COMPOSITION
ACTION & CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY
Amvasc is a calcium ion influx inhibitor (calcium entry blocker or calcium ion antagonist). Amlodipine is a member of the dihydropyridine class of calcium antagonists.
INDICATIONS
HYPERTENSION
Amvasc is indicated for the first treatment of hypertension and can be used as the sole agent to control blood pressure in the majority of patients.
Amvasc should normally be used in those patients in whom treatment with diuretics or beta-blockers was found ineffective or has been associated with unacceptable adverse effects.
Combination of amlodipine with a diuretic, a beta-blocking agent, or an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor has been found to be compatible and showed additive antihypertensive effect.
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What is high blood pressure, and what should I know about it?
High blood pressure is also known as hypertension. It occurs when the force of your blood pushes too hard against your blood vessels or arteries. This often happens because your arteries narrow, which holds back the easy flow of blood. As a result, the heart has to pump harder to push blood through.
Over time, uncontrolled high blood pressure can damage your arteries and other organs. This can result in heart attack and heart failure, stroke, kidney disease, and other serious health consequences. High blood pressure is often called the “silent killer,” because it has no symptoms. The only way to know for sure if you have high blood pressure is to have your blood pressure tested by a doctor.
Age, gender, race, and ethnicity are factors that can increase your risk for high blood pressure. There is no cure for high blood pressure, however, there are many different types of treatments including brand-name Amvasc. Eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, and being physically active can be just as important as taking medicines. Your doctor can tell you if a lifestyle change or brand-name Amvasc may be right for you.
ANGINA
Amvasc is indicated for the treatment of myocardial ischemia, only if the latter is due to fixed obstruction (stable angina) and/or vasospasm / vasoconstriction (prinzmetars or variant angina) of coronary vasculature.
Amvasc can be used alone, as monotherapy or in combination with other antianginal drugs in patients with angina that is refractory to nitrates and/or adequate doses of beta-blockers.
What is angina, and what should I know about it?
Angina is a pain or discomfort felt when part of your heart does not get enough blood. It may feel like pressure or squeezing in your chest just under the breastbone. Sometimes you can feel it in your shoulders, arms, neck, jaw, or back. Angina may even feel like indigestion.
Angina is not a disease, but a symptom of an underlying heart problem, usually coronary artery disease (CAD). For patients with CAD, physical exertion, like walking up a hill or climbing stairs, is the most common trigger of angina. Other triggers include:
It is important to have all chest pain checked by your doctor. If you are experiencing any kind of chest pain, your doctor will want to determine whether it is angina. He or she will most likely perform a physical exam, ask about your symptoms, risk factors, family history of heart disease and other cardiovascular conditions, and may run a series of tests.
Angina occurs equally among men and women. There are several prescription medicines that can be used to treat angina. One of these is brand-name Amvasc. Ask your doctor if brand-name Amvasc may be right for you.
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Amvasc- FAQ
What foods interact with Amvasc? Alcohol can also further lower blood pressure and can increase some of the side effects of amlodipine. Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with amlodipine and lead to potentially dangerous effects. Avoid the use of grapefruit products while taking amlodipine
Can you just stop taking Amvasc? If you have been using this medicine regularly for several weeks, do not suddenly stop using it. Stopping suddenly may cause your chest pain or high blood pressure to come back or get worse. Check with your doctor for the best way to gradually reduce the amount you are taking before stopping completely.
How long does it take for Amvasc to lower Blood Pressure? Amlodipine (Amvasc) takes 8 hours for the drug to reach its peak drug concentration, and about a week to reach steady-state full antihypertensive effect.
Is it OK to take Amvasc every other day? Take amlodipine exactly as your doctor has told you, and follow the directions on the label. If you’re not sure, check with your doctor or pharmacist. It’s usual to take amlodipine once a day. You can take amlodipine at any time of day, but try to make sure it’s around the same time every day.
What time of day should you take Amvasc? Take Amvasc once a day, with or without food. It may be easier to take your dose if you do it at the same time every day, such as with breakfast or dinner, or at bedtime. Do not take more than one dose of Amvasc at a time. If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember.
Does Amvasc cause weight gain? Weight gain is a rare side effect of Amvasc (amlodipine) occurring in less than 1 percent of people taking the drug. A low-salt and low-fat diet may help with weight gain.
Is coughing a side effect of Amvasc? Cough is listed as a side-effect of amlodipine in prescription formularies but it is rare, occurring in <0.01 per cent of patients. Cough is more common when amlodipine is combined with other ACE inhibitors.
Why does amlodipine make your ankles swell? Swollen ankles can also be a side effect of some blood pressure medicines, in particular calcium channel blockers. These medicines make your small blood vessels open wider and, in some people, this can cause more fluid to leak out of the blood vessels into the tissues. This fluid will collect around your ankles causing ankle swelling..
How does Amvasc work?
Amvasc relaxes your blood vessels, which lets your blood flow more easily and helps lower your blood pressure. Lowering your blood pressure is important because it lowers your risk of having a stroke or heart attack. Amvasc also helps get more blood to your heart, which relieves the pain of angina.
Amvasc works for a full 24 hours. It also has no effect on heart rate. This means that Amvasc relaxes the blood vessels, but does not change the rate at which your heart beats. This way, the heart can beat normally while its work is made easier. Your heart has less work to do and your blood pressure can be lower or angina pain can be reduced or controlled.
Amvasc has been shown to work for a wide range of patients, including younger or older patients regardless of race. It has also worked for patients with varying severities of high blood pressure. Amvasc can be safely used to treat high blood pressure in patients with other conditions, including diabetes and high cholesterol.
How should I take Amvasc?
CONTRAINDICATIONS
Amlodipine is contraindicated in patients with hypersensitivity to the drug or other dihydropyridines, and in patients with severe hypotension (less than 90 mmHg systolic).
Amlodipine is contraindicated in unstable angina and for 8 days after myocardial infarction.
ADVERSE REACTIONS
Headache, edema, dizziness, fatigue, flushing,nausea, palpitations, rash. pruritus, impotence, muscle cramps, weakness, dyspepsia.
Use in pregnancy & nursing mothers
Patient Information Leaflet
Amvasc Patient Information Leafletأمفاسك_ النشرة الداخلية
Categories and tags: C08CA01, Amlodipine, Dihydropyridine derivatives, SELECTIVE CALCIUM CHANNEL BLOCKERS WITH MAINLY VASCULAR EFFECTS, CALCIUM CHANNEL BLOCKERS, CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM.
