Imidapril para la hipertensión

About imidapril

Imidapril belongs to a class of medicines called angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. You will have been prescribed it to reduce high blood pressure, a condition called hypertension.

ACE inhibitors like imidapril prevent your body from creating a hormone known as angiotensin II. They do this by blocking (inhibiting) a chemical called angiotensin-converting enzyme. This widens your blood vessels and helps to reduce the amount of water put back into your blood by your kidneys. These actions help to decrease blood pressure. People with high blood pressure often do not feel unwell but, if left untreated, high blood pressure can harm the heart and damage blood vessels, leading to a heart attack or stroke.

Before taking imidapril

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

• Si está embarazada o en periodo de lactancia.

• Si tiene problemas renales o hepáticos.

• Si tiene falta de líquido en el organismo (deshidratación); por ejemplo, si ha tenido diarrea o ha estado enfermo recientemente.

• Si le han dicho que tiene una acumulación de depósitos grasos en las paredes de las arterias, una enfermedad llamada aterosclerosis.

• Si padece un tipo concreto de mala circulación denominado enfermedad arterial periférica.

• Si padece una enfermedad vascular del colágeno; esto incluye afecciones como el lupus eritematoso sistémico (LES) y la esclerodermia.

• Si le han dicho que padece una enfermedad del músculo cardíaco (miocardiopatía) o un estrechamiento del vaso sanguíneo principal que sale del corazón (estenosis aórtica).

• Si alguna vez ha tenido una reacción en la que se le hincha la cara, la lengua o la garganta (angioedema).

• Si está en tratamiento de desensibilización para protegerse de las picaduras de abejas y avispas.

• Si está en tratamiento de diálisis o tratamiento para eliminar el colesterol de la sangre mediante una máquina (aféresis LDL).

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

• If you have ever had an allergic or unusual reaction to any other ACE inhibitor (such as captopril, lisinopril, ramipril or perindopril), or to any other medicine.

How to take imidapril

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

• Take the tablets exactly as your doctor tells you to. Imidapril is taken once a day. Your doctor will advise you to take your very first dose at bedtime. This is because you may feel dizzy when you first start taking it. With the exception of the first dose, you can generally take imidapril at a time of day you find easy to remember. For most people this will be in the morning.

• Try to take your doses at the same time of day each day as this will help you to remember to take your doses regularly. You should take the imidapril tablet about 15 minutes before a meal. It is best to swallow the tablet with a drink of water.

• There are several strengths of imidapril tablets: 5 mg, 10 mg and 20 mg. It is usual to start by taking the 5 mg strength tablet, although you may be asked to take only half of a tablet to begin with. Your doctor will gradually increase your dose over the following few weeks. This allows your doctor to make sure that you have the dose that helps your condition, but helps to avoid any unwanted side-effects, such as dizziness. Each time you collect a new supply, check to make sure the tablets are the strength that you are expecting.

• Si olvida tomar una dosis, tómela en cuanto se acuerde. Si no se acuerda hasta el día siguiente, omita la dosis olvidada del día anterior y tome la dosis que le corresponde normalmente. No tome dos dosis al mismo tiempo para compensar la dosis olvidada.

Aproveche al máximo su tratamiento

• Intente acudir a las citas periódicas con su médico. Así podrá controlar su evolución. De vez en cuando, su médico querrá hacerle algunos análisis de sangre para comprobar que sus riñones funcionan bien.

• Es muy importante que siga los consejos dietéticos y de estilo de vida que le haya dado su médico. Esto puede incluir consejos sobre una dieta sana, no fumar y hacer ejercicio con regularidad.

• If you buy any medicines, check with a pharmacist that they are suitable to take with imidapril. This is because some medicines (such as anti-inflammatory painkillers and indigestion remedies) can interfere with your treatment.

• It is likely that your doctor will advise that you do not use salt substitutes while you are taking imidapril. These products have a high content of potassium which could be harmful for you.

• If you drink alcohol, ask your doctor for advice about drinking alcohol while you are on imidapril. Alcoholic drinks can make you feel light-headed or dizzy, and they may not be advisable for you.

• Si padece diabetes, es posible que deba controlar su nivel de azúcar (glucosa) en sangre con más frecuencia, ya que los comprimidos pueden reducir los niveles de azúcar en sangre. Su médico le aconsejará al respecto.

• If you are having an operation or dental treatment, tell the person carrying out the treatment that you are taking imidapril. This is because some anaesthetics could cause your blood pressure to drop too low.

• Treatment with imidapril is often long-term unless you experience an adverse effect. Continue to take the tablets unless you are advised otherwise by your doctor.

Can imidapril 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 more common ones associated with imidapril. The best place to find a full list of the side-effects which can be associated with your medicine, is from the manufacturer's printed information leaflet supplied with the medicine. Alternatively, you can find an example of a manufacturer's information leaflet in the reference section below. Speak with your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following continue or become troublesome.

Important: if you experience any of the following potentially serious symptoms, stop taking imidapril and contact your doctor for advice straightaway:

• Dificultad para respirar o hinchazón de la cara, la boca, la lengua o la garganta. Son signos de una reacción alérgica.

• Any yellowing of your skin or of the whites of your eyes. These may be signs of a liver problem called jaundice, which is a rare side-effect.

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 imidapril

• 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