ve done. (Though it had crossed my mind to tell him that my GP and I made the decision together.) I am wondering if I should go back on it until I see him. My sugars at the moment are about 10 mmol/L [180 mg/dl] whereas they were down to about 8 mmol/L [144 mg/dl] when I was on Avandia (until I got sick). Just so that you know, I am normally an intelligent woman who holds down a challenging job that requires good judgement!

I feel foolish because I know that I should not change prescription medication without seeing my doctor. My GP does not really seem too interested in my diabetes which causes problems. I think he feels that it is self-induced, and to a certain degree, it is! My specialist is very supportive.

Have you had any experience with negative affects of Avandia? I know you cannot answer for my specific case, but, in general, if you cannot contact your doctor for a period of four to six weeks (vacation for him) and you feel strongly that a medication is having a bad effect on you, how should you proceed?