Product Details

What you need to know before you take Carvedilol

DO NOT TAKE Carvedilol: • if you are allergic to carvedilol or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6). • if you have a history of wheezing due to asthma or other lung diseases, • if you have been told you have very severe heart failure and you have fluid retention (swelling) which is being treated with injections of medicines into your veins (intravenously), • if you have liver disease, • if you have been told that you have a very slow heartbeat, • if you have very low blood pressure, • if you have been told you have a condition called Prinzmetal’s angina, • if you have phaeochromocytoma (a tumour of the adrenal gland causing high blood pressure) which is not being treated, • You ever had very serious skin reaction with blistering of the skin, mouth, eyes and genitals (toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) and Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS)) when taking carvedilol. • if you are suffering from serious disturbances in the body’s acidbase balance (metabolic acidosis), • if you have very poor blood circulation in the hands and feet resulting in coldness and pain in them, • if you have a particular conduction defect of the heart (called an AV heart block Grade II or III (unless a pacemaker is fitted) or a SA block), • if you are currently being treated with injections of verapamil or diltiazem (used in the treatment of high blood pressure or heart problems), If any of these apply to you, do not take Carvedilol. Warnings and precautions Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Carvedilol: • have been told you suffer from any other heart problems, • have or have ever had any problems with your liver, kidneys or thyroid, • have diabetes. Carvedilol may hide your usual symptoms of low blood sugar, • have a skin condition known as psoriasis, • have poor circulation affecting hands, feet or lower legs, or Raynaud’s phenomenon, • have or have ever had a serious allergic reaction or you are undergoing allergic desensitisation therapy for any type of severe allergy, • wear contact lenses because carvedilol may cause the eyes to be drier than normal. Other medicines and Carvedilol Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines. The administration of carvedilol: Please tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription or herbal medicines. Take particular care and tell your doctor or pharmacist, if you are taking any of the following medicines: • medicines used to treat an irregular heartbeat (e.g. diltiazem, verapamil or amiodarone), • nitrate medicines for angina (e.g. isosorbide mononitrate or glyceryl trinitrate), • medicines used to treat heart failure (e.g. Digoxin), • any other medicine used to treat high blood pressure (e.g. doxazosin, reserpine, amlodipine or indoramin), • medicines used to treat depression or other mental health conditions (e.g. fluoxetine, tricyclic antidepressants, barbiturates, phenothiazines, haloperidol or monoamine oxide inhibitors (MAOIs), • medicines used to prevent your body rejecting organs after transplant operations (e.g. ciclosporin), • medicines to reduce blood sugar such as oral antidiabetic medicines or insulin, • medicines used to reduce blood pressure or to treat migraine (e.g. clonidine or ergotamine), • certain painkilling agents such as non-steroidal antiinflammatory medicines (NSAIDs) (e.g. ibuprofen or diclofenac), • medicines used for hormone replacement therapy (e.g. estrogens), • corticosteroids used to suppress inflammatory or allergic reactions (e.g. prednisolone), • medicines used to treat bacterial infections (e.g. rifampicin or erythromycin), • medicines used to treat stomach ulcers, heartburn and acid reflux (e.g. cimetidine), • medicines used to treat fungal infections (e.g.. ketoconazole), • medicines sometimes used in decongestant cough and cold remedies (e.g. ephedrine or pseudoephedrine), If you need to have an anaesthetic for an operation, tell your hospital doctor you are taking Carvedilol. Carvedilol with food, drink and alcohol You should take Carvedilol with water. If you are taking Carvedilol to treat heart failure, you should take this medicine with water at your mealtime (see section 3 ‘How to take Carvedilol) Do not drink alcohol whilst taking Carvedilol as it might worsen the effects of alcohol. Pregnancy, breast-feeding and fertility If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, do not take this medicine until you have talked to your doctor. Consult your doctor immediately if you become pregnant while taking this medicine. If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine. Driving and using machines You may experience dizziness or tiredness whilst taking Carvedilol. This is more likely to occur when you first begin treatment, or when the dose is increased. If this occurs, you should not drive or operate machinery. You should avoid drinking alcohol, as it may make these symptoms worse. If you are concerned or want more information, you should talk to your doctor. Carvedilol contains lactose and sucrose (types of sugar). If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking this medicine.