patient information leaflet inderal la and half-inderal la

Patient Information Leaﬂet

Inderal LA and Half-Inderal LA

propranolol hydrochloride

Please read this leaﬂet carefully before you take your medicine. 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 LA or Half-Inderal LA. The active ingredient is propranolol. Inderal LA is produced as capsules which contain 160 mg of propranolol in a long-acting form. Half-Inderal LA is produced as capsules which contain 80 mg of propranolol in a long-acting form.

Your medicine also contains the following inactive ingredients: erythrosine, ethylcellulose, gelatin, iron oxide, methylhydroxypropylcellulose, microcrystalline cellulose and titanium dioxide. Inderal LA may also contain glycerol.

Inderal LA and Half-Inderal LA are produced in calendar packs of 28 capsules.

Propranolol is one of a group of drugs called beta-blockers.

Inderal LA and Half-Inderal LA have effects on the heart and circulation and also on other parts of the body. They can be used for many conditions including hypertension (high blood pressure), angina (chest pain), prevention of migraine, essential tremor, anxiety, certain thyroid conditions (such as thyrotoxicosis which is caused by an overactive thyroid gland) and bleeding in the oesophagus caused by high blood pressure in the liver.

Before taking your medicine

If you have ever had asthma or wheezing, do not take your Inderal LA or Half-Inderal LA. Go back to your doctor or pharmacist.

Do not take Inderal LA or Half-Inderal LA if you have previously had an allergic reaction to it, to propranolol or any of the other ingredients listed above.

Inderal LA or Half-Inderal LA should also not be taken by people with heart failure which is not under control or people with certain other conditions such as heart block, very slow or very irregular heartbeats, very low blood pressure or very poor circulation. It should also not be taken by people who have been 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 by 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 take Inderal LA or Half-Inderal LA.

Inderal LA or Half-Inderal LA should not be given to children.

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

Do you have diabetes? Inderal LA and Half-Inderal LA may change your normal response to low blood sugar which usually involves an increase in heart rate. Inderal LA and Half-Inderal LA 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 LA and Half-Inderal LA 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 LA or Half-Inderal LA 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 and angina), disopyramide, lignocaine, quinidine or propafenone (for irregular heartbeats), 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) and warfarin (to thin the blood).

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 LA or Half-Inderal LA 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 taking Inderal LA or Half-Inderal LA.

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 LA or Half-Inderal LA. If this happens to you, ask your doctor for advice.

Inderal LA and Half-Inderal LA capsules contain microcrystalline cellulose and titanium dioxide. These may cause a problem in a very small number of people who are sensitive to them.

Taking your medicine

Inderal LA and Half-Inderal LA capsules should be swallowed with a drink of water.

Follow your doctor’s instructions about when and how to take your medicine. Also read the label. Your pharmacist can also help if you are not sure.

Your doctor will have decided what dose you should take each day depending on your condition. The usual daily dosages for an adult are:

Hypertension (high blood pressure): 160 mg (If necessary your doctor may decide to increase this dose)
Angina (chest pains): 80 mg to 240 mg
Prevention of migraine: 80 mg to 240 mg
Essential tremor: 80 mg to 240 mg
Anxiety: 80 mg to 160 mg
Certain thyroid conditions (such as thyrotoxicosis): 80 mg to 240 mg
Bleeding in the oesophagus caused by high blood pressure in the liver: 80 mg to 320 mg

Elderly patients may be started on a lower dose.

If you forget to take your medicine, take your dose when you remember and then take your next dose at the usual time. Don’t take two doses at the same time. If you are worried, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

If you accidentally take an overdose of your medicine, either call your doctor straight away, or go to your nearest hospital casualty department. Always take any remaining capsules, the container and the label with you, so that the medicine can be identiﬁed.

Do not stop taking your medicine without talking to your doctor ﬁrst. In some cases, it may be necessary to stop taking the medicine gradually.

After taking your medicine

As with all medicines, undesirable events can sometimes be experienced with Inderal LA or Half-Inderal LA. Occasionally, a few people can suffer from cold hands and feet, tiredness, slow heartbeat, 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. 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 elderly patients, patients on artiﬁcial kidneys (haemodialysis) or patients on medication for diabetes. It may also occur at fasting or in patients who have a long-term liver disease.

Do not be alarmed by this list of possible events. Most people take Inderal LA and Half-Inderal LA without any problems.

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

Check the expiry date on the carton and don’t use the medicine after that date.

Keep your medicine in a safe place where children cannot see it or reach it. Your medicine could harm them.

Keep your medicine below 25°C and away from strong light and dampness.

If your doctor decides to stop treatment, return any leftover capsules to your pharmacist. Only keep them if the doctor tells you to.

Further information

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

Remember: This medicine is for you. Only a doctor can prescribe it for you. Never give it to someone else. It may harm them even if their symptoms are the same as yours.