Co-Diovan 160/12.5mg Tablets
1. What Co-Diovan is and what it is used for
2. What you need to know before you take Co-Diovan
3. How to take Co-Diovan
PACKAGE LEAFLET: INFORMATION FOR THE USER CO-DIOVAN® 160/12.5MG TABLETS /
COTAREG® 160/12.5MG TABLETS
(valsartan and hydrochlorothiazide)
This product will be referred to as Co-Diovan throughout this leaflet.
Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine because it contains important information for you.
• Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.
• If you have any further questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
• This medicine has been prescribed for you only. Do not pass it on to others. It may harm them, even if their signs of illness are the same as yours.
• If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.
What is in this leaflet:
1. What Co-Diovan is and what it is used for
2. What you need to know before you take Co-Diovan
3. How to take Co-Diovan
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store Co-Diovan
6. Contents of the pack and other information
Co-Diovan film-coated tablets contain two active substances called valsartan and hydrochlorothiazide. Both of these substances help to control high blood pressure (hypertension).
• Valsartan belongs to a class of medicines known as “angiotensin II receptor antagonists”, which help to control high blood pressure. Angiotensin II is a substance in the body that causes vessels to tighten, thus causing your blood pressure to increase. Valsartan works by blocking the effect of angiotensin II. As a result, blood vessels relax and blood pressure is lowered.
• Hydrochlorothiazide belongs to a group of medicines called thiazide diuretics (also known as “water tablets”). Hydrochlorothiazide increases urine output, which also lowers blood pressure.
Co-Diovan is used to treat high blood pressure which is not adequately controlled by a single substance alone.
High blood pressure increases the workload of the heart and arteries. If not treated, it can damage the blood vessels of the brain, heart, and kidneys, and may result in a stroke, heart failure or kidney failure. High blood pressure increases the risk of heart attacks. Lowering your blood pressure to normal reduces the risk of developing these disorders.
Do not take Co-Diovan:
• if you are allergic (hypersensitive) to valsartan, hydrochlorothiazide, sulphonamide derivatives (substances chemically related to hydrochlorothiazide) or to any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6).
• if you are more than 3 months pregnant (it is also better to avoid Co-Diovan in early pregnancy - see pregnancy section).
• if you have severe liver disease, destruction of the small bile ducts within the liver (biliary cirrhosis) leading to the build up of bile in the liver (cholestasis).
• if you have severe kidney disease.
• if you are unable to produce urine (anuria).
• if you are treated with an artificial kidney.
• if the level of potassium or sodium in your blood is lower than normal, or if the level of calcium in your blood is higher than normal despite treatment.
• if you have gout.
• if you have diabetes or impaired kidney function and you are treated with a blood pressure lowering medicine containing aliskiren.
If any of the above apply to you, tell your doctor and do not take
Co-Diovan.
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor
• if you are taking potassium-sparing medicines, potassium supplements, salt substitutes containing potassium or other medicines that increase the amount of potassium in your blood such as heparin. Your doctor may need to check the amount of potassium in your blood regularly.
• if you have low levels of potassium in your blood.
• if you have diarrhoea or severe vomiting.
• if you are taking high doses of water tablets (diuretics).
• if you have severe heart disease.
• if you are suffering from heart failure or have experienced a heart attack. Follow your doctor's instruction for the starting dose carefully. Your doctor may also check your kidney function.
• if you suffer from a narrowing of the kidney artery.
• if you have recently received a new kidney.
• if you suffer from hyperaldosteronism. This is a disease in which your adrenal glands make too much of the hormone aldosterone. If this applies to you, the use of Co-Diovan is not recommended.
• if you have liver or kidney disease.
• if you have ever experienced swelling of the tongue and face caused by an allergic reaction called angioedema when taking another drug (including ACE inhibitors), tell your doctor. If these symptoms occur when you are taking Co-Diovan, stop taking Co-Diovan immediately and never take it again. See also section 4, “Possible side effects”.
• if you have fever, rash and joint pain, which may be signs of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, a so-called autoimmune disease).
• if you have diabetes, gout, high levels of cholesterol or triglycerides in your blood.
• if you have had allergic reactions with the use of other blood pressurelowering agents of this class (angiotensin II receptor antagonists) or if you have allergy or asthma.
• if you experience a decrease in vision or eye pain. These could be symptoms of an increase of pressure in your eye and can happen within hours to a week of taking Co-Diovan. This can lead to permanent vision loss, if not treated. If you earlier have had a penicillin or sulphonamide allergy you can be at higher risk of developing this.
• if you are taking any of the following medicines used to treat high blood pressure:
◦ an ACE inhibitors (for example enalapril, lisinopril, Ramipril), in particular if you have diabetes-related kidney problems.
◦ aliskiren
You must tell your doctor if you think you are (or might become) pregnant. Co-Diovan is not recommended in early pregnancy, and must not be taken if you are more than 3 months pregnant, as it may cause serious harm to your baby if used at that stage (see pregnancy section).
Other medicines and Co-Diovan
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken any other medicines, or might take any other medicines.
The effect of the treatment can be influenced if Co - Diovan is taken together with certain other medicines. It may be necessary to change the dose, to take other precautions, or in some cases to stop taking one of the medicines. This especially applies to the following medicines:
• lithium, a medicine used to treat some types of psychiatric diseases.
• medicines or substances that may increase the amount of potassium in your blood. These include potassium supplements or salt substitutes containing potassium, potassium-sparing medicines and heparin.
• medicines that may reduce the amount of potassium in your blood, such as diuretics (water tablets), corticosteroids, laxatives, carbenoxolone, amphotericin or penicillin G.
• some antibiotics (rifamycin group), a drug used to protect against transplant rejection (ciclosporin) or an antiretroviral drug used to treat HIV/AIDS infection (ritonavir). These drugs may increase the effect of Co-Diovan.
• medicines that may induce “torsades de pointes” (irregular heart beat), such as antiarrhythmics (medicines used to treat heart problems) and some antipsychotics.
• medicines that may reduce the amount of sodium in your blood, such as antidepressants, antipsychotics, antiepileptics.
• medicines for the treatment of gout, such as allopurinol, probenecid, sulfinpyrazone.
• therapeutic vitamin D and calcium supplements.
• medicines for the treatment of diabetes (oral agents such as metformin or insulins).
• other medicines to lower your blood pressure including methyldopa, ACE inhibitors (such as enalapril, lisinopril, etc.) or aliskiren (see also information under the headings “Do not take Co-Diovan” and “Warnings and precautions”).
• medicines to increase blood pressure, such as noradrenaline or adrenaline.
• digoxin or other digitalis glycosides (medicines used to treat heart problems).
• medicines that may increase blood sugar levels, such as diazoxide or beta blockers.
• cytotoxic medicines (used to treat cancer), such as methotrexate or cyclophosphamide.
• pain killers such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDs), including selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors (Cox-2 inhibitors) and acetylsalicylic acid > 3 g.
• muscle relaxing medicines, such as tubocurarine.
• anti-cholinergic medicines (medicines used to treat a variety of disorders such as gastrointestinal cramps, urinary bladder spasm, asthma, motion sickness, muscular spasms, Parkinson's disease and as an aid to anaesthesia).
• amantadine (medicine used to treat Parkinson's disease and also used to treat or prevent certain illnesses caused by viruses).
• cholestyramine and colestipol (medicines used mainly to treat high levels of lipids in the blood).
• ciclosporin, a medicine used for organ transplant to avoid organ rejection.
• alcohol, sleeping pills and anaesthetics (medicines with sleeping or painkilling effect used for example during surgery).
• iodine contrast media (agents used for imaging examinations).
Taking Co-Diovan with food, drink and alcohol
Avoid taking alcohol until you have talked to your doctor. Alcohol may make your blood pressure fall more and/or increase the risk of you becoming dizzy or feeling faint.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding
• You must tell your doctor if you think that you are (or might become) pregnant
Your doctor will normally advise you to stop taking Co-Diovan before you become pregnant or as soon as you know you are pregnant, and will advise you to take another medicine instead of Co-Diovan. Co-Diovan is not recommended in early pregnancy, and must not be taken when more than 3 months pregnant, as it may cause serious harm to your baby if it is used after the third month of pregnancy.
• Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding or about to start breastfeeding
Co-Diovan is not recommended for mothers who are breast-feeding, and your doctor may choose another treatment for you if you wish to breast-feed, especially if your baby is newborn, or was born prematurely.
Driving and using machines
Before you drive a vehicle, use tools or operate machines or carry out other activities that require concentration, make sure you know how Co-Diovan affects you. Like many other medicines used to treat high blood pressure, Co-Diovan may occasionally cause dizziness and affect the ability to concentrate.
Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you. This will help you to get the best results and lower the risk of side effects. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
People with high blood pressure often do not notice any signs of this problem. Many may feel quite normal. This makes it all the more important for you to keep your appointments with your doctor even if you are feeling well.
Your doctor will tell you exactly how many tablets of Co-Diovan to take. Depending on how you respond to the treatment, your doctor may suggest a higher or lower dose.
• The recommended dose of Co-Diovan is one tablet per day.
• Do not change the dose or stop taking the tablets without consulting your doctor.
• The medicine should be taken at the same time each day, usually in the morning.
• You can take Co-Diovan with or without food.
• Swallow the tablet with a glass of water.
Below is a translation of the days of the week on the blister strip:
Your doctor may check your kidney function, blood pressure, and the amount of electrolytes (e.g. potassium) in your blood at regular intervals.
|
LUN |
MAR |
MER |
GIO |
VEN |
SAB |
DOM |
|
MON |
TUES |
WED |
THUR |
FRI |
SAT |
SUN |
See also information under the heading “Do not take Co-Diovan” Co-Diovan may cause increased sensitivity of the skin to sun.
The use of Co-Diovan in children and adolescents (below the age of 18 years) is not recommended.