Half-Inderal La Capsules 80mg
1. What Inderal is and what it is used for
PACKAGE LEAFLET: INFORMATION FOR THE USER HALF-INDERAL® LA 80 mg CAPSULES
(propranolol hydrochloride)
Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking this
medicine.
• 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. Do not pass it on to others. It may harm them, even if their symptoms are the same as yours.
• If any of the side effects get serious, or if you notice any side effects not listed in this leaflet, please tell your doctor or pharmacist.
In this leaflet:
1. What Inderal is and what it is used for
2. Before you take Inderal
3. How to take Inderal
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store Inderal
6. Further information
The name of your medicine is Half-Inderal LA 80 mg (called Inderal in the rest of this leaflet). Inderal contains a medicine called propranolol hydrochloride. This belongs to a group of medicines called beta-blockers.
Inderal is used for many conditions including:
• High blood pressure (hypertension).
• Chest pain (angina).
• Preventing migraines.
• Essential tremor (shaking with an unknown cause).
• Anxiety.
• Some thyroid problems (such as thyrotoxicosis which is caused by an overactive thyroid gland).
• Bleeding in the food pipe (oesophagus) caused by high blood pressure in the liver.
It works by the effects it has on the heart and circulation and also on other parts of the body.
2. Before you take Inderal Do not take Inderal if:
• You have ever had asthma or wheezing. If this applies to you talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
• You are allergic (hypersensitive) to propranolol hydrochloride or any of the other ingredients in Inderal (see section 6: Further information).
• You have ever had any of the following heart problems:
- heart failure which is not under control (this usually makes you breathless and causes your ankles to swell)
- second- or third-degree heart block (a condition which may be treated by a pacemaker)
- very slow or very uneven heart beats, very low blood pressure or very poor circulation
- a type of chest pain (angina) called Prinzmetal's angina.
• You have a tumour called phaeochromocytoma that is not being treated. This is usually near your kidney and can cause high blood pressure.
• You have been told that you have higher than normal levels of acid in your blood (metabolic acidosis).
• You have been fasting recently.
Do not take Inderal if any of the above apply to you. If you are not sure, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Inderal.
Take special care with Inderal
Check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking Inderal if:
• You have ever had an allergic reaction, for example to insect stings.
• You have poor blood circulation or controlled heart failure.
• You have first-degree heart block.
• You have sharp chest pain which is not caused by exercise (unstable angina).
• You have problems with your kidneys. You may need to have
some check-ups during your treatment.
• You have problems with your liver (such as cirrhosis of the liver). You may need to have some check-ups during your treatment.
• You have diabetes. Your medicine may change how you respond to having low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia). You may feel your heart beating faster.
• You have thyrotoxicosis (a condition caused by an overactive thyroid gland). Your medicine may hide the symptoms of thyrotoxicosis.
If you are not sure if any of the above apply to you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Inderal.
Taking other medicines
Please tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, or have recently taken, any other medicines. This includes medicines that you buy without a prescription and herbal medicines. This is because Inderal can affect the way some other medicines work and some medicines can have an effect on Inderal.
In particular, tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following medicines:
• Clonidine (for high blood pressure or migraine). If you are taking clonidine and Inderal together, do not stop taking clonidine unless your doctor tells you to do so. If you have to stop taking clonidine, your doctor will give you careful instructions about how to do it.
• Verapamil, diltiazem, nifedipine, nisoldipine, nicardipine, isradipine or lacidipine (for high blood pressure or chest pain).
• Disopyramide, lidocaine, quinidine, amiodarone or propafenone (for an uneven heart beat).
• Digoxin (for heart problems).
• Warfarin (to thin the blood).
• Adrenaline, also known as epinephrine (a medicine that stimulates the heart).
• Ibuprofen or indometacin (for pain and inflammation).
• Ergotamine, dihydroergotamine or rizatriptan (for migraine).
• Chlorpromazine or thioridazine (for mental illness).
• Cimetidine (for stomach problems).
• Rifampicin (for tuberculosis).
• Theophylline (for asthma).
• Insulin.
Operations
If you go into hospital to have an operation, tell the anaesthetist or medical staff that you are taking Inderal. This is because you can get low blood pressure (hypotension) if you are given certain anaesthetics while you are taking Inderal.
Taking Inderal with food and drink
If you frequently drink a lot of alcohol, talk to your doctor before having this medicine.
This is because alcohol can affect how the medicine works.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding
Talk to your doctor before taking this medicine if you are pregnant, might become pregnant or are breast-feeding.
Driving and using machines
• Your medicine is not likely to affect you being able to drive or use any tools or machines. However, it is best to wait to see how your medicine affects you before trying these activities.
• If you feel dizzy or tired when taking this medicine, do not drive or use any tools or machines.
Important information about some of the ingredients of Inderal Capsules
Inderal Capsules contain microcrystalline cellulose and titanium dioxide. These may cause a problem in a very small number of people who are sensitive to them.
3. How to take Inderal
Always take Inderal exactly as your doctor has told you. You should check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
• Your doctor will tell you how many capsules to take each day and when to take them. Read the label on the carton to remind you what the doctor said.
• Swallow your Inderal capsules with a drink of water. Swallow whole. Do not chew.