Labetalol
GENERIC NAME:LABETALOL - ORAL (luh-BET-uh-lol)
BRAND NAMES: Normodyne, Trandate
DRUG CLASS AND MECHANISM: Labetalol is a drug that is used for treating high blood pressure. Nerves from the adrenergic nervous system travel from the spinal cord to arteries where they release norepinephrine. Norepinephrine attaches to adrenergic receptors on arteries and causes the arteries to contract, narrowing the arteries, and increasing blood pressure. Labetalol blocks receptors of the adrenergic nervous system. When labetalol attaches to and blocks the receptors, arteries expand, resulting in a fall in blood pressure.
GENERIC AVAILABLE: Yes PRESCRIPTION: Yes
PREPARATION: Tablets: of 100, 200 and 300 mg; Injection: 5 mg/ml
STORAGE: Tablets should be stored between 2-30 C (36-86 F).
PRESCRIBED FOR: Labetalol is used alone or in combination with other drugs to reduce blood pressure.
DOSING: The recommended starting oral dose of labetalol is 100 mg twice daily and the dose can be increased by 100 mg twice daily every 2-3 days based on the response of the blood pressure. Usual maintenance doses are 200-400 mg twice daily. Patients with severely high blood pressure may require 1.2 to 2.4 g daily.
Stopping or changing the dose of the drug should be directed by a physician because serious side effects may occur. The initial intravenous dose of labetalol is 20 mg injected over 2 minutes. Additional injections of 40 or 80 mg may be administered every 10 minutes as needed up to a total dose of 300 mg.
DRUG INTERACTIONS: Labetalol can mask early warning symptoms of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) such as tremors and increased heart rate which are the result of activation of the adrenergic nervous system. Therefore, people with diabetes taking medications that lower blood sugar such as insulin or oral antidiabetic medications may need to increase the frequency with which they monitor their blood sugar in order to prevent hypoglycemia.
Combining labetalol with tricyclic
BRAND NAMES: Normodyne, Trandate
DRUG CLASS AND MECHANISM: Labetalol is a drug that is used for treating high blood pressure. Nerves from the adrenergic nervous system travel from the spinal cord to arteries where they release norepinephrine. Norepinephrine attaches to adrenergic receptors on arteries and causes the arteries to contract, narrowing the arteries, and increasing blood pressure. Labetalol blocks receptors of the adrenergic nervous system. When labetalol attaches to and blocks the receptors, arteries expand, resulting in a fall in blood pressure.
GENERIC AVAILABLE: Yes PRESCRIPTION: Yes
PREPARATION: Tablets: of 100, 200 and 300 mg; Injection: 5 mg/ml
STORAGE: Tablets should be stored between 2-30 C (36-86 F).
PRESCRIBED FOR: Labetalol is used alone or in combination with other drugs to reduce blood pressure.
DOSING: The recommended starting oral dose of labetalol is 100 mg twice daily and the dose can be increased by 100 mg twice daily every 2-3 days based on the response of the blood pressure. Usual maintenance doses are 200-400 mg twice daily. Patients with severely high blood pressure may require 1.2 to 2.4 g daily.
Stopping or changing the dose of the drug should be directed by a physician because serious side effects may occur. The initial intravenous dose of labetalol is 20 mg injected over 2 minutes. Additional injections of 40 or 80 mg may be administered every 10 minutes as needed up to a total dose of 300 mg.
DRUG INTERACTIONS: Labetalol can mask early warning symptoms of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) such as tremors and increased heart rate which are the result of activation of the adrenergic nervous system. Therefore, people with diabetes taking medications that lower blood sugar such as insulin or oral antidiabetic medications may need to increase the frequency with which they monitor their blood sugar in order to prevent hypoglycemia.
Combining labetalol with tricyclic