Ivabradine: Administration, Precautions, Side Effects, Overdose, Dietary Instructions and Recommendations

It is a medicine prescribed to combat heart failure, thus reducing the risk of a heart attack.

They are preventing the state of the disease from worsening and treatment in a hospital.

Its function is to slow down the heart rate so that the blood pumping done by the heart is done efficiently in each heartbeat.

Administration

Ivabradine comes as a tablet and should be taken orally. Doctors usually prescribe this medication twice a day before or after food intake; the important thing is to be scheduled to take it at the same time every day that the treatment lasts.

Some tablets of this drug come with a line in the middle so that they can be chopped in cases where half the dose is prescribed.

Precautions

Ivabradine can not be taken or prescribed to treat heart failure if the patient is taking certain antibiotics such as telithromycin or clarithromycin or if he is being treated with HIV protease inhibitors, such as nefazodone or nelfinavir.

Nor is its use recommended if the affected person takes antifungals, such as itraconazole.

 

People suffering from heart failure should notify their treating physician if they frequently suffer from low blood pressure, irregular or slow heartbeats, or have a pacemaker or liver disease before starting treatment with Ivabradine.

This medicine can not be prescribed to women who plan to become pregnant, are pregnant, or are breastfeeding; it is unknown if it can affect the unborn baby or born.

Side Effects of Ivabradine

Ivabradine can affect vision, changing the brightness of the light, causing circles or bright spots to be seen around the lights, flashes of colors, double focus, or other conditions related to vision.

These symptoms usually disappear after a few months of treatment. It is generally recommended for people who will start treatment with this medication to avoid driving at night or operating heavy machinery until they know the symptoms that may occur from Ivabradine.

Other effects that are a little more delicate and that can be harmful to the patient’s health care:

  • Pressure in the chest
  • Accelerated and irregular heartbeats.
  • Breathlessness constantly.
  • Slow beats, almost invisible.
  • Constant dizziness
  • Fatigue in the body or continuous apathy.
  • Inflammation of the face or eyes, lips, tongue, and sometimes the throat.

Overdose

If Ivabradine is ingested for prolonged periods, without medical supervision, and at high doses, it can cause an overdose, affecting the organism and further deteriorating the health of the afflicted.

The symptoms of an overdose can be:

  • Progressive dizziness or fainting.
  • Disorientation.
  • Slow heartbeat.
  • Body fatigue without physical activity.
  • Lack of energy.
  • Cold sweating

Dietary instructions

Depending on the conditions of the affected and the advanced disease, the treating doctor can recommend a balanced and special diet that complements the medication components to obtain positive results in the medium term.

What can not be consumed while on medical treatment with Ivabradine is grapefruit juice because it cuts the drug’s effectiveness.

recommendations

Ivabradine is a medicine that is prescribed for heart failure but does not cure it. If you are prone to acquire treatment with this drug, you must change some behaviors of your lifestyle to prevent the disease from progressing and to maintain a quality of life.

You must also acquire new routines in your lifestyle that will allow you to control heart failure, such as:

  • Constantly check the heart rate.
  • Check blood pressure.
  • Attend all appointments with your treating doctor to maintain control of the disease.
  • Avoid consuming alcoholic or addictive beverages.
  • Maintain a healthy and balanced diet.
  • Avoid situations of a lot of stress.
  • Avoid sports activities that merit the physical effort.

It is essential to keep a list of all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements, and to tell your treating physician if the combination of these with Ivabradine hurts your health.