Diabetes patients report drug side effects

updated 3:18 p.m. ET Jan. 5, 2006

WASHINGTON - Patients taking two widely used diabetes drugs have reported blurry vision and swelling of the legs and feet, the Food and Drug Administration and manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline said Thursday.

The company said it has received "very rare" reports of new or worsening diabetic macular edema in diabetic patients who have taken Avandia or Avandamet. The swelling of the portion of the retina most important for sight can cause blurry or distorted vision.

The majority of those patients also reported peripheral edema, or swelling of the legs, ankles and feet, the company said in a letter sent last month to doctors. In some cases, stopping treatment or reducing the dose eliminated or improved the condition, it added.

Avandia and Avandamet both contain the drug rosiglitazone. More than 6 million people worldwide have taken either drug.

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