LABETALOL

(la BAY ta lol) Brand: Normodyne, Trandate

What is the most significant information I must know about labetalol?

• Do not stop taking labetalol without first talking to your doctor. Stopping suddenly may create your condition worse.

• If you need surgery, speak the surgeon onward of time that you are using labetalol. You may need to stop using the medication for a short time.

• Labetalol can affect your pupils during cataract surgery. Speak your eye surgeon onward of time that you are using this medicine. Do not stop using labetalol till surgery unless your surgeon tells you to.

• Labetalol may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert.

• Hold using this medication as directed, even if you feel well. Tall blood pressure often has no symptoms. You may need to use blood pressure medicine for the rest of your life.

• Labetalol is only part of a complete program of treatment for hypertension that may also include diet, exercice, and weight control. Follow your diet, medicine, and exercice routines very closely if you are being treated for hypertension.

What is labetalol?

• Labetalol is in a group of drugs called beta-blockers. Beta-blockers affect the heart and circulation (blood flow through arteries and veins).

• Labetalol is used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure).

• Labetalol may also be used for purposes not listed in this medicine guide.

What must I discuss with my healthcare provider till taking labetalol?

• You must not take labetalol if you are allergic to it, or if you have:

· asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary malady (COPD;

· determined serious heart conditions such as"AV block" or slow heart rhythm; or

· conditions that reason very low blood pressure.

• If you have any of these another conditions, you may need a labetalol doze adjustment or particular tests:

· bronchitis, emphysema, sleep apnea, or another breathing problem;

· congestive heart failure;

· liver or kidney disease;

· diabetes; or

· pheochromocytoma (tumor of the adrenal gland).

• FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether labetalol will harm an unborn child. Labetalol may reason heart or lung problems in a newborn if the mother takes the medicine during pregnancy. Speak your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using this medication.

• Labetalol can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing child. Do not use this medicine without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How must I take labetalol?

• Take exactly as predesigned by your doctor. Do not take in larger or less amounts or for longer than recommended. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

• Your doctor may occasionally change your doze to create certain you get the excellent results.

• Your blood pressure will need to be checked often, and you may need another blood trials at your doctor's office. Visit your doctor regularly.

• Do not skip doses or stop taking labetalol without first talking to your doctor. Stopping suddenly may create your condition worse.

• If you need surgery, speak the surgeon onward of time that you are using labetalol. You may need to stop using the medication for a short time.

• Taking labetalol can create it harder for you to speak when your blood sugar is low. If you have diabetes, check your blood sugar regularly.

• This medicine can reason false results with determined lab trials of the urine. Speak any doctor who treats you that you are using labetalol.

• Hold using this medication as directed, even if you feel well. Tall blood pressure often has no symptoms. You may need to use blood pressure medicine for the rest of your life.

• Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

What happens if I miss a dose?

• Take the missed doze as soon as you remember. Skip the missed doze if your following doze is smaller than 8 hours away. Do not take extra medication to create up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

• Search abnormal medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

• Overdose symptoms may include slow heart course, extreme dizziness, or fainting.

What must I avoid while taking labetalol?

• Labetalol may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert.

• Drinking alcohol can further lower your blood pressure and may magnify determined side effects of labetalol.

What are the possible side effects of labetalol?

• Get abnormal medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your person, lips, tongue, or throat.

• Call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:

· slow or uneven heartbeats;

· feeling like you might pass out;

· feeling short of breath, even with mild exertion;

· swelling or rapid weight gain; or

· nausea, upper stomach pain, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

• Smaller serious side effects may include:

· tingly feeling in your scalp;

· dizziness, spinning sensation;

· mild nausea, upset stomach;

· weary feeling;

· stuffy nose; or

· difficulty having an orgasm.

• This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may message side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What another drugs will affect labetalol?

• Speak your doctor about all another medicines you use, especially:

· cimetidine (Tagamet);

· digoxin (digitalis, Lanoxin);

· a diuretic (water pill);

· insulin or oral diabetes medication;

· nitroglycerin (Nitro-Dur, Nitrolingual, Nitrostat, Transderm-Nitro, and others);

· an antidepressant such as amitriptyline (Elavil, Vanatrip, Limbitrol), doxepin (Sinequan), desipramine (Norpramin), imipramine (Janimine, Tofranil), nortriptyline (Pamelor), and others;

· heart or blood pressure medicine such as amlodipine (Norvasc, Caduet, Exforge, Lotrel, Tekamlo, Tribenzor, Twynsta), diltiazem (Cartia, Cardizem), nifedipine (Nifedical, Procardia), verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan), and others; or

· medication for asthma or another breathing disorders, such as albuterol (Ventolin, Proventil), metaproterenol (Alupent), pirbuterol (Maxair), terbutaline (Brethaire, Brethine, Bricanyl), and theophylline (Elixophyllin, Theo-24, Theochron, Uniphyl).

• This list is not complete and another drugs may interact with labetalol. Speak your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal commodity. Do not start a new medicine without telling your doctor.

Where can I get more information?

• Your pharmacist can provide more information about labetalol.

Remember, hold this and all another medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medicine only for the indication prescribed.

Disclaim: Each effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses external of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way must be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safety, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the help of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

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