Verapamil180 TabletsGeneric Verapamil
Indications of Generic Verapamil
Verapamil belongs to a group of drugs known as calcium channel blockers. Verapamil works through relaxing the heart muscles and blood vessels.
Verapamil is generally used for the treatment of hypertension or high blood pressure, chest pain or angina and some heart rhythm disorders. It may also be prescribed for other conditions as a doctor determines.
Important Information about Generic Verapamil
You should not use verapamil if you have allergy on it.
Let your doctor know about any other illnesses or medical conditions you already have such as: sick sinus syndrome; AV block; low blood pressure; a recent heart attack; kidney disease; liver disease; muscular dystrophy or another nerve-muscle disorder; or congestive heart failure. If you have any of these, your doctor might advise you against taking verapamil or your dose might be adjusted.
Using verapamil could impair the way you think or react. Avoid driving or dong hazardous activities unless you already know how the medication affects you.
You should not stop taking verapamil without checking with your doctor first as suddenly stopping could worsen your condition.
Verapamil could be a part of a comprehensive treatment program which could include your exercise routine, diet and the use of other medications. Make sure to follow the specific instructions given to you by your doctor.
If you are using verapamil for the treatment of high blood pressure, you should continue using it even when you feel well as high blood pressure often does not have any symptoms.
Your blood pressure would be checked by your doctor regularly while taking this medication. You may also have to undergo several tests periodically. Make sure to not miss any appointments with your doctor.
If you need to undergo any type of surgery, you should tell your surgeon beforehand that you are taking verapamil /you may be advised to stop taking it temporarily.
Avoid drinking alcohol while taking verapamil as alcohol could increase some of the side effects of the medication.
Grapefruit and grapefruit-containing products can interact with verapamil, potentially leading to dangerous effects. Make sure to check with your doctor before adding or reducing the amount of grapefruit in your diet.
Tell your doctor if you are using other medications like buspirone, cimetidine, clonidine, cyclosporine, lithium, digoxin, theophylline, lovastatin, antibiotics, antifungal medications, beta-blockers, cancer medications, heart rhythm medications, sedatives, HIV/AIDS medications or seizure medications to be sure that they would not interact with verapamil.
Verapamil belongs to the FDA pregnancy category C, which means that it is not known whether or not the medication can harm an unborn baby. Inform your doctor right away if you are trying to get pregnant, are already pregnant or are breastfeeding.
Dosage and Administration of Generic Verapamil
You should only take verapamil exactly as it has been prescribed for you. You should never increase or decrease your doses without consulting your doctor first. To get your exact dosing instructions, check your prescription label.
Your dose may occasionally be changed by your doctor to get the most out of the medication.
You should not chew, crush or break an extended-release tablet of verapamil as doing so could release too much of the medication at once. Swallow it whole.
If you are having some difficulty in swallowing a verapamil capsule, you can ask your doctor if you can open the capsule and sprinkle the contents on a spoonful of applesauce so that you could swallow it easier. However, if you do this, remember that you should swallow the mixture at once. You should not save any leftovers for later use.
You should use verapamil regularly so that you would be getting the most out of the medication. Get your prescription refilled before your medication runs out completely.
If you miss a dose of verapamil, you should take the missed dose at once. If the next dose is coming up, just skip the dose you missed and take the next one on schedule. You should not double your dosage just to make up for a dose that you missed.
If you overdose on verapamil, get emergency medical care immediately. Some of the overdose symptoms of verapamil would include fainting and a slow heartbeat.
Possible Side Effects of Generic Verapamil
There are some side effects which can be caused by taking verapamil. These include nausea, constipation, itching, skin rash, headache, dizziness and a feeling of tiredness. These should only be temporary and should go away eventually. If they become persistent or bothersome, let your doctor know at once.