Table of Common Cardiac Medications Only your healthcare providers can tell you the exact purpose of your specific prescriptions. However, it’s likely that your medications fall into the categories described in the table below. Use this table as a reference to help you learn more about the medication you’re taking. MEDICATION CATEGORIES EXAMPLES* SIDE EFFECTS AND NOTES ACE inhibitors ACE inhibitors: Side effect: (angiotensin • benazepril (Lotensin) A dry, non-productive cough is converting enzyme • captopril (Capoten) a common side effect of ACE inhibitors) inhibitors. • enalapril maleate (Vasotec) OR • lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril) Note: ARBs • quinapril (Accupril) Don’t use potassium supplements (angiotensin II receptor or salt substitutes without first • ramipril (Altace) antagonists) asking your healthcare providers. These medications block stress ARBs: hormones and relieve stress on the heart’s pumping action. • candesartan cilexetil (Atacand) They improve symptoms and • eprosartan mesylate (Teveten) reduce hospitalizations • irbesartan (Avapro) for patients with heart failure. • losartan (Cozaar) • telmisartan (Micardis) • valsartan (Diovan) Antiarrhythmics • amiodarone (Cordarone) Notes: (heart rhythm • disopyramide phosphate (Norpace) • As with any medication, take medications) • dofetilide (Tikosyn) antiarrhythmics exactly as ordered. These control irregular • flecainide (Tambocor) • If you’re taking some of these heartbeats — and maintain a • mexiletine HCl (Mexitil) medications, you’ll need ongoing normal heart rate and rhythm. monitoring by your healthcare • procainamide (Procan, Pronestyl) provider. • propafenone HCl (Rythmol) • If you’re taking an extended-release • propafenone HCI SR (Rythmol SR) tablet, be sure to swallow the pill • quinadine glucomate (Quinaglute) whole — don’t break, chew, or • sotalol (Betapace, see beta blockers) crush it. • tocainide HCl (Tonocard) *Generic drug names are listed in lowercase letters. 100 MEDICATION MEDICATION CATEGORIES EXAMPLES* SIDE EFFECTS AND NOTES Anticoagulants and Anticoagulants: Side effect: platelet inhibitors • dalteparin sodium (Fragmin) Call your healthcare provider if you notice bleeding (“blood thinners”) • enoxaparin (Lovenox) from your gums, or blood in your urine or stools. These cause your blood to • fondaparinux (Arixtra) Notes: take longer to clot, which can • heparin sodium • Make sure your provider knows about all other reduce the risk of strokes and • warfarin (Coumadin) medication you’re using. Many substances — heart attacks that can occur including over-the-counter drugs and herbal when blood clots get stuck in Platelet inhibitors: supplements — should not be used while you’re small blood vessels. • aspirin taking some blood thinners. • cilostazol (Pletal) • If you’re taking some of these medications, you’ll need • clopidogril bisulfate (Plavix) ongoing monitoring by your healthcare provider. • dipyramidamole (Persantine) • If you miss a dose, do NOT take extra the next time to “catch up.” • prasugrel (Effient) • Be consistent with your diet, especially foods rich • ticlopidine (Ticlid) in vitamin K (see chapter 8). • Keep regular appointments to have your blood tested to make sure it’s clotting at the right level. Depending on the type of test, it’s called a PT (or PT/INR) or a PTT test. Antihypertensives • clonidine HCl (Catapres, Dixarit) Note: (blood pressure medication) • doxazosin mesylate (Cardura) As with any drug, don’t stop using blood These are commonly used to • hydralazine HCI pressure medication without first asking your treat high blood pressure by • methyldopa (Aldomet) healthcare provider. relaxing and widening • minoxidil blood vessels. • phenoxybenzamine HCl (Dibenzyline) • phentolamine mesylate (Regitine) • prazosin HCl (Minipress) • terazosin HCl (Hytrin) Beta blockers • acebutolol HCl (Sectral) Side effects: These medications are often • atenolol (Tenormin) • In some people, beta blockers can cause drowsiness. prescribed to treat angina, high • betaxolol (Kerlone) • Call your healthcare provider right away blood pressure, and irregular • bisoprolol (Zebeta) if you have any of these side effects: heart rhythms. They: • carvedilol (Coreg) – Chest pain (may be related to your disease • Block stress hormones and • labetalol HCl (Normodyne, Trandate) and not a side effect) relieve stress on the heart’s • metoprolol succinate (Toprol XL) – Fainting or severe dizziness pumping action • metoprolol tartrate (Lopressor) – Slow, fast, or irregular heartbeat • Relax the blood vessels so – Swelling of your feet or ankles blood can move more easily • nadolol (Corgard) • nebivolol (Bystolic) – Unusual bleeding or bruising • Improve the heart’s function • pindolol (Visken) – Unusual weight gain • Reduce symptoms and lessen the chance of future • propranolol HCl (Inderal) – Wheezing or trouble breathing hospitalizations • sotalol (Betapace) • timolol maleate (Blocadren) *Generic drug names are listed in lowercase letters. MEDICATION 101 MEDICATION CATEGORIES EXAMPLES* SIDE EFFECTS AND NOTES Calcium channel blockers • amlodipine besylate (Norvasc) Side effect: These are commonly used to treat • bepridil (Vascor) Calcium channel blockers can cause high blood pressure, coronary • diltiazem HCl (Cardizem, Dilacor, Tiazac) swelling in your feet and legs. artery spasms, and angina. They • felodipine (Plendil) restrict the normal flow of calcium • isradipine (DynaCirc) into the cells of the heart and • nicardipine HCl (Cardene) blood vessels, which discourages smaller vessels from narrowing • nifedipine (Adalat, Procardia) and going into spasm, and also • nisoldipine (Sular) reduces the heart’s workload and • verapamil HCl (Calan, Covera, Isoptin) need for oxygen. Digitalis glycosides • digoxin (Lanoxin) Note: These strengthen the heart Many drugs — including some muscle, treat irregular heart antacids and other over-the-counter rhythms, and improve medications — can affect how exercise tolerance. digitalis works in your body. As always, make sure your healthcare provider knows about all the medications and supplements you’re taking. Diuretics (“water pills”) • amiloride (Midamor) Side effects: These help rid your body of excess • bumetanide (Bumex) • Diuretics can cause extreme fluid and salt. They are often • chlorothiazide (Diuril) weight loss, lightheadedness, or prescribed for high blood pressure • ethacrynic acid (Edecrin) increased blood pressure. and congestive heart failure. • furosemide (Lasix) Notes: • hydrochlorothiazide (Esidrix, • Diuretics make you urinate more. HydroDIURIL, Microzide, Oretic) You may want to take diuretics • indapamide (Lozol) early in the morning and/or • metolazone (Mykrox, Zaroxolyn) afternoon. This will help you avoid having to get up at night to urinate. • triamterene (Dyrenium) • Since the use of some diuretics Aldosterone receptor can cause loss of potassium from antagonists the body, potassium supplements • eplerenone (Inspra) are often prescribed with diuretics. • spironolactone (Aldactone) See “potassium supplements” later in this table. Combination products • amiloride and hydrochlorothiazide • spironolactone and hydrochlorothiazide (Aldactazide) • torsemide (Demadex) • triamterene and hydrochlorothiazide (Dyazide, Maxzide) *Generic drug names are listed in lowercase letters. 102 MEDICATION MEDICATION CATEGORIES EXAMPLES* SIDE EFFECTS AND NOTES Lipid medications Statins Side effect: Call your healthcare provider if you have any unexplained muscle (blood cholesterol • atorvastatin calcium (Lipitor) right away pain, weakness, or cramps. lowering agents, • fluvastatin sodium (Lescol) Notes: antihyperlipidemics) • lovastatin (Mevacor) • pravastatin sodium (Pravachol) • The cornerstone of treating high blood The medications in this • rosuvastatin (Crestor) cholesterol is a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet. category work in different • simvastatin (Zocor) Drug therapy only works when you also follow ways. Depending on which dietary guidelines. Fibrates one you’re taking, lipid • With many lipid medications, you can’t eat • fenofibrate (Tricor) medications can lower your grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice. Ask your • gemfibrozil (Lopid) healthcare provider. levels of cholesterol, LDL, and Bile acid sequestrants • Take your statin medication with your evening triglycerides — as well as • colesevelam HCl (Welchol) meal or at bedtime. treat abnormally low levels • cholestyramine (Questran) • If you take fenofibrate (Tricor) AND also take of HDL cholesterol. • colestipol HCl (Colestid) cholestyramine (Questran), colestipol (Colestid), or colesevelam HCl (Welchol) — take your dose Other lipid medications of fenofibrate at least 1 hour before, or 4 to 6 • niacin (Niaspan, Nicolar) hours after, these other medicines. Nitrates and other Nitrates (nitroglycerin) Notes about nitrates: antianginals • oral nitroglycerin (Dilatrate-SR, • If your nitroglycerin pills come with instructions These are commonly used to Imdur, ISMO, Isordil, Monoket) to dissolve them under your tongue, be sure to • nitroglycerin ointment do this. Do NOT swallow them. The drug won’t prevent, reduce, or relieve work if it’s in your stomach. angina pain. They work by (Nitro-Bid Ointment, Nitrol) • Store nitroglycerin in its original bottle, in a relaxing blood vessels and • nitroglycerin skin patches (Deponit, Minitran, Nitro-Dur, dark place. This helps preserve its potency. increasing the supply of blood Transderm-Nitro) • It’s important to replace your nitroglycerin and oxygen to the heart — • nitroglycerin sublingual tablets pills every three