Where is Ivabradine used?
Ivabradine is recommended for use in people with chronic heart failure. This helps to prevent it from getting worse and needing treatment in a hospital. This medicine is a hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channel blocker. This channel is responsible for the cardiac pacemaker If (funny channel) current which regulates heart rate. This is supplied as tablets for oral administration. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved this treatment.
How does Ivabradine work?
Ivabradine lowers heart rate by selectively preventing ‘funny channels’ in the heart. It is in a concentration-dependent manner without disturbing any other cardiac ionic channels. This drug binds by attaching and entering to a site on the channel pore from the intracellular side and disrupts the current flow of funny channels ion. Wherein, it prolongs diastolic depolarization and lowering heart rate. The funny channel currents are located in the sinoatrial node and are the home of all cardiac pacemaker activity. This medication, therefore, is lowering heart rate, lowers the pacemaker firing rate, and reducing myocardial oxygen demand. This allows for improved oxygen supply and mitigation of ischemia. This also allows for higher exercise capacity and reduction in angina episodes.
How is Ivabradine taken?
The recommended dosage is 5 mg to be taken twice a day. The dose should be adjusted based on heart rate after 2 weeks of treatment. The maximum dose is 7.5 mg twice a day. You may take it with or without food. Take it regularly or exactly as directed by your doctor. If you missed a dose, skip the missed one and use your next dose at the regular time. Do not use two doses at one time.
What are the possible side effects of Ivabradine?
- Dizziness or fainting
- Chest pain or fainting
- Worsening shortness of breath
- Fast, slow, or irregular heartbeat
- Severe tiredness or weakness
- Severe or persistent headache
- Hoarseness
- Difficulty swallowing or breathing
- Increased blood pressure
What are the precautions in taking Ivabradine?
- Tell your doctor about all your current medications and any you start or stop using. Lots of medications can interact, and some are not recommended to be used together.
- Ivabradine can harm an unborn baby. Use effective birth control to avoid pregnancy, and tell your doctor if you become pregnant.
- Avoid driving or dangerous activity until you know how this drug will affect you. Your reactions could be impaired.
- Tell your doctor if you have any other heart problems not being treated with this medicine.
- Avoid grapefruit or grapefruit juice. Grapefruit might interact with this drug and lead to unwanted side effects. Avoid the use of grapefruit products.
- This medicine can cause serious heart rhythm problems. Call your doctor right away if you have racing or pounding heartbeats, chest pressure, shortness of breath, very slow heartbeats, tiredness, weakness, or severe dizziness that is worse than usual.
- You should not share this or any of your medications with others who have the same symptoms as yours.
- Do not twice the prescribed dosage to avoid some complications.
- Keep this away from the reach of children.
