Methyldopa for high blood pressure

About methyldopa

Most people with pressão alta (hipertensão) do not feel unwell, but it is important that your high blood pressure is treated even if you feel fine. This is because high blood pressure can be damaging to your blood vessels and can put a strain on your heart. By lowering your blood pressure, methyldopa reduces your cardiovascular risk.

Methyldopa is one of the medicines of choice for treating high blood pressure in pregnancy. When taken during pregnancy, treatment with methyldopa is reviewed soon after the birth of the baby, as other treatment options are then likely to be more suitable.

Some medicines are not suitable for people with certain conditions, and sometimes a medicine can only be used if extra care is taken. For these reasons, before you start taking methyldopa it is important that your doctor knows:

• Se você tiver algum problema com o funcionamento do seu fígado, ou qualquer problema com o funcionamento dos seus rins.

• Se você já teve uma doença depressiva.

• If you have been told you have any of the following rare conditions: an adrenaline-producing growth called a phaeochromocytoma or a paraganglioma, or an inherited blood disorder called porphyria.

• Se você estiver tomando ou usando qualquer outro medicamento. Isso inclui quaisquer medicamentos que você esteja tomando e que estejam disponíveis para compra sem receita médica, bem como medicamentos fitoterápicos e complementares.

• Se você já teve uma reação alérgica a um medicamento.

• Before you start the treatment, read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside the pack. It will give you more information about methyldopa and will provide you with a full list of the side-effects which you may experience from taking it.

• Take methyldopa exactly as your doctor tells you to. It is usual to start by taking 250 mg two or three times daily. Your doctor may increase your dose after a few days if it is necessary. Each time you see your doctor you will be told how many tablets to take for each dose, and this information will also be printed on the label of the pack of tablets to remind you about what the doctor said to you.

• Try to take your doses at the same times of day each day, as this will help you to remember to take them regularly. You can take your doses either before or after food. Swallow the tablet with a drink of water.

• Se você esquecer de tomar uma dose, tome-a assim que se lembrar. Tente tomar o número correto de doses a cada dia, mas não tome duas doses ao mesmo tempo para compensar uma dose esquecida.

• Try to keep your regular appointments with your doctor so your progress can be monitored. Your doctor will want you to have blood tests from time to time to make sure your liver is working properly.

• There are three strengths of methyldopa tablet available - 125 mg, 250 mg and 500 mg. Each time you collect a fresh supply of tablets it is a good idea to check to make sure you receive the strength you are expecting. If you have any questions, please ask your pharmacist to advise you.

• Seu médico pode lhe dar conselhos sobre dieta e estilo de vida, como seguir uma alimentação saudável, não fumar e praticar exercícios regularmente. Se isso acontecer, é importante que você siga os conselhos recebidos.

• Drinking alcohol while you are on methyldopa is not recommended. It can increase the chance that you will experience side-effects, such as feeling sleepy or dizzy.

• If you buy any medicines 'over the counter', please check with a pharmacist that they are suitable for you to take with methyldopa. Some medicines, such as some anti-inflammatory painkillers, can interfere with the way methyldopa works.

• If you are due to have an operation or dental treatment, tell the person carrying out the treatment that you are taking methyldopa. This is because some anaesthetics can affect your blood pressure. Also, before having any medical tests, tell the person carrying out the test that you are taking methyldopa, as the results of some tests can be affected by it.

• Continue to take methyldopa tablets until you are advised otherwise by your doctor.

Along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them. The table below contains some of the common ones associated with methyldopa. You will find a full list in the manufacturer's information leaflet supplied with your medicine. The unwanted effects often improve as your body adjusts to the new medicine, but speak with your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following continue or become troublesome.

Se você sentir quaisquer outros sintomas que acha que podem ser causados pelos comprimidos, fale com seu médico ou farmacêutico para mais orientações.

• Mantenha todos os medicamentos fora do alcance e da vista das crianças.

• Armazene em local fresco e seco, longe de calor e luz diretos.