Drug Name

Isoptin (Verapamil)

Drug Uses

Isoptin is used for treating high blood pressure. It may also be used for other conditions as determined by your doctor.

How Taken

Use Isoptin as directed by your doctor.

Isoptin may be taken by mouth with or without food.

Do not eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice while you use Isoptin.

Swallow Isoptin whole. Do not crush or chew before swallowing.

Continue to take Isoptin even if you feel well. Do not miss any doses. Taking Isoptin at the same time each day will help you to remember to take it.

Ask your health care provider any questions you may have about how to use Isoptin.

Drug Class and Mechanism

Isoptin is a calcium channel blocker. It works by relaxing (dilating) your blood vessels, lowering blood pressure.

Missed Dose

If you miss a dose of Coumadin, take it as soon as possible. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not take 2 doses at once.

Storage

Store Isoptin between 59 and 77 degrees F (15 and 25 degrees C). Store away from heat, moisture, and light. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep Isoptin out of the reach of children and away from pets.

Warnings/Precautions

Do not use Isoptin if:

• you are allergic to any ingredient in Isoptin;
• you have certain heart problems (eg, left-ventricular dysfunction, sick sinus syndrome, second- or third-degree heart block and do not have a pacemaker), very low blood pressure, or moderate to severe congestive heart failure;
• you have atrial fibrillation or flutter and a pre-excitation syndromes (extra conduction pathway in the heart), such as Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW) or Lown-Ganong-Levine syndrome (LGL);
• you have shock due to serious heart problems;
• you are taking dofetilide, eletriptan, erythromycin, or disopyramide.

Contact your doctor or health care provider right away if any of these apply to you.

Important :

Do not drive or perform other possibly unsafe tasks until you know how you react to it.

Tell your doctor or dentist that you take Isoptin before you receive any medical or dental care, emergency care, or surgery.

Lab tests, including liver function, kidney function, complete blood cell count, and blood pressure, may be performed while you use Isoptin. These tests may be used to monitor your condition or check for side effects. Be sure to keep all doctor and lab appointments.

Use Isoptin with caution in the elderly; they may be more sensitive to its effects.

Isoptin should not be used in children younger than 18 years old; safety and effectiveness in these children have not been confirmed.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: If you become pregnant, contact your doctor. You will need to discuss the benefits and risks of using while you are pregnant. Isoptin is found in breast milk. Do not breast-feed while taking Isoptin.

Possible Side Effects

Check with your doctor if any of these most common side effects persist or become bothersome:

• constipation;
• dizziness;
• fatigue;
• general feeling of being unwell;
• headache;
• lightheadedness;
• nausea.

Seek medical attention right away if any of these severe side effects occur:

• severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue);
• chest pain;
• dark urine;
• fever;
• lightheadedness, especially upon standing;
• severe dizziness;
• shortness of breath;
• swelling of feet or hands;
• unusually fast, slow, or irregular heartbeat;
• yellowing of the eyes or skin.

More Information

Isoptin is to be used only by the patient for whom it is prescribed. Do not share it with other people.

If your symptoms do not improve or if they become worse, check with your doctor.

What is the shelf life of the pills?

• The expiry date is mentioned on each blister. It is different for different batches. The shelf life is 2 years from the date of manufacture and would differ from batch to batch depending on when they were manufactured.

Other Useful Information:

Calcium: A mineral found mainly in the hard part of bones, where it is stored. Calcium is added to bones by cells called osteoblasts and is removed from bones by cells called osteoclasts. Calcium is essential for healthy bones. It is also important for muscle contraction, heart action, nervous system maintenance, and normal blood clotting. Food sources of calcium include dairy foods, some leafy green vegetables such as broccoli and collards, canned salmon, clams, oysters, calcium-fortified foods, and tofu. According to the National Academy of Sciences, adequate intake of calcium is 1,200 milligrams a day (four glasses of milk) for men and women 51 and older, 1,000 milligrams a day for adults 19 through 50, and 1,300 milligrams a day for children 9 through 18. The upper limit for calcium intake is 2.5 grams daily.

Cavities: Holes in the two outer layers of a tooth called the enamel and the dentin. The enamel is the outermost white hard surface and the dentin is the yellow layer just beneath enamel. Both layers serve to protect the inner living tooth tissue called the pulp, where blood vessels and nerves reside. Small cavities may not cause pain, and may be unnoticed by the patient. Larger cavities can collect food, and the inner pulp of the affected tooth can become irritated by bacterial toxins, foods that are cold, hot, sour, or sweet - causing toothache.

Naturopathy: A system of therapy based on preventative care, and on the use of heat, water, light, air, and massage as primary therapies for disease. Some naturopaths use no medications, either pharmaceutical or herbal. Some recommend herbal remedies only. A few who are licensed to prescribe may recommend pharmaceuticals in those cases where they feel their use is warranted.

Naturopathy is an American healthcare profession. It was founded in the US as a formal healthcare system at the turn of the 20th century by medical practitioners from various natural therapeutic disciplines. By the early 1900s, more than 20 naturopathic medical schools existed, and naturopathic physicians were licensed in most States. Today there are more than 1,000 licensed naturopathic doctors in the US.

As practiced today, naturopathic medicine integrates traditional natural therapeutics -- including botanical medicine, clinical nutrition, homeopathy, acupuncture, traditional oriental medicine, hydrotherapy, and naturopathic manipulative therapy -- with modern scientific medical diagnostic science and standards of care. The medical research base of naturopathic practice consists of empirical documentation of treatments using case history observations, medical records, and summaries of practitioners' clinical experiences.

At present, the two accredited naturopathic medical schools in the US have active research departments. Naturopathic researchers have investigated the pharmacology and physiological effects of nutritional and natural therapeutic agents, and naturopathic physicians have been active in the investigation of new homeopathic remedies and in the natural treatment of women's health problems. The most recently completed naturopathic study in women's health tested the clinical and endocrine effects of a botanical formula as an alternative to estrogen replacement therapy.

Blood: The familiar red fluid in the body that contains white and red blood cells, platelets, proteins, and other elements. The blood is transported throughout the body by the circulatory system. Blood functions in two directions: arterial and venous. Arterial blood is the means by which oxygen and nutrients are transported to tissues while venous blood is the means by which carbon dioxide and metabolic by-products are transported to the lungs and kidneys, respectively, for removal from the body.

Blood pressure: The blood pressure is the pressure of the blood within the arteries. It is produced primarily by the contraction of the heart muscle. It's measurement is recorded by two numbers. The first (systolic pressure) is measured after the heart contracts and is highest. The second (diastolic pressure) is measured before the heart contracts and lowest. A blood pressure cuff is used to measure the pressure. Elevation of blood pressure is called "hypertension".

Brain: That part of the central nervous system that is located within the cranium (skull). The brain functions as the primary receiver, organizer and distributor of information for the body. It has two (right and left) halves called "hemispheres."

Disease: Illness or sickness often characterized by typical patient problems (symptoms) and physical findings (signs). Disruption sequence: The events that occur when a fetus that is developing normally is subjected to a destructive agent such as the rubella (German measles) virus.

Doctor: In a medical context, any medical professional with an MD, a PhD, or any other doctoral degree. The term doctor is quite nonspecific. A doctor may, for example, be a physician, psychologist, biomedical scientist, dentist, or veterinarian. In a nonmedical context, a professor of history might be addressed as doctor, an eminent theologian might be named a doctor of a church, and a person awarded an honorary doctorate by a college or university might also be called a doctor.

The word "doctor" comes from the Latin "docere" meaning to teach. A doctor was a teacher, especially a learned or authoritative one.