Candesartan - an angiotensin receptor blocker

About candesartan

Candesartan is an angiotensin receptor blocker. It is also called an angiotensin-II receptor antagonist, or an AIIRA. You will have been prescribed candesartan either because your heart is not working as well as it should (heart failure), or because your blood pressure is too high (hypertension). People with high blood pressure usually feel well but, if left untreated, high blood pressure can harm the heart and damage blood vessels.

Candesartan works by blocking the effect of a chemical called angiotensin II. Angiotensin II causes your blood vessels to narrow, so by blocking its effect, candesartan allows your blood vessels to relax and widen. As this happens, the pressure within your blood vessels is reduced and it is easier for your heart to pump blood around your body.

Before taking candesartan

Some medicines are not suitable for people with certain conditions, and sometimes a medicine may only be used if extra care is taken. For these reasons, before you start taking candesartan it is important that your doctor knows:

• Wenn Sie schwanger sind, ein Kind erwarten oder stillen.

• If you have a problem with your kidneys, particularly if it is a blockage of the artery which supplies blood to your kidneys.

• If you have any problems with your heart valves or heart muscle.

• If you have a problem with the way your liver works, or if you have a condition which blocks the flow of bile from your liver, called cholestasis.

• Wenn Sie andere Arzneimittel einnehmen. Dazu gehören alle Arzneimittel, die Sie einnehmen und die rezeptfrei erhältlich sind, sowie pflanzliche und ergänzende Arzneimittel.

• Wenn Sie schon einmal eine allergische Reaktion auf ein Arzneimittel hatten.
  

How to take candesartan

• Before you start the treatment, read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside the pack. It will give you more information about candesartan and will provide you with a full list of the side-effects which you may experience from taking it.

• Take candesartan once each day, exactly as your doctor tells you to. There are several different strengths of tablet available (2 mg, 4 mg, 8 mg, 16 mg and 32 mg). When you first start treatment your doctor may gradually increase the strength of the tablets to suit your condition. Each time you collect a fresh supply of tablets, it's a good idea to check the strength on the packet to make sure they are what you are expecting.

• Try to take candesartan at the same time of day each day. For most people this will be in the morning. Taking your doses at the same time each day will help you to remember to take candesartan regularly.

• Swallow the tablet with a drink of water. You can take candesartan either before or after a meal.

• If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If you do not remember until the following day, miss out the forgotten dose. Do not take two doses at the same time to make up for a forgotten dose.

Das Beste aus Ihrer Behandlung herausholen

• Try to keep your regular appointments with your doctor. This is so your progress can be monitored and your blood pressure measured. Your doctor may want you to have some blood tests from time to time to check on your kidneys, and also how much potassium is in your blood.

• If you buy any medicines, check with a pharmacist that they are suitable to take with candesartan. This is because some anti-inflammatory painkillers (such as aspirin and ibuprofen) may interfere with the way it works, and also may increase the risk of side-effects.

• It is very important that you follow any dietary and lifestyle advice that you may have been given by your doctor, such as eating a healthy diet, not smoking, and taking regular exercise.

• If you drink alcohol, ask your doctor for advice. Your doctor may recommend that you do not drink alcohol while you are on candesartan because it will increase the risk of side-effects, such as feeling dizzy or faint.

• Try to avoid salt substitutes which contain potassium. This is because the substitutes will increase the amount of potassium in your blood and this can cause problems.

• If you are having an operation or dental treatment, tell the person carrying out the treatment that you are taking candesartan. This is because your blood pressure may drop too low if you are given some anaesthetics.

• Treatment with candesartan is usually long-term unless you experience an adverse effect. Continue to take the tablets regularly, unless you are advised otherwise by your doctor.

Wenn Sie auch Hydrochlorothiazid in Kombination mit diesem Arzneimittel einnehmen

• Studien haben ergeben, dass die Einnahme höherer Dosen von Hydrochlorothiazid über einen längeren Zeitraum das Risiko für bestimmte Hautkrebsarten erhöhen kann.

• Informieren Sie Ihren Arzt, wenn Sie schon einmal wegen Hautkrebs behandelt worden sind.

• Informieren Sie Ihren Arzt über neue oder veränderte Muttermale oder besorgniserregende Flecken auf Ihrer Haut.

• Verwenden Sie bei starker Sonneneinstrahlung ein Sonnenschutzmittel. Benutzen Sie keine Sonnenbänke.

Side effects of candesartan

Along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them. The table below contains some of the most common ones associated with candesartan. You will find a full list in the manufacturer's information leaflet supplied with your medicine. The unwanted effects often improve as your body adjusts to the new medicine, but speak with your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following continue or become troublesome.

Wenn Sie andere Symptome haben, von denen Sie glauben, dass sie auf die Tabletten zurückzuführen sind, sprechen Sie mit Ihrem Arzt oder Apotheker, um weiteren Rat zu erhalten.

How to store candesartan

• Bewahren Sie alle Arzneimittel außerhalb der Reichweite und Sichtweite von Kindern auf.

• An einem kühlen, trockenen Ort aufbewahren, vor direkter Hitze und Licht schützen.
  

Wichtige Informationen über alle Arzneimittel