INFORMATION FOR CONSUMERS
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This leaflet answers some of the common questions people ask about Plendil ER. It does not contain all the information that is known about Plendil ER.
It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.
All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor will have weighed the risks of you taking Plendil ER against the benefits they expect it will have for you.
If you have any concerns about taking this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Keep this leaflet with the medicine. You may need to read it again.
Plendil ER is used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension) and heart and chest pain brought on, for example, by exercise or stress (known as angina pectoris).
Plendil ER belongs to a family of medicines called calcium channel blockers. These medicines do not change the way that the body takes in calcium from food.
Plendil ER works by dilating (expanding) small blood vessels, so that blood can be pumped around the body more easily. It has no negative affect on heart function.
The ER in Plendil ER stands for Extended Release. This means that the tablets are designed to work over a 24 hour period.
Your doctor may prescribe this medicine for another use. Ask your doctor if you want more information.
If you are allergic to any of its ingredients (listed at the end of this leaflet). Inform your doctor if you have had any unusual reactions to other medicines
If you have an allergic reaction, you may get a skin rash, hayfever, difficulty with breathing or feel faint.
If you have any of these medical conditions:
It may not be suitable for you to take Plendil ER if you have any of these conditions
Do not use Plendil ER if you are pregnant or breastfeeding unless your doctor says so. Ask your doctor about the risks and benefits involved.
You should tell your doctor as soon as possible if you become pregnant.
Your baby can take in very small amounts of Plendil ER from breast milk if you are breastfeeding, but it is unlikely to affect the baby if the mother is taking the recommended dose.
Do not give Plendil ER to children. Plendil is not recommended for use in children.
Do not use after the use by (expiry) date printed on the pack. It may have no effect at all, or worse, an entirely unexpected effect if you take it after the expiry date.
Do not use Plendil ER if the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering.
Do not use it to treat any other complaints unless your doctor tells you to.
Do not give this medicine to anyone else even if their symptoms seem similar to yours.
Plendil ER, may in rare cases lead to pronounced low blood pressure. In some patients this may result in an inadequate supply of blood to the heart.
Tell your doctor about any health problems you have had in the past including any allergic, unpleasant or unusual reaction to Plendil ER or any other medicine or substance.
If you have not told your doctor about any of these things or are unsure about them, tell your doctor of pharmacist before you start taking Plendil ER.
Tell your doctor if you are taking any other medicines, as treatment with Plendil ER may be influenced if taken at the same time as:
Also tell your doctor if you drink grapefruit juice.
Include all medicines that you buy at the chemist, super-market or health food shop. These medicines may affect the way Plendil ER works.
Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you what to do if you are taking any of these medicines.
If you have not told your doctor about any of these things, tell them before you take any Plendil ER.
The usual starting dose is 5 mg once a day. If necessary your doctor may increase the dose or add another blood-pressure lowering medicine. The usual dose, when treating this disease for a long time, is 5-10 mg once a day. In elderly patients, a starting dose of 2.5 mg daily may be used.
The usual starting dose is 5 mg once a day and, if needed, your doctor may increase the dose to 10 mg once a day.
Plendil ER should be taken in the morning.
Swallow Plendil ER tablets whole and wash them down with a glass of water. They must not be divided, crushed or chewed. If they are broken or crushed they will not work over 24 hours as they are supposed to.
It doesn't matter if you take Plendil ER with food or not, but you must not take it with grapefruit juice. Grapefruit juice, but not other fruit juices, may increase the effect of Plendil ER.
Telephone your doctor or the National Poisons and Hazardous Chemicals Information Centre Ph: 0800 POISON (0800 764 766) or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital immediately if you think that you or anyone else may have taken too much Plendil ER. Even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning.
If you take more than the recommended number of doses of Plendil ER, you may suffer from very low blood pressure and sometimes a slow heart rate. Therefore it is very important that you take the number of doses prescribed by your doctor. If you experience symptoms such as feeling faint, light-headedness or dizziness, contact your doctor or pharmacist immediately.
If you forget a dose, take it as soon as you remember, as long as it is at least 12 hours before the next dose is due.
Do not double the dose.
If you have trouble remembering when to take your medicine, ask your pharmacist for some hints.
Treatment of high blood pressure is necessary in most people for the rest of their lives. Ask your doctor to explain the reasons for this.
Do not stop taking Plendil ER unless you have discussed it with your doctor.
Be careful driving or operating machinery until you know how Plendil ER affects you. When you start taking Plendil ER, whether you are changing from another medicine for high blood pressure or not, you may feel dizzy or faint due to the drop in your blood pressure.
Be careful when drinking alcohol while you are using Plendil ER.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are taking Plendil ER.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have.
Be sure to tell your doctor if any of the following side effects bother you or continue:
They are more likely if you are taking a high dose. They usually go away or get less with time. If they do occur, it mostly happens at the beginning of treatment, or when the dose is increased. However if they persist tell your doctor.
A mild enlargement of the gums has been reported in patients with an inflammation in the mouth (gingivitis / periodontitis). This can be reversed or avoided with careful dental hygiene.
Tell your doctor immediately if you experience:
Tell your doctor if you notice anything else that is making you feel unwell or bothering you.
Some people may get other side effects while taking Plendil ER.
Important: This leaflet alerts you to some of the situations when you should call your doctor. Other situations, which cannot be predicted, may arise. Nothing in this leaflet should stop you from calling your doctor or pharmacist with any questions or concerns you have about using Plendil ER.
Keep your tablets in the blister pack until it is time to take them.
If you take Plendil ER out of the blister pack it will not keep well.
Keep it in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below 30°C.
Do not store it or any other medicine in the bathroom or near a sink. Heat and dampness can destroy some medicines.
Keep it where young children cannot reach it. A locked cupboard at least one-and-a-half metres above the ground is a good place to store medicines.
Do not leave it in the car on hot days.
Ask your pharmacist what to do with any tablets you have left over if your doctor tells you to stop taking them, or you find that the expiry date has passed.
Plendil ER 2.5 mg are yellow, circular tablets engraved A/FL on one side and 2.5 on the other. They are 8.5 mm in diameter.
Plendil ER is available in blister packs of 30 tablets.
Plendil ER tablets contain felodipine 2.5 mg as the active ingredient, plus
The coating on each tablet contains
AstraZeneca Limited
PO Box 1301
Auckland.
Ph: (09) 623 6300 or 0800 363 200.
Trademarks herein are the property of the AstraZeneca Group
27 November 2003
Copyright - No part may be reproduced by any process without the prior written permission of AstraZeneca Limited