Carvedilol
About
Carvedilol belongs to a group of 'antihypertensive medicines' called beta-blockers used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure), moderate to severe heart failure, and angina (heart-related chest pain). Besides this, Carvedilol also reduces the risk of heart attack or stroke in adults. High blood pressure is a condition in which the force of blood against the artery walls is very high. It will be an addition to the workload of the heart and arteries. If it continues for a long time, the heart and arteries may not function properly and damage the heart, brain, and kidneys' blood vessels, resulting in heart failure, stroke, or kidney failure.
Carvedilol contains Carvedilol which acts by relaxing blood vessels by blocking the action of certain natural substances like epinephrine or adrenaline. Thus, lowers the raised blood pressure, keeps the heartbeat slowly reducing with less force, reducing the risk of having a stroke, a heart attack, or other heart problems.
Take Carvedilol as prescribed. Your doctor will advise you on how often you take your tablets based on your medical condition. In some cases, you may experience diarrhoea, headache, weight gain, slow heartbeat, dry eyes, tiredness, dizziness, or low blood pressure. Most of these side effects of Carvedilol do not require medical attention and gradually resolve over time. However, if the side effects persist, please consult your doctor.
If you are allergic to Carvedilol or any other medicines, please tell your doctor. Carvedilol is not recommended for children below 18 years of age. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, please inform your doctor before taking Carvedilol. If you are about to undergo any surgery, you must inform your doctor that you are taking Carvedilol. Avoid taking Carvedilol if you have bronchitis, asthma, emphysema (a lung condition causing shortness of breath), severe liver disease, heart block, slow heart rate, or sick sinus syndrome (abnormal heart rhythms caused by malfunction of the heart’s natural pacemaker). If you have diabetes, coronary artery disease, fluid retention, thyroid disorder, angina (chest pain), kidney disease, slow heartbeats, Raynaud’s syndrome (a circulatory problem), or pheochromocytoma (tumor in the adrenal glands), inform your doctor before taking Carvedilol.
Uses of Carvedilol
Medicinal Benefits
Carvedilol contains Carvedilol in the controlled release form, which plays a vital role in relaxing blood vessels by blocking the action of certain natural substances in your body. Thereby lowers the blood pressure and reduces the risk of having a stroke, a heart attack or other heart problems.
Directions for Use
Storage
Side Effects of Carvedilol
- Diarrhoea
- Headache
- Weight gain
- Slow heartbeat
- Dry eyes
- Tiredness
- Dizziness
- Low blood pressure
In-Depth Precautions and Warning
Drug Warnings
If you are allergic to Carvedilol or any other medicines, please tell your doctor. Carvedilol is not recommended for children below 18 years of age. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, please inform your doctor before taking Carvedilol. If you are about to undergo any surgery, you are advised to inform your doctor that you are taking Carvedilol. Avoid taking Carvedilol if you have bronchitis, asthma, emphysema (a lung condition causing shortness of breath), severe liver disease, heart block, slow heart rate, or sick sinus syndrome (abnormal heart rhythms caused by malfunction of the heart’s natural pacemaker). If you have diabetes, coronary artery disease, fluid retention, thyroid disorder, angina (chest pain), kidney disease, slow heartbeats, Raynaud’s syndrome (a circulatory problem), or pheochromocytoma (tumor in the adrenal glands), inform your doctor before taking Carvedilol.
Drug Interactions
Drug-Drug Interaction: Carvedilol may have interaction with pain killers (aspirin), calcium channel blocker (amlodipine), water pills (furosemide, hydrochlorothiazide), thyroid medicines (levothyroxine).
Drug-Food Interaction: Carvedilol may interact with grapefruit juice. Therefore, avoid intake of grapefruit juice with Carvedilol as it may increase the levels of Carvedilol in blood. Also, avoid sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium-rich foods with Carvedilol as they may reduce the effect of Carvedilol.
Drug-Disease Interaction: Avoid taking Carvedilol if you have bronchitis, asthma, emphysema (a lung condition causing shortness of breath), severe liver disease, heart block, slow heart rate, or sick sinus syndrome (abnormal heart rhythms caused by malfunction of heart’s natural pacemaker). If you have diabetes, coronary artery disease, fluid retention, thyroid disorder, angina (chest pain), kidney disease, slow heartbeats, Raynaud’s syndrome (a circulatory problem), or pheochromocytoma (tumor in the adrenal glands), inform your doctor before taking Carvedilol.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
unsafeAvoid consumption of alcohol with Carvedilol as it may increase the risk of low blood pressure and cause adverse effects such as dizziness, fainting, light-headedness or headache.
Pregnancy
cautionCarvedilol is a Category C pregnancy drug and is given to pregnant women only if the doctor thinks benefits outweigh risks. Please consult a doctor if you are pregnant.
Breast Feeding
unsafeCarvedilol is excreted in human milk. Therefore, avoid breastfeeding while taking Carvedilol as it may cause adverse effects in the baby.
Driving
cautionCarvedilol may cause dizziness or tiredness in some people. Therefore, avoid driving if you feel dizzy or tired after taking Carvedilol.
Liver
cautionTake Carvedilol with caution, especially if you have a history of Liver diseases/conditions. The dose may be adjusted by your doctor as required.
Kidney
cautionTake Carvedilol with caution, especially if you have a history of Kidney diseases/conditions. The dose may be adjusted by your doctor as required.
Children
unsafeCarvedilol is not recommended for children below 18 years as safety and effectiveness are not established.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- Maintain a low salt diet and minimize eating processed foods as they contain more sodium. Try to replace salt with spices or herbs to add flavor to the food.
- Do regular exercise such as cycling, walking, jogging, dancing, or swimming for a minimum of 30 minutes per day.
- Chronic stress may also cause high blood pressure. Therefore, avoid stress by changing your expectations, the way you react in certain situations, and do activities that you enjoy by making time for yourself.
- Maintain a diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products.
- Try to include heart-healthy omega 3 fatty acid-containing foods in your daily diet. You can also use low-fat cooking oil like olive oil, soybean oil, canola oil, and coconut oil which may help in lowering high blood pressure.
- Quit smoking and avoid the consumption of alcohol.
Special Advise
- Monitor your blood pressure regularly and if you notice any fluctuations, please consult a doctor.
- A low salt diet and regular exercise are recommended along with Carvedilol for effective results.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Hypertension: Blood pressure is the measurement of the force that the heart uses to pump blood to all parts of the body. Hypertension is a chronic condition in which blood pressure is too high. This condition can lead to hardened arteries (blood vessels), decreasing the blood and oxygen flow to the heart. Raised blood pressure can cause chest pain (angina) and heart attack (when blood supply to the heart is blocked). Additionally, high blood pressure also causes brain damage (stroke) and kidney failure. High blood pressure can be diagnosed with the help of a blood pressure monitor or sphygmomanometer. Systolic pressure is the pressure when the heart pumps blood out. On the other hand, diastolic pressure is the pressure when your heart is at the resting stage between heartbeats. If your blood pressure is 140/90 mm of Hg, it means the systolic pressure is 140 mm of Hg and, diastolic pressure is 90 mm of Hg. Normal blood pressure lies in between 90/60 mm of Hg and 120/80 mm of Hg. If the blood pressure is 140/90 mmHg or greater, it is considered as high blood pressure.
FAQs
Carvedilol contains Carvedilol that works by blocking the action of certain natural substances in your body. This lowers the blood pressure and helps in reducing the risk of having a stroke, a heart attack or other heart problems in the future.
You are recommended to avoid sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium-rich foods with Carvedilol as they may reduce the effect of Carvedilol. Also, avoid intake of grapefruit juice with Carvedilol as it may increase the levels of Carvedilol in blood and cause adverse effects.
Carvedilol may cause dry eyes in some patients. It is not necessary for everyone taking Carvedilol to experience this side effect. Therefore, inform your doctor if you wear contact lenses before taking Carvedilol.
You are not recommended to take more than the prescribed dose of Carvedilol as it may cause Carvedilol overdose resulting in symptoms such as dizziness, fits, fainting, weakness, bluish-coloured fingernails, uneven heartbeats and shortness of breath. However, if you experience any of these symptoms while taking Carvedilol, please consult a doctor immediately.
You are not recommended to take Carvedilol with amlodipine as co-administration of these two medicines may increase the risk of low blood pressure and low heart rate resulting in symptoms such as light-headedness, dizziness, changes in heartbeat or pulse, fainting or headache. However, if you experience any of these symptoms, please consult a doctor immediately. If you are supposed to use these medicines together, you are advised to contact your doctor so that the dose may be adjusted to use safely.
No, do not stop using Carvedilol without consulting your doctor even if you find symptomatic relief as discontinuing suddenly may cause chest pain or a heart attack. Therefore, take Carvedilol for as long as your doctor has prescribed it, and if you experience any difficulty while using Carvedilol, please consult your doctor.
