Product Details

What you need to know before you take Bisoprolol Fumarate

Do not take Bisoprolol Fumarate if you: • are allergic to bisoprolol fumarate or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6). • have severe asthma or severe chronic lung disease • have a slow or irregular heart rate. Ask your doctor if you are not sure • have very low blood pressure • have severe blood circulation problems (such as Raynaud’s syndrome), which may cause your fingers and toes to tingle or turn pale or blue • have heart failure that suddenly becomes worse and/ or may require hospital treatment • Cardiogenic shock, which is an acute serious heart condition causing low blood pressure and circulatory failure. • have excess acid in the blood, a condition known as metabolic acidosis • have untreated phaeochromocytoma, a rare tumour of the adrenal gland (medulla) Tell your doctor if you are not sure about any of the above: your doctor will be able to advise you. Warnings and precautions Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Bisoprolol Fumarate. He or she may want to take special care (for example give additional treatment or perform more frequent checks) if you have any of the following conditions if you: • have asthma or chronic lung disease • have diabetes. Bisoprolol fumarate can hide the symptoms of low blood sugar • are fasting from solid food • are treated for hypersensitivity (allergic) reactions. Bisoprolol may make your allergy worse or often difficult to treat. • have certain heart disease such as disturbance in heart rhythm or severe chest pain at rest (Prinzmetal’s angina) • have any liver or kidney problems • have any problems with the circulation in your limbs • are taking verapamil or diltiazem, medicines used to treat heart conditions. Concomitant use is not recommended, see also “taking other medicines” • have (or have had) psoriasis (a recurring skin rash) • have phaeochromocytoma (tumour of the adrenal gland). Your doctor will need to treat this before prescribing bisoprolol for you • have a thyroid problem. The tablets can hide symptoms of an overactive thyroid Consult your doctor if one of the above warnings is applicable to you, or has been in the past. In addition, tell your doctor if you are going to have: • Desensitization therapy (for example for the prevention of hay fever), because Bisoprolol fumarate may make it more likely that you experience as allergic reaction or such reaction may be more severe. • Anesthesia (for example for surgery) because this medicine may influence how your body react to this situation. Children and adolescents Bisoprolol fumarate is not recommended for use in children or adolescents. Other medicines and Bisoprolol Fumarate Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines. Certain medicines cannot be used at the same time, while other drugs require specific changes (to the dose, for example). Do not take the following medicines with Bisoprolol Fumarate without special advice from your doctor: • Medicines for controlling the blood pressure or medicines for heart problems (such as amiodarone, amlodipine, clonidine, digitalis glycosides, diltiazem, disopyramide, felodipine, flecainide, lidocaine, methyldopa, moxonidine, phenytoin, propafenone, quinidine, rilmenidine, verapamil) • Medicines for depression e.g. imipramine, amitriptyline, moclobemide • Medicines to treat mental illness e.g. phenothiazines such as levomepromazine • Medicines used for anaesthesia during an operation (see also “Warnings and precautions”) • Medicines used to treat epilepsy e.g. barbiturates such as phenobarbital • Certain pain killers (for instance acetyl salicylic acid, diclofenac, indomethacin, ibuprofen, naproxen) • Medicines for asthma or medicines used for a blocked nose • Medicines used for certain eye disorders such as glaucoma (increased pressure in the eye) or used to widen the pupil of the eye. • Certain medicines to treat clinical shock (e. g. adrenaline, dobutamine, noradrenaline) • Mefloquine, a medicine for malaria All these drugs as well as bisoprolol may influence the blood pressure and/or heart function. • Rifampicin for the treatment of infections • medicines to treat severe headaches or migraines (ergotamine derivatives). It is also especially important to speak with your doctor if you are taking: • Insulin or other products for diabetes. The blood glucose reducing effect may be enhanced. Symptoms of low blood glucose level can be masked. Bisoprolol Fumarate with food, drink and alcohol Bisoprolol Fumarate may be taken with or without food and should be swallowed whole with a drink of water. Pregnancy, breast-feeding and fertility Do not take bisoprolol if you are pregnant or may be pregnant. Bisoprolol Fumarate may be harmful to the pregnancy and/or the unborn child. There is an increased possibility of premature birth, miscarriage, low blood sugar level and reduced heart rate of the child. The growth of the baby may also be affected. It is not known if bisoprolol is excreted in the breast milk and therefore it is not recommended while breast-feeding. If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking any medicine. Driving and using machines These tablets may make you feel tired, drowsy or dizzy. If you suffer from these side effects, do not operate vehicles and/or machines. Be aware of the possibility of these effects, particularly at the beginning of the treatment, with changes in medication and with use in combination with alcohol.