Ramipril AN Tablets
Ramipril
Consumer Medicine Information
Ramipril AN Tablets Published by MIMS November 2014 1
What is in this leaflet
This leaflet answers some common questions
about Ramipril AN.
It does not contain all the available information.
It does not take the place of talking to your doctor
or, pharmacist.
All medicines have risks and benefits. Your
doctor has weighed the risks of you taking
Ramipril AN against the benefits it is expected to
have for you.
If you have any concerns about taking this
medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Keep this leaflet with the medicine.
You may need to read it again
What Ramipril AN is used for
Ramipril AN belongs to a group of medicines
called angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)
inhibitors.
Ramipril AN is used to treat:
•high blood pressure (hypertension)
•some heart conditions such as heart failure
after a heart attack
•kidney problems in some patients
Ramipril AN is also used to reduce the risk of
cardiovascular problems and complications in
patients aged 55 years or more with heart or
blood vessel disease, or diabetes.
Hypertension
Ramipril AN is used to lower high blood pressure
(hypertension). Everyone has blood pressure.
This pressure helps get your blood all around
your body. Your blood pressure may be different
at different times of the day and can be influenced
by how busy or worried you are. You have
hypertension when your blood pressure stays
higher than is needed, even when you are calm
and relaxed.
There are usually no symptoms of hypertension.
The only way of knowing that you have
hypertension is to have your blood pressure
checked on a regular basis. If high blood pressure
is not treated it can lead to serious health
problems, including stroke, heart disease and
kidney failure.
Heart Failure after a Heart Attack
Ramipril AN may be used after a heart attack. A
heart attack occurs when one of the major blood
vessels supplying blood to your heart becomes
blocked. This means that your heart muscle
cannot receive the oxygen it needs and becomes
damaged. This may lead to further problems,
such as heart failure, irregular heart rhythms and
blood clots.
Heart failure means that the heart muscle is weak
and cannot pump blood strongly enough to
supply all the blood needed throughout the body.
Heart failure is not the same as heart attack and
does not mean that the heart stops. Heart failure
may start off with no symptoms, but as the
condition progresses, patients may feel short of
breath or may get tired easily after light physical
activity such as walking. Some patients may
wake up short of breath at night. Fluid may
collect in different parts of the body, often first
noticed as swollen ankles and feet.
Kidney Problems
Ramipril AN may be used to treat some kidney
problems. Some conditions such as diabetes and
hypertension can lead to kidney problems. These
problems develop slowly over several years.
Good control of your blood sugar and blood
pressure are important in keeping your kidneys
healthy, but may not always prevent kidney
damage from occurring.
Prevention of Cardiovascular Problems and
Complications
Ramipril AN may be used to reduce the risk of
some of the problems and complications that may
arise in patients aged 55 or more who have
problems such as coronary artery disease (heart
disease caused by poor blood flow in the blood
vessels of the heart), peripheral vascular disease
(poor circulation in the hands or feet), or stroke.
Ramipril AN may also be used to reduce the risk
of cardiovascular problems and complications in
patients with diabetes aged 55 years or more who
may be considered at risk because of one or more
additional factors such as high blood pressure,
high cholesterol levels, kidney problems, a
current smoker, or previous disease of the blood
vessels.
How Ramipril AN works
Ramipril AN works by widening the blood
vessels, which reduces the pressure in the vessels,
making it easier for your heart to pump blood
around your body. This helps increase the supply
of oxygen to your heart, so that when you place
extra demands on your heart, such as during
exercise, your heart may cope better and you may
not get short of breath as easily.
By increasing the supply of oxygen to your heart,
your heart does not have to work as hard and it is
under less stress, which may reduce the risk of
further damage occurring to it following a heart
attack.
Ramipril AN also improves blood flow through
the small blood vessels found in the kidneys,
which helps the kidneys to work more efficiently.
This in turn progression of kidney damage that
might result from having diabetes or high blood
pressure.
Therefore, there are quite a few reasons why your
doctor might have decided to treat you with
Ramipril AN. Your doctor may have also
prescribed this medicine for another reason.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any
questions about why Ramipril AN has been
prescribed for you.
Ramipril AN is not addictive.
Ramipril AN is available only with a doctor's
prescription.
Before you take Ramipril AN
When you must not take it
Do not take Ramipril AN if you:
•have had an allergy to Ramipril AN or any
other medicine containing ramipril, or any
of the ingredients listed at the end of this
leaflet.
Symptoms of an allergic reaction may
include skin rash, itchiness, shortness of
breath, swelling of the face, lips or tongue,
abdominal pain, muscle pain or tenderness,
or joint pain.
•have taken any other "ACE inhibitor"
medicine before, which caused your face,
lips, tongue, throat, hands or feet to swell
up, or made it hard for you to breathe.
If you have had an allergic reaction to an
ACE inhibitor before, you may be allergic to
Ramipril AN
•or your family have a history of swelling of
the face, lips, tongue, throat, intestines,
hands or feet, for no apparent reason.
•have kidney problems or a condition
called "renal artery stenosis".
•have problems or conditions affecting the
flow of blood in and out of your heart (e.g.
aortic or valvular stenosis).
•have low blood pressure.
•undergo dialysis using certain high-flux
membranes.
•are diabetic or have kidney problems and
are being treated with aliskiren-containing
medications or a group of medicines
known as AIIRAs (a medication also used
to treat high blood pressure).
•are pregnant or intend to become
pregnant.
Ramipril AN may affect your developing
baby if you take it during pregnancy.
•are breastfeeding.
Ramipril AN may pass into the breast milk
and affect your breastfed baby.
Do not use Ramipril AN after the expiry date
(EXP) printed on the pack.
If you take this medicine after the expiry date has
passed, it may not work as well.
Do not use Ramipril AN if the packaging is
torn or shows signs of tampering.
Before you start to take it
Tell your doctor if you have allergies to:
•any other medicines
•any other substances, such as foods,
preservatives or dyes
Tell your doctor if you have or have had any
medical conditions, especially the following:
•kidney problems, or are having dialysis (note
that your doctor may give you Ramipril AN
because of your kidney problems)
•liver problems
•heart problems (note that your doctor may
give you Ramipril AN because of your heart
problems)
•low blood pressure, which you may notice as
dizziness or lightheadedness
•low white blood cell counts
•diabetes (note that your doctor may give you
Ramipril AN because of your diabetes)
•high levels of potassium in your blood
•Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE),
scleroderma or other autoimmune conditions
Tell your doctor if you have a family history of
swelling of the face, lips, tongue, throat,
intestines, hands or feet.
You must also tell your doctor if you:
•are following a very low or very high salt
diet
•are dehydrated, or have had a recent bout of
vomiting or diarrhoea
