Isoptin (Verapamil) Canada
Description
Isoptin is taken either alone or with other meds to treat hypertension, and its use helps patients to prevent such serious health problems as kidney and heart complications, strokes. This medication belongs to a class of drugs called calcium channel blockers, and it works by relaxing blood vessels. It can be used to prevent angina, and its intake helps users increase an ability to exercise while reducing the frequency of their chest pain attacks. Doctors also prescribe Isoptin to control heart rates to people who have irregular or fast heartbeats. Its intake helps them by letting them feel more comfortable.
Recommendations
This medicine should be taken orally, either with or without food, 3-4 times a day and based on the recommendations given by doctors. The right dose is based on a specific medical condition and individual tolerance. Be sure to take Isoptin regularly to get its full benefit. To treat hypertension, it may take about 1 week to notice any improvement. When treating chest pain, it’s necessary to use this drug on a regular basis, and patients need to use other meds to relieve sudden angina attacks. It’s not allowed to stop taking Isoptin abruptly, because regular doses should be gradually decreased.
Precautions
Before starting this treatment, doctors need to know about any possible allergies and your medical condition, especially if you have specific types of heart rhythms issues, kidney and liver conditions, certain nerve and muscle disorders, heart failure and so on. The use of Isoptin can make you feel dizzy, so it’s not advisable to drive or do other things that require you to stay fully alert. Don’t drink alcohol when undergoing this treatment. Older patients are more prone to experiencing the side effects caused by it, especially swelling feet or ankles and constipation. Pregnant and nursing women should be very careful when taking this medicine.
Drug Interactions
Isoptin shouldn’t be combined with certain medications because of possible drug interactions that must be avoided at any cost. They change the way it works and increase your risk of having unwanted side effects. Be sure to avoid taking it with dofetilide and such drugs as litium, aliskeren, ritonavir, some meds for organ transplants, stain drugs and others. Always read the labels of different pharmaceutical products before taking them, because they may contain the ingredients that contraindicate Isoptin. Show the list of medications that you need to take to your doctor to avoid serious health risks.
Side Effects
There are some side effects caused by the intake of this medicine, but most of them are mild and rare. For example, some patients who undergo this treatment may experience unusual tiredness, nausea, dizziness, headaches, slow heartbeats, constipation, etc. If any of these symptoms become bothersome, call your physician at once. The good news is that serious side effects are very rare, and they include shortness of breath, sudden weight gain, swelling feet and ankles, severe dizziness, very slow heartbeats, fainting, dark urine and other similar changes, stomach pain, yellow eyes and skin, severe vomiting and nausea, allergic reactions, etc. Once you start experiencing any of these severe symptoms, you need to go to the hospital to get emergency medical help. Finally, serious allergic reactions are rare when taking Isoptin, and it’s characterized by such signs as severe dizziness, swelling, drowsiness, difficulty breathing, itching, rash and others.