Levatol

Levatol is used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). It is classified as a non-selective beta blocker. It acts on heart, blood vessels, and kidney.

It reduces the work of heart and so decreases heat beat. It also dilates vessels and so decreases its pressure and ultimately reduces blood pressure.

Penbutolol is administered orally and only available with doctor’s prescription.

Before starting treatment with Levatol your doctor should be informed about conditions.

Allergy: Inform your doctor if you are allergic to any food, preservatives, dyes, or had an allergic reaction when you used this drug before.

Pregnancy: Penbutolol is category C drug. It has shown adverse effects on animals but not tested on humans.

Breastfeeding: There are no adequate studies done which prove its harmful effect on infants.

Drug Interactions: Penbutolol interacts with many drugs. It should not be used with several drugs.

Your doctor should be informed of any other medicine which you are taking so that he may adjust the dosage. Several other conditions may reduce its effectiveness.

Make sure you inform your doctor of conditions such as:

• Anaphylactic reactions
• Asthma
• Angina (severe chest pain)
• Heart attack (recent)
• Heart failure (history)
• Blood vessel diseases
• Diabetes
• Hyperthyroidism
• Kidney diseases (it may increase drug effects because of slower removal from the body, which may be harmful)
• Lung diseases (drug may cause difficulty in breathing with lung disease)

To use Levatol properly, you must follow all instructions given by your doctor.

Penbutolol only helps in reducing blood pressure. It does not cure blood pressure related problems. It is very important to continue to take medicine as directed in order to keep blood pressure within normal range.

You may take this medicine with or without food. Dosage: drug dose is different for different people. You should follow your doctor’s direction.

The following information is the average dose of this drug. For adults: 20 milligrams (mg) once a day. The doctor may adjust your dose accordingly.

Missed Dose: If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember it. If it’s almost the time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular schedule. Doubling the dose is harmful.

Before using Levatol, there are some precautions you must take.

At every regular visit, your doctor will check if the drug is working properly. The drug may cause anaphylactic reactions (serious allergic reaction) which might cause death.

Call your doctor immediately if you notice any rash, itching, difficulty in breathing or swallowing and swelling of hands and face while using this drug.

This drug may cause heart failure in some patients. Inform your doctor if you are having chest pain or discomfort, difficulty in breathing, fatigue, swelling of the face, hands, legs and sudden weight gain.

These are signs of heart failure. Your doctor will gradually reduce the dose of this drug before stopping it completely.

It is dangerous to suddenly stop taking the drug. Your blood sugar level may change while using this drug. It can also suppress signs of low blood sugar level such as high pulse rate.

Do not take any medicine and vitamin supplements without your doctor’s prescription.

As with many medications, there are several potential side effects associated with Levatol.

• Blurred vision
• Confusion, sweating
• Dizziness, faintness when getting up suddenly from lying position
• Irregular or noisy breathing
• Slow or irregular heartbeat
• Chest pain
• Swelling of face, feet and lower limb

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.