Product Details

What you need to know before you take Propranolol

If you have ever had asthma or wheezing, do not take your Propranolol tablets. Go back to your doctor or pharmacist. Do not take Propranolol if you: • are allergic (hypersensitive) to propranolol hydrochloride or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6). Warnings and precautions Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Propranolol. Propranolol should also not be taken by people with heart failure which is not under control or people with certain other conditions such as heart block, very slow or very irregular heartbeats, very low blood pressure or very poor circulation. It should also not be taken by people who are fasting or have been fasting recently, people who have phaeochromocytoma (high blood pressure due to a tumour usually near the kidney) which is not being treated or by people who have metabolic acidosis or a particular type of chest pain called Prinzmetal’s angina. Your doctor will know about these conditions. If you have one of these conditions, make sure your doctor knows about it before you take Propranolol. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Propranolol if you: • Get allergic reactions to such things as insect stings. • Have diabetes as Propranolol may change your normal response to low blood sugar, which usually involves an increase in heart rate. Propranolol may cause low blood sugar levels even in patients who are not diabetic. • Suffer from unstable angina (non exercise-induced sharp chest pain). • Have thyrotoxicosis. Propranolol may hide the symptoms of thyrotoxicosis. • Have kidney or liver problems (including cirrhosis of the liver). If so, talk to your doctor because you may need to have some check-ups during your treatment. • Have any other health problems such as circulation disorders, heart problems, breathlessness or swollen ankles. Other medicines and Propranolol Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines. Propranolol can interfere with the action of some other drugs and some drugs can have an effect on your medicine. The drugs which can cause some problems when taken together with your medicine are: • Verapamil • Diltiazem • Nifedipine • Nisoldipine • Nicardipine • Isradipine • Lacidipine, (which are used to treat hypertension or angina) • Disopyramide • Lidocaine • Quinidine • Amiodarone or propafenone (for irregular heartbeats) • Digoxin (for heart failure) • Adrenaline (a heart stimulant) • Ibuprofen and indometacin (for pain and inflammation) • Ergotamine, dihydroergotamine or rizatriptan (for migraine) • Chlorpromazine and thioridazine (for certain psychiatric disorders) • Cimetidine (for stomach problems) • Rifampicin (for the treatment of tuberculosis) • Theophylline (for asthma) • Warfarin (to thin the blood) and hydralazine (for hypertension). If you are taking clonidine (for hypertension or migraine) and Propranolol together, you must not stop taking clonidine unless your doctor tells you to do so. If it becomes necessary for you to stop taking clonidine, your doctor will give you careful instructions on how to do it. Propranolol with food, drink and alcohol Alcohol may affect how this medicine works. Operations If you go into hospital to have an operation, tell the anaesthetist or the medical staff that you are taking Propranolol. Pregnancy, breast-feeding and fertility 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 Your medicine is unlikely to affect your ability to drive or to operate machinery. However, some people may occasionally feel dizzy or tired when taking Propranolol. If this happens to you, ask your doctor for advice. This medicine contains lactose monohydrate If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking this medicinal product. This medicine contains sodium This medicine contains less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per tablet, that is to say essentially ‘sodium-free