Calaptin 120 SR Tablet

• Calaptin 120 SR Tablet is used to treat high blood pressure and to prevent the chest pain of angina.
• Calaptin 120 SR Tablet is also used to slow and control certain fast or irregular heart rhythms that originate in the upper chambers of the heart, including atrial fibrillation and supraventricular tachycardia.

• If you are allergic to Verapamil or any other ingredients of Calaptin 120 SR tablet.
• If you have felt that your heart pain had worsened causing breathlessness and tiredness.
• If in the past, you have had a heart attack followed by low heart rate and blood pressure.
• If you experience sudden heart-related chest pain.
• If you have any kind of heart problems like heart failure, abnormal or slow heartbeat, blocked veins in your heart.
• If you have low blood pressure.
• If you are taking a medicine called Porphyria to treat other heart complications.

• Headache
• Dizziness
• Nausea, vomiting
• Constipation
• Stomach pain
• Indigestion
• Tiredness
• Skin rash, redness
• Muscle or joint pain
• Swelling of the ankles and legs
• Unconsciousness
• Fast or irregular heartbeats, low blood pressure (uncommon)

Other General Warnings

• You have low blood pressure.
• You have liver problems.
• You are on kidney dialysis.
• You have any problems with your heart.
• You are in your first trimester of pregnancy (first 3 months).
• You are suffering from any disorders like myasthenia gravis (a condition causing muscle weakness), Lambert-Eaton syndrome or advanced Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
• You are on medications like atorvastatin, simvastatin to lower your blood cholesterol.
• Calaptin 120 SR tablet is not recommended to be used in patients who are less than 18 years old.

• Calaptin 120 SR Tablet relaxes blood vessels and slows the electrical conduction of the heart, lowering blood pressure and steadying the heart rate.
• Swallow the tablet whole. Crushing or chewing a sustained release tablet releases the full dose at once and can be dangerous.
• Avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice entirely, as they raise verapamil levels in the blood.
• Limit alcohol; this medicine makes its effects stronger and longer lasting than you would expect.
• Constipation is the commonest side effect. Increase fluids, fibre and physical activity from the start.
• Never take a beta-blocker alongside this medicine unless your doctor has specifically arranged it.
• Report unexplained muscle pain, tenderness or dark urine if you also take a statin.
• Tell your doctor about a very slow pulse, fainting, increasing ankle swelling or new breathlessness.
• Do not stop suddenly, as chest pain or an abnormal heart rhythm may return.
• Keep up dental hygiene and tell your dentist you take this medicine, as gums can overgrow.
• Reduce salt, stay active, maintain a healthy weight and monitor your blood pressure regularly.

Overdose

• Excess of Calaptin 120 SR tablet may lead to irregular heartbeats, low blood pressure, shock, coma. Overdose may cause symptoms like nausea, vomiting, sleepiness, dizziness, confusion, lack of energy, skin redness, unconsciousness.
• If you experience any of the symptoms or think you have taken too much of this medicine, contact your doctor immediately or visit the nearest hospital.

Missed a Dose

• Calaptin 120 SR Tablet contains verapamil, which blocks the channels that let calcium enter muscle cells. Calcium is the trigger that makes muscle contract, so restricting its entry causes muscle to relax.
• In the walls of the arteries this relaxation widens the vessels, lowering the resistance the heart pumps against and reducing blood pressure. In the heart muscle itself it reduces the force of contraction and the oxygen the heart demands, which is how it prevents angina.
• Verapamil also acts on the specialised conducting tissue at the top of the heart, slowing the electrical impulses passing from the upper to the lower chambers. This is what slows a rapid heart rate and restores control in certain abnormal rhythms, and it is the reason this medicine affects the heart far more than calcium channel blockers of the amlodipine type.

Interactions with other medicines

• You should always tell the doctor if you are taking any other medicines, herbal preparation and supplements to avoid any interaction with Calaptin 120 SR tablet.
• Concomitant use of Calaptin 120 SR tablet along with Colchicine is not recommended.
• Medicines like erythromycin (antibiotic), ritonavir (used in HIV infection), ketoconazole (used in fungal infection), Rifampicin (antibiotic), fluoxetine, nefazodone (used to treat psychiatric illness), cisapride (used to treat stomach problems), cimetidine (used to treat stomach ulcers), diltiazem (used to treat some heart conditions) when used along with this medicine may increase the effects of this tablet and should thus be used cautiously.
• Medicines like phenytoin, carbamazepine (used to treat fits or epilepsy), phenobarbital (used to treat sleep problems or anxiety) when taken along with this medicine may decrease its effect.
• Other medicines like lithium, vecuronium, mizolastine, tubocurarine, Tacrolimus, Quinidine, Digoxin should be used with caution along with Calaptin 120 SR tablet.

Interactions with food items

• Avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice completely while taking Calaptin 120 SR Tablet. Grapefruit blocks the enzyme that breaks verapamil down, so blood levels can rise well above the intended range and cause a marked fall in blood pressure and heart rate. Other citrus fruits are not a problem.
• Alcohol needs real caution. Verapamil slows the elimination of alcohol, so the same drink produces a higher blood alcohol level that lasts longer, intensifying dizziness and the drop in blood pressure.
• Constipation is best managed through diet. Drink plenty of water, include whole grains, fruit, vegetables and other fibre, and stay physically active. Tell your doctor if constipation persists despite these measures.
• Reduce salt to support blood pressure control, limiting pickles, papads, packaged snacks and processed foods.
• The sustained release tablet may be taken with or without food, but keep the timing consistent from day to day.