Cartrol

Carteolol is in a group of drugs called beta-blockers. Beta-blockers affect the heart and circulation (blood flow through arteries and veins).

Carteolol is used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure).

Carteolol may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.

Do not stop taking carteolol without first talking to your doctor. Stopping suddenly may make your condition worse.

If you need to have any type of surgery, you may need to temporarily stop using carteolol. Be sure the surgeon knows ahead of time that you are using carteolol.

Carteolol can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.

Avoid drinking alcohol, which could increase drowsiness and dizziness while you are taking carteolol.

Carteolol is only part of a complete program of treatment for hypertension that may also include diet, exercise, and weight control. Follow your diet, medication, and exercise routines very closely if you are being treated for hypertension.

Hypertension often has no symptoms, so you may not even feel that you have high blood pressure. Continue using this medicine as directed, even if you feel well. You may need to use blood pressure medication for the rest of your life.

You should not take this medication if you are allergic to carteolol, or if you have:

• a history of asthma or severe COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease);
• severe liver disease; or
• a serious heart condition such as heart block, sick sinus syndrome, or slow heart rate (unless you have a pacemaker).

If you have any of these other conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take this medication:

• diabetes (taking carvedilol can make it harder for you to tell when you have low blood sugar);
• low blood pressure;
• congestive heart failure;
• depression;
• kidney or liver disease;
• a thyroid disorder;
• myasthenia gravis;
• pheochromocytoma; or
• problems with circulation (such as Raynaud's syndrome).

FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether carteolol is harmful to an unborn baby. Before using this medication, tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.

It is not known whether carteolol passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• slow or uneven heartbeats;
• feeling light-headed, fainting;
• feeling short of breath, even with mild exertion;
• swelling of your ankles or feet;
• nausea, stomach pain, low fever, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);
• depression; or
• cold feeling in your hands and feet.

Less serious side effects may include:

• decreased sex drive, impotence, or difficulty having an orgasm;
• sleep problems (insomnia);
• tired feeling; or
• anxiety, nervousness.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Carteolol can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.

Avoid drinking alcohol, which could increase drowsiness and dizziness while you are taking carteolol.

Before taking carteolol, tell your doctor if you are using:

• allergy treatments (or if you are undergoing allergy skin-testing);
• clonidine (Catapres);
• guanabenz (Wytensin);
• an MAO inhibitor such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), tranylcypromine (Parnate), phenelzine (Nardil), or selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam);
• a diabetes medication such as insulin, glyburide (Diabeta, Micronase, Glynase), glipizide (Glucotrol), chlorpropamide (Diabinese), or metformin (Glucophage);
• a heart medication such as nifedipine (Procardia, Adalat), reserpine (Serpasil), verapamil (Calan, Verelan, Isoptin), diltiazem (Cartia, Cardizem);
• medicine for asthma or other breathing disorders, such as albuterol (Ventolin, Proventil), metaproterenol (Alupent), pirbuterol (Maxair), terbutaline (Brethaire, Brethine, Bricanyl), and theophylline (Theo-Dur, Theolair); or
• cold medicines, stimulant medicines, or diet pills.

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with carteolol. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

Take carteolol exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts or for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

Take this medication with a full glass of water.

Take carteolol at the same time every day.

Do not skip doses or stop taking carteolol without first talking to your doctor. Stopping suddenly may make your condition worse.

To be sure this medication is helping your condition, your blood pressure will need to be checked on a regular basis. It is important that you not miss any scheduled visits to your doctor.

If you need to have any type of surgery, tell the surgeon that you are using carteolol. You may need to briefly stop using carteolol before having surgery.

Carteolol is only part of a complete program of treatment for hypertension that may also include diet, exercise, and weight control. Follow your diet, medication, and exercise routines very closely if you are being treated for hypertension.

Hypertension often has no symptoms, so you may not even feel that you have high blood pressure. Continue using this medicine as directed, even if you feel well. You may need to use blood pressure medication for the rest of your life.

Store carteolol at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.

Symptoms of a carteolol overdose may include uneven heartbeats, shortness of breath, bluish-colored fingernails, dizziness, weakness, fainting, or seizure (convulsions).

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If your next dose is less than 8 hours away, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

Cartrol is part of the drug class:

• Beta blocking agents, non selective