Verelan

Verapamil can be taken with food.

• Angina (immediate release formulations): 80-160 mg three times daily. Angina (extended release formulations): 180-540 mg at bedtime.
• Hypertension (immediate release): 80-320 mg twice daily. Hypertension (extended release): 120-480 mg once or twice daily depending on the brand.
• Migraine: 160-320 mg three to four times daily.

You should not use verapamil if you are allergic to it, or if you have certain serious heart conditions such as "sick sinus syndrome" or "AV block" (unless you have a pacemaker), low blood pressure, or if you have recently had a heart attack.

Before taking verapamil, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have kidney disease, liver disease, congestive heart failure, or a nerve-muscle disorder such as myasthenia gravis or muscular dystrophy.

There are many other drugs that can interact with verapamil. Tell your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal products. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to any healthcare provider who treats you.

Verapamil may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert.

Do not stop taking this medication without first talking to your doctor. If you stop taking verapamil suddenly, your condition may become worse.

Verapamil may be only part of a complete program of treatment that also includes diet, exercise, and other medications. Follow your diet, medication, and exercise routines very closely.

If you are being treated for high blood pressure, keep using this medication even if you feel well. High blood pressure often has no symptoms. You may need to use blood pressure medication for the rest of your life.

If you take too much verapamil, call your healthcare provider or local Poison Control Center, or seek emergency medical attention right away.

If verapamil is administered by a healthcare provider in a medical setting, it is unlikely that an overdose will occur. However, if overdose is suspected, seek emergency medical attention.

 

Verelan (verapamil HCl) is indicated for the treatment of hypertension, to lower blood pressure. Lowering blood pressure reduces the risk of fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events, primarily strokes and myocardial infarctions. These benefits have been seen in controlled trials of antihypertensive drugs from a wide variety of pharmacologic classes including this drug.

Control of high blood pressure should be part of comprehensive cardiovascular risk management, including, as appropriate, lipid control, diabetes management, antithrombotic therapy, smoking cessation, exercise, and limited sodium intake. Many patients will require more than one drug to achieve blood pressure goals. For specific advice on goals and management, see published guidelines, such as those of the National High Blood Pressure Education Program's Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC).

Numerous antihypertensive drugs, from a variety of pharmacologic classes and with different mechanisms of action, have been shown in randomized controlled trials to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, and it can be concluded that it is blood pressure reduction, and not some other pharmacologic property of the drugs, that is largely responsible for those benefits. The largest and most consistent cardiovascular outcome benefit has been a reduction in the risk of stroke, but reductions in myocardial infarction and cardiovascular mortality also have been seen regularly.

Elevated systolic or diastolic pressure causes increased cardiovascular risk, and the absolute risk increase per mmHg is greater at higher blood pressures, so that even modest reductions of severe hypertension can provide substantial benefit. Relative risk reduction from blood pressure reduction is similar across populations with varying absolute risk, so the absolute benefit is greater in patients who are at higher risk independent of their hypertension (for example, patients with diabetes or hyperlipidemia), and such patients would be expected to benefit from more aggressive treatment to a lower blood pressure goal.

Some antihypertensive drugs have smaller blood pressure effects (as monotherapy) in black patients, and many antihypertensive drugs have additional approved indications and effects (e.g., on angina, heart failure, or diabetic kidney disease). These considerations may guide selection of therapy.

NDC 62175-580-37
100 capsules

Verelan® capsules
(verapamil hydrochloride)

sustained-release pellet filled capsules

120 mg

Rx only

NDC 62175-583-37
100 capsules

Verelan® capsules
(verapamil hydrochloride)

sustained-release pellet filled capsules

360 mg

Rx only

You should not use verapamil if you are allergic to it, or if you have a serious heart condition such as:

• "sick sinus syndrome" or "AV block" (unless you have a pacemaker);

• severe heart failure;

• slow heartbeats that have caused you to faint; or

• certain heart rhythm disorders of the atrium (the upper chambers of the heart that allow blood to flow into the heart).

To make sure verapamil is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:

• congestive heart failure;

• low blood pressure;

• kidney disease;

• liver disease; or

• a nerve-muscle disorder such as myasthenia gravis or muscular dystrophy.

It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

Verapamil can pass into breast milk and may cause side effects in the nursing baby. You should not breast-feed while using this medicine.

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. An overdose of verapamil can be fatal.

If you also take disopyramide, avoid taking it within 48 hours before or 24 hours after you take verapamil.

Verapamil may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert.

Avoid getting up too fast from a sitting or lying position, or you may feel dizzy. Get up slowly and steady yourself to prevent a fall.

Drinking alcohol can further lower your blood pressure and may increase certain side effects of verapamil.

Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with verapamil and lead to potentially dangerous effects. Discuss the use of grapefruit products with your doctor.

Applies to verapamil: oral capsule extended release, oral capsule extended release 24 hr, oral tablet, oral tablet extended release, oral tablet extended release 24 hr

Other dosage forms:

• intravenous solution

Along with its needed effects, verapamil (the active ingredient contained in Verelan) may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur while taking verapamil:

• Blue lips and fingernails
• blurred vision
• burning, crawling, itching, numbness, prickling, "pins and needles", or tingling feelings
• chest pain
• confusion
• coughing that sometimes produces a pink frothy sputum
• difficult, fast, noisy breathing, sometimes with wheezing
• dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness when getting up from a lying or sitting position suddenly
• increased sweating
• lightheadedness, dizziness, or fainting
• pale skin
• shortness of breath
• slow or irregular heartbeat
• sore throat
• sweating
• swelling in legs and ankles
• unusual tiredness or weakness

• Chills
• cold sweats
• feeling of warmth
• redness of the face, neck, arms and occasionally, upper chest

Some side effects of verapamil may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

• Difficulty having a bowel movement (stool)
• headache

• Acid or sour stomach
• belching
• difficulty in moving
• heartburn
• indigestion
• joint pain
• muscle aching or cramping
• muscle pains or stiffness
• nausea
• rash
• stomach discomfort, upset, or pain
• trouble sleeping
• unusual drowsiness, dullness, tiredness, weakness, or feeling of sluggishness
• swollen joints