What every patient needs to know about metformin. Why it was recommended, how to be successful with metformin, what it is and how it works, what to expect with metformin, what to do if you are having nausea, and what ot expect as you continue to use metformin and much more. Actoplus Met contains a combination of metformin and pioglitazone, two oral diabetes medicines that help control blood sugar levels. Actoplus Met is used together with diet and exercise to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus who do not use daily insulin injections. Metformin ER is a biguanide used to treat type II diabetes. It helps control blood sugar in combination with diet and exercise. Metformin is widely considered the first-line treatment for adult onset diabetes because it rarely causes hypoglycemia and can help with weight loss. Metformin is a drug that is prescribed to treat type 2 diabetes. It works by decreasing the amount of sugar made by the liver and decreasing the amount of sugar absorbed into the body. Medical uses. Metformin is primarily used for type 2 diabetes, but is also used in polycystic ovary syndrome. Outcomes appear to be improved even in those with some degree of kidney disease, heart failure, or liver problems. Metformin is used alone or with other medications, including insulin, to treat type 2 diabetes (condition in which the body does not use insulin normally and, therefore, cannot control the amount of sugar in the blood). Actoplus Met XR is indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus when treatment with both pioglitazone and metformin is appropriate [see Clinical Studies ]. Important Limitations of Use DESCRIPTION. ACTOPLUS MET tablets are a thiazolidinediones and biguanide combination product that contains two oral antidiabetic medications: pioglitazone hydrochloride and metformin hydrochloride. METFORMIN; PIOGLITAZONE helps to treat type 2 diabetes. It helps to control blood sugar. Treatment is combined with diet and exercise. The lowest GoodRx price for the most common version of pioglitazone / metformin is around $54.00, 81% off the average retail price of $292.00. There are several alternatives to metformin, such as lifestyle changes or other diabetes medications. This eMedTV segment takes a look at these alternatives and describes how some of the alternative diabetes medications work to treat type 2 diabetes.