Description of Isoptin

Isoptin or generic Verapamil, is a medicine classified as a calcium channel blocker, or CCB. Your doctor can prescribe Isoptin to you if have been diagnosed with high blood pressure as it is important to treat hypertension before it causes kidney or heart disease. The generic alternative is not manufactured by the company that makes the brand product.

This oral medication can be taken along with a healthy diet low in sodium, exercising to lose weight, and keeping active while you quit smoking and other unhealthy habits. Isoptin is not a cure for high blood pressure, but it is a helpful tool for helping you to become healthier and not at risk for other medical conditions.

How Calcium Channel Blockers Work for Hypertension

Isoptin works by slowing down the movement of calcium through muscle cells in the heart and the walls of blood vessels. It does this by blocking calcium channels on these muscle cells. Calcium is needed by the muscle cells in order for them to contract. By depriving them of calcium, Verapamil causes the muscle cells to relax. This action of Verapamil has two main effects; it slows down the rate at which the heart beats and it allows the blood vessels in the body to widen.

Conditions Isoptin Treats

Hypertension can develops when your blood pushes too hard against arteries that have become narrowed or blocked. Hypertension is a dangerous condition to live with, as the strain it creates may weaken your arteries and cause other serious heart problems. Isoptin cannot cure it, but the drug should reduce any associated risks by relaxing cardiovascular muscles and improving circulation.

The chest pain of angina is caused by insufficient oxygen supply to the heart. As Isoptin improves this oxygen supply, and also reduces the effort the heart has to make to pump blood, it may be prescribed to treat angina or some heart rhythm disorders.

Before You Take Isoptin

Isoptin may not be right for you if you have a serious heart condition. Before taking Isoptin you should provide your physician with a complete medical history, especially if you have had liver disease, kidney disease, low blood pressure or a nerve or muscle disorder. Ask your doctor if Isoptin is safe to take while you are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or are breast feeding.

Precautions for Isoptin

To prevent negative interactions and more severe side effects, it is important that you avoid certain medications and food products while taking Isoptin. These include anti-fungal drugs, seizure drugs, and cholesterol-lowering drugs, as well as grapefruit and alcohol. You should not drive or operate machinery until you know how Isoptin will affect you.

Possible Side Effects of Isoptin

• Constipation
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Cold symptoms
• Nausea
• Slowed heart rate

Drugs Similar to Isoptin

• Cardizem
• Tiazac
• Isoptin SR