Ivabrad

Ivabradine is a heart medicine. It belongs to a class of medicine known as hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channel blockers. It works by slowing the heart rate. This helps the heart to pump more blood through the body each time it beats.

No, Ivabradine commonly causes an increase in blood pressure as a side effect. This change is temporary and does not affect the treatment with Ivabradine. However, it should not be given to patients with severely low blood pressure (blood pressure < 90/50 mmHg).

No, Ivabradine is not a beta-blocker. It lowers the heart rate by selectively blocking the sodium channel present in heart pacemaker cells responsible for the increase in the heart rate.

You should remember that Ivabradine may cause serious side effects in adults and children. Its use in pregnant women can harm the unborn baby. Some of the other serious side effects may include increased risk of irregular or rapid heartbeat (atrial fibrillation or heart rhythm problems) and slower than normal heart rate (bradycardia).

Take Ivabradine exactly as directed by your doctor. It is usually prescribed to be taken twice a day with food. Some Ivabradine come with a line down the middle. If your doctor tells you to take half a tablet, break it carefully on the line. Take half the tablet as directed, and save the other half for your next dose.

The symptoms of overdosage of Ivabradine include slow heartbeat, dizziness, excessive tiredness and lack of energy. If you have taken higher than the recommended dose or experience any of these, consult your doctor immediately or seek emergency medical attention.

Ivabradine may cause temporary brightness in the field of vision (luminous visual phenomena). This usually disappears with continuous use of Ivabradine. If this happens to you, be careful when driving or using machines at times when there could be sudden changes in light intensity, especially when driving at night.