PATIENT INFORMATION LEAFLET

INDERAL INJECTION

(propranolol hydrochloride)

Please read this leaflet carefully. This leaflet only gives a summary of the information available on your medicine. If you have any questions or are not sure about anything, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT YOUR MEDICINE

The name of your medicine is Inderal Injection. The active ingredient is propranolol. Inderal Injection contains 1 mg of propranolol hydrochloride in 1 ml of injection. Your medicine also contains the following inactive ingredients: citric acid and water. Inderal Injection is produced in packs containing 10 ampoules of 1 ml. Propranolol is one of a group of drugs called beta-blockers. It has effects on the heart and circulation and also on other parts of the body.

Inderal Injection is used for the emergency treatment of some arrythmias (disorders of heart rhythm) and certain thyroid conditions (such as thyrotoxic crisis which is caused by an overactive thyroid gland).

BEFORE RECEIVING YOUR MEDICINE

If you have ever had asthma or wheezing, YOU SHOULD NOT BE GIVEN INDERAL INJECTION. Talk to your doctor.

Inderal Injection should not be given if you have previously had an allergic reaction to it, to propranolol, or to any of the other ingredients listed above.

Inderal Injection should also not be given to people with heart failure which is not under control or people with certain other conditions such as heart block, very slow or very irregular heart beats, very low blood pressure or very poor circulation. It should also not be given to people who are fasting or have been fasting recently, people who have phaeochromocytoma (high blood pressure due to a tumour usually near the kidney) which is not being treated or to people who have metabolic acidosis or a particular type of chest pain called Prinzmetal’s angina. Your doctor will know about these conditions. If you have one of these conditions, make sure your doctor knows about it before you are given Inderal.

Do you get allergic reactions to such things as insect stings? If so, tell your doctor.

Do you have diabetes? Inderal may change your normal response to low blood sugar, which usually involves an increase in heart rate. Inderal may cause low blood sugar levels even in patients who are not diabetic.

Do you suffer from unstable angina (non-exercise induced sharp chest pain)?

Do you have thyrotoxicosis? Inderal may hide the symptoms of thyrotoxicosis.

Do you have kidney or liver problems (including cirrhosis of the liver)? If so, talk to your doctor because you may need to have some check ups during your treatment.

Do you have any other health problems such as circulation disorders, heart problems, breathlessness or swollen ankles? If so, tell your doctor.

Are you taking any other medicines? If so, tell your doctor. Inderal can interfere with the action of some other drugs and some drugs can have an effect on your medicine. The drugs which can cause some problems when taken together with your medicine are verapamil, diltiazem, nifedipine, nisoldipine, nicardipine, isradipine, lacidipine (which are used to treat hypertension or angina), disopyramide, lignocaine, quinidine or propafenone (for irregular heart beats), digoxin (for heart failure), adrenaline (a heart stimulant), ibuprofen and indomethacin (for pain and inflammation), ergotamine and dihydroergotamine (for migraine), chlorpromazine and thioridazine (for certain psychiatric disorders), cimetidine (for stomach problems), rifampicin (for the treatment of tuberculosis), theophylline (for asthma), warfarin (to thin the blood) and hydralazine (for hypertension).

If you frequently drink a lot of alcohol, this may reduce the effect of your medicine.

Are you taking a drug called clonidine (for hypertension or migraine)? If you are taking clonidine and Inderal together, you must not stop taking clonidine unless your doctor tells you to do so. If it becomes necessary for you to stop taking clonidine, your doctor will give you careful instructions on how to do it.

If you go into hospital to have an operation, tell the anaesthetist or the medical staff that you are being given Inderal.

Are you pregnant or are you breast feeding a baby? If so, tell your doctor.

Your medicine is unlikely to affect your ability to drive or to operate machinery. However, some people may occasionally feel dizzy or tired when taking Inderal. If this happens to you, ask your doctor for advice.

RECEIVING YOUR MEDICINE

The injection is normally given in emergency situations. Your doctor will have decided what dose you should be given depending on your condition. The usual dose for an adult is 1 mg injected into a vein. This can be repeated if necessary up to a maximum dosage of 10 mg. When Inderal Injection is used to treat children, the dosage will be adjusted by the doctor according to the child’s age or weight.

 

Elderly patients may be started on a lower dose.

AFTER RECEIVING YOUR MEDICINE

As with all medicines, undesirable events can sometimes be experienced with Inderal. When Inderal is given as tablets over a long time, occasionally, a few people can suffer from cold hands and feet, tiredness, slow heart beat, nausea, diarrhoea, disturbed sleep, thinning of the hair, mood changes, confusion, psychoses or hallucinations, bruising more easily or purplish marks on the skin, tingling of the hands, dry eyes, disturbances of vision, muscle weakness, skin rashes, worsening of psoriasis or dizziness particularly when standing up, low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) in children who do not have diabetes. Other possible events which may occur in susceptible people are numbness and spasm in the fingers (Raynaud’s phenomenon), heart block (which can cause dizziness or fainting), worsening of heart failure (breathlessness and/or swollen ankles) in people with heart failure, worsening of breathing difficulties in people with asthma or breathing problems or worsening of the circulation in people with poor circulation.

Low levels of blood sugar may occur in diabetic and non-diabetic patients including the newborn, toddlers and children, elderly patients, patients on artificial kidneys (haemodialysis) or patients on medication for diabetes. It may also occur in patients who are fasting or have been fasting recently or in patients who have a long term liver disease.

Do not be alarmed by this list of possible events. You may not have any of these, especially since you are being given the injection for only a short time.

If you get any other undesirable events or if you think your medicine is causing any problems, tell your doctor or pharmacist.

STORING YOUR MEDICINE

Your medicine should not be used after the expiry date on the carton.

Your medicine should be kept below 30°C and away from strong light.

FURTHER INFORMATION

This leaflet does not contain the complete information on Inderal. If you have any questions, or are not sure about anything, ask your doctor or pharmacist.