Felodipine tablets

About felodipine

Felodipine is given to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). It is also taken to help prevent angina chest pain. You may have been prescribed it for either of these reasons.

Felodipine works by causing some of your blood vessels to relax and widen. This lowers your blood pressure. It also reduces the force and the rate of your heartbeat, and this helps to prevent angina chest pain. It does these things by blocking the amount of calcium that goes into the 'smooth' muscle cells in the walls of your arteries and in your heart. Calcium is needed for muscles to contract, so reducing the amount of calcium causes the muscle cells to relax.

Felodipine is manufactured as a modified-release tablet. This means that the tablets release felodipine slowly and evenly throughout the course of the day. Felodipine is also available as a combination tablet with a medicine called ramipril, which also reduces high blood pressure. Combination tablets help to reduce the total number of tablets you need to take each day.

Before taking felodipine

Some medicines are not suitable for people with certain conditions, and sometimes a medicine may only be used if extra care is taken. For these reasons, before you start taking felodipine it is important that your doctor knows:

• Si tiene algún problema cardíaco (distinto de la angina de pecho o la hipertensión).

• Si está embarazada o en periodo de lactancia.

• Si tiene problemas con el funcionamiento del hígado.

• Si toma o utiliza otros medicamentos. Esto incluye cualquier medicamento que esté tomando y que pueda adquirirse sin receta, así como medicamentos a base de plantas y complementarios.

• Si alguna vez ha tenido una reacción alérgica a un medicamento.

How to take felodipine

• Before you start this treatment, read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside your pack. It will give you more information about felodipine and will provide you with a full list of the side-effects which you may experience from taking the tablets.

• Felodipine is taken once a day. There are three strengths of felodipine tablets available - 2.5 mg, 5 mg and 10 mg. It is common to be prescribed the 5 mg strength tablets at first. Your doctor will tell you which is right for you.

• Take your tablet in the morning. Swallow it whole with a drink of water. Do not break, crush or chew the tablet, as this will affect the way the medicine is released into your bloodstream. You can take felodipine either before or after you have breakfast.

• Si olvida tomar una dosis a la hora habitual, tómela en cuanto se acuerde. Si no se acuerda hasta el día siguiente, omita la dosis olvidada. No tome dos dosis juntas para compensar la dosis olvidada.

Aproveche al máximo su tratamiento

• Procure acudir a las citas periódicas con su médico. Así podrá comprobar su evolución.

• Your doctor will discuss with you the possibility of unwanted side-effects. When you first start taking felodipine you may experience headaches, feeling flushed, and some dizziness. These effects usually only last for a few days, but if they continue or become troublesome, you should let your doctor know.

• Si bebe alcohol, consulte a su médico. Su médico puede recomendarle que no beba alcohol mientras esté tomando este medicamento, ya que puede aumentar la posibilidad de que experimente efectos secundarios, como sensación de mareo o aturdimiento.

• Treatment with felodipine is usually long-term unless you experience an adverse effect. Continue to take the tablets unless you are told otherwise by your doctor. If it is necessary for you to stop, your doctor may want you to reduce your dose over a few days, as there is some evidence to suggest that stopping taking felodipine suddenly can cause some symptoms to return.

• If you buy any medicines, always check with a pharmacist that they are suitable to take with your other medicines. Some anti-inflammatory painkillers may reduce the effectiveness of felodipine.

• If you need to have an operation or any medical treatment, always tell the person carrying out the treatment which medicines you are taking. Felodipine and some anaesthetics can interact, meaning that unwanted effects are more likely.

• It is not advisable for you to drink grapefruit juice while you are taking felodipine. This is because a chemical in grapefruit juice can increase the amount of felodipine in your bloodstream and this can increase the risk of side-effects.

Can felodipine cause problems?

Along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them. The table below contains some of the most common ones associated with felodipine. You will find a full list in the manufacturer's information leaflet supplied with your medicine. The unwanted effects often improve as your body adjusts to the new medicine, but speak with your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following continue or become troublesome.

Important: a few people taking felodipine have experienced worsening of chest pain at the start of treatment - if this happens to you, you must let your doctor know straightaway.

Si experimenta cualquier otro síntoma que crea que puede deberse a los comprimidos, hable con su médico o farmacéutico para que le aconsejen.

How to store felodipine

• Mantenga todos los medicamentos fuera del alcance y de la vista de los niños.

• Almacenar en un lugar fresco y seco, lejos del calor y la luz directos.

Información importante sobre todos los medicamentos