Carvismart 12.5 mg

• Lowers high blood pressure

• Reduces pressure on the heart

• Slows an excessively fast heartbeat

• Supports heart function in chronic heart failure

• Improves blood flow through relaxed blood vessels

• Helps reduce hospitalisation risk in suitable heart-failure patients

• Improves survival in selected patients after a heart attack

• Helps prevent episodes of stable angina

These Carvismart 12.5 mg benefits depend on taking the medicine consistently as part of the prescribed treatment plan.

Carvedilol blocks beta receptors in the heart. This slows the heartbeat and reduces the force with which the heart pumps, so the heart does not have to work as hard.

It also blocks alpha-1 receptors in the walls of blood vessels. This allows the vessels to relax and widen, reducing resistance to blood flow and helping lower blood pressure.

In chronic heart failure, reducing the continuous effects of stress hormones such as adrenaline can protect the heart from further strain. With continued treatment, carvedilol can help the heart pump more effectively and lower the risk of heart-failure complications.

There is no single Carvismart dosage suitable for every heart condition. The correct dose depends on the condition being treated, resting heart rate, blood pressure, other medicines and how well the patient tolerates carvedilol.

For high blood pressure, carvedilol treatment commonly begins at 6.25 mg twice daily. When additional blood-pressure control is required and the medicine is well tolerated, the dose can be increased to 12.5 mg twice daily and then 25 mg twice daily, usually at intervals of one to two weeks.

For chronic heart failure, treatment usually begins at 3.125 mg twice daily. The dose can then be increased gradually through 6.25 mg, 12.5 mg and 25 mg twice daily, with at least two weeks between increases.

Following a heart attack with left ventricular dysfunction, treatment commonly starts at 6.25 mg twice daily and can be increased to 12.5 mg and then 25 mg twice daily at medically supervised intervals. A lower starting dose is used when low blood pressure, a slow pulse or fluid retention is present.

Carvismart 12.5 mg should be taken with food, preferably at the same times each day. Food slows its absorption and reduces the likelihood of a sudden blood-pressure drop, dizziness or fainting. A 12.5 mg tablet should not automatically be taken once or twice daily unless that exact schedule has been prescribed.

Common Side Effects

Common Carvismart 12.5 mg side effects include dizziness, tiredness, weakness, headache, low blood pressure, a slow heartbeat, diarrhoea, nausea and dry eyes. Some people may experience swelling of the feet or ankles, weight gain, changes in blood glucose or light-headedness when standing up. These effects are often more noticeable when treatment begins or after a dose increase.

Serious Side Effects

Obtain urgent medical help for fainting, severe breathing difficulty, facial or throat swelling, chest pain or signs of a serious allergic reaction. A very slow or irregular heartbeat, severe dizziness, worsening shortness of breath, rapid weight gain or increasing swelling may indicate excessive blood-pressure reduction, a heart-rhythm problem or worsening heart failure and require prompt medical assessment.

Carvismart 12.5 mg should not be taken without specialist approval by people with:

• Allergy to carvedilol

• Bronchial asthma or severe bronchospasm

• Second- or third-degree heart block

• Sick sinus syndrome

• Severe bradycardia without a pacemaker

• Cardiogenic shock

• Unstable heart failure requiring intravenous heart medicines

• Severe liver impairment

• Pregnancy or breastfeeding without medical approval

• Age below 18 years without specialist direction

Tell the doctor or pharmacist about every medicine, supplement and herbal product being used. Important interactions include:

• Digoxin

• Amiodarone

• Verapamil or diltiazem

• Clonidine

• Other blood-pressure medicines

• Other medicines that slow the heartbeat

• Insulin and diabetes medicines

• Fluoxetine or paroxetine

• Rifampicin

• Cyclosporine

Combining carvedilol with medicines that lower blood pressure or slow the heart can cause excessive hypotension, dizziness or bradycardia. Carvedilol can also strengthen the blood-glucose-lowering effect of diabetes medicines and hide warning signs such as a rapid heartbeat.

Do not begin, stop or change another heart or blood-pressure medicine without medical guidance.

• Store below 30°C.

• Keep the tablets in their original strip.

• Protect them from heat, moisture and direct sunlight.

• Keep away from children and pets.

• Do not use damaged or discoloured tablets.

• Do not use the medicine after its expiry date.

• Return unused tablets to a pharmacy disposal service when available.