Patient Medication Information: uses, side effects, how to take - Covera-Hs
ABOUT THIS MEDICATION
What the medication is used for:
Your doctor has prescribed COVERA-HS to treat mild to moderate hypertension (high blood pressure) or chronic stable angina.
High blood pressure often produces no symptoms. Patients who do not get routine check-ups at the doctor’s office often do not know that they have high blood pressure. If high blood pressure remains untreated, it may lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure, kidney failure, and blindness.
If you have chronic stable angina, you sometimes experience chest pain. This happens when there is not enough blood supplied to the heart for it to carry out its normal functions.
What it does:
COVERA-HS belongs to a group of drugs called “calcium channel blockers”. It affects the entry of calcium into the cells of the muscles of the arteries and the heart. This relaxes the arteries and affects the beating of the heart, thereby lowering blood pressure and supplying more blood to the heart.
When it should not be used:
COVERA-HS should generally not be used if you have the following:
- 1. Complicated myocardial infarction
- 2. Severe congestive heart failure
- 3. Cardiogenic shock
- 4. Hypotension
- 5.
Heart conduction disturbances (eg. second- or
third-degree A-V block, Sick Sinus Syndrome,
atrial flutter or atrial fibrillation and an accessory bypass tract)
- 6. Noticeably slow heart rate (bradycardia)
- 7. Allergy to verapamil hydrochloride of any or the non-medicinal ingredients (see list below)
What the medicinal ingredient is:
COVERA-HS is the brand name for a once daily controlled-onset extended-release formulation of verapamil hydrochloride.
Each COVERA-HS 240 mg tablet contains 240 mg verapamil hydrochloride. Each COVERA-HS 180 mg tablet contains 180 mg verapamil hydrochloride.
What the important nonmedicinal ingredients are:
Each COVERA-HS 240 mg and 180 mg tablet contains black ferric oxide, butylated hydroxytoluene, cellulose acetate, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hypromellose, lactose, magnesium stearate, polyethylene glycol, polyethylene oxide, polysorbate 80, povidone, sodium chloride, and titanium dioxide, FD&C Blue No. 2 Lake, D&C Yellow No. 10 Lake (240 mg only) and D&C Red No. 30 Lake (180 mg only).
What dosage forms it comes in:
COVERA-HS is available as 180 mg and 240 mg tablets in bottles of 100.
WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS
BEFORE you use COVERA-HS talk to your doctor or pharmacist if:
- you take other medications, including those you can buy without prescription and herbal products, or if you drink alcohol;
- you have or have had heart or blood vessel diseases;
- you are also taking antianginal or antiarrythmic drugs (for heart problems);
- you have or have had kidney and liver disease;
- you have or have had stomach or intestinal problems;
- you suffer from muscular dystrophy or other neuromuscular disorder;
you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant;
- you are breast-feeding;
you are allergic to any of the ingredients of
COVERA-HS.
COVERA-HS (verapamil hydrochloride) Product Monograph
If you drink alcohol the effects of the alcohol may be increased and prolonged. You should be aware of that and be more cautious with alcohol or you may wish to avoid alcohol altogether.
If you’re seeing more than one doctor make sure that each knows about all the medicines you are taking.
Your doctor may perform occasional liver function tests while you are using COVERA-HS.
INTERACTIONS WITH THIS MEDICATION
The following list includes drugs that may interact with COVERA-HS. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you also take: alcohol, ACE-inhibitors, anti-neoplastic agents, anti-platelet agents, aspirin, triazole antifungals, benzodiazepines, beta-blockers, α2-adrenergic agonists, carbamazepine,
clarithromycin, cimetidine, cyclosporine, digoxin, disopyramide, diuretics, erythromycin, flecainide, imipramine, inhalation anesthetics, itraconazole, lithium, neuromuscular blocking agents (eg. curare), phenobarbital, phenytoin, propafenone, quinidine, rifampin, ritonavir, sulfinpyrazone theophylline, warfarin.
Avoid drinking grapefruit juice as it may increase the level of COVERA-HS in your system.
PROPER USE OF THIS MEDICATION
COVERA-HS should be taken once daily at bedtime. COVERA-HS can be taken with or without food. COVERA-HS tablets should be swallowed whole; do not break, crush, or chew. The medication in the COVERA-HS tablet is released slowly through a white outer shell that does not dissolve. Do not worry if you sometimes see this white outer shell in your stool.
If you miss a dose: If you miss a dose, as soon as you remember, you should still take the missed dose. However, if it is more than 6 hours since your scheduled dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule (ie, the next evening) as prescribed by your doctor. Do not take double doses
to make up for missing a dose.
If you take too many tablets: If you take too many tablets by accident, call your doctor or pharmacist immediately.
How long to take COVERA-HS: You should take COVERA-HS as long as your doctor thinks it is necessary to control your blood pressure or your angina (chest pain).
SIDE EFFECTS AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT THEM
Like all medications, some patients may experience side effects with COVERA-HS. The most common side effects are: constipation, headache, dizziness, nausea and fatigue. If you do have side effects or you experience anything out of the ordinary while taking COVERA-HS, talk to your doctor or pharmacist, they may have recommendations for managing these side effects.
| SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS, HOW OFTEN THEY HAPPEN AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT THEM | ||
If you notice any of the following potentially serious side effects, please stop taking COVERA-HS and contact your doctor immediately:
- Allergic reactions such as breathing difficulties, swelling of the face lips, and tongue
- slow, fast, or irregular heart rate; low blood pressure (hypotension); dizziness; weakness; or swelling.
This is not a complete list of side effects. If you have any unexpected effects after receiving COVERA-HS, contact your doctor or pharmacist.
HOW TO STORE IT
Store your tablets in a dry place at room temperature (15EC - 25EC).
Protect from light and moisture.
COVERA-HS (verapamil hydrochloride) Product Monograph
REPORTING SUSPECTED SIDE EFFECTS
To monitor drug safety, Health Canada collects information on serious and unexpected effects of drugs. If you suspect you have had a serious or unexpected reaction to this drug you may notify Health Canada by:
toll-free telephone: 866-234-2345 toll-free fax 866-678-6789
By email: cadrmp@hc-sc.gc.ca
By regular mail:
National AR Centre
Marketed Health Products Safety and Effectiveness Information Division
Marketed Health Products Directorate
Tunney’s Pasture, AL 0701C
Ottawa ON K1A 0K9
NOTE: Before contacting Health Canada, you should contact your physician or pharmacist.
MORE INFORMATION
This document plus the full product monograph, prepared for health professionals can be found at: http://www.pfizer.ca or by contacting Pfizer Canada Inc., at: 1-800-463-6001
TPD website:
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hpfb-dgpsa/tpd-dpt/aboutus_e.html
BGTD website:
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hpfb-dgpsa/bgtd-dpbtg/index_e.html