Calbloc Tablets

CALBLOC belongs to a group of medicines called calcium antagonists. CALBLOC is used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension) and a type of chest pain called angina, a rare form of which is Prinzmetal’s or variant angina. CALBLOC is also used to reduce the risk of fatal and non-fatal heart disease or stroke. CALBLOC can be used alone or with other medicines to treat these conditions.

Do not take CALBLOC:

• if you are hypersensitive (allergic) to amlodipine or any of the other ingredients of CALBLOC (listed in section 6).
• if you have had an allergic reaction to other medicines of this type.
• in combination with grapeful juice.

Warnings and precautions

Take special care with CALBLOC:

• if you are taking other medicines such as anti-fungal medicines (ketoconazole, itraconazole) or protease inhibitors used to treat HIV (ritonavir). Using these medicines together with CALBLOC may decrease the blood pressure even further (see Other medicines and CALBLOC).
• if you are elderly.
• if you have severe kidney disease.
• if you have liver disease.
• if you have heart failure (a condition where the heart cannot pump blood well).

Do not share medicines prescribed for you with any other person. Always take CALBLOC exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure. Adults: The usual dose of CALBLOC is one 5 mg tablet once a day however sometimes one 10 mg tablet a day may be required. CALBLOC tablets may be taken with or without food. If you are elderly CALBLOC therapy should be started at a lower dose. Therapy should be started at the lowest dose and increased slowly if you suffer from severe liver or kidney disease. The usual starting dose for children aged 6 – 17 years is 2,5 mg increased to 5 mg once a day. Your doctor will tell you how long your treatment with CALBLOC will last. Do not stop treatment early without consulting your doctor. If you have the impression that the effect of CALBLOC is too strong or too weak, tell your doctor or pharmacist. Continue taking CALBLOC until your doctor tells you to stop, at which time it should be done gradually.

If you take more CALBLOC than you should

It is important not to take more CALBLOC tablets than you should. In the event of overdosage, consult your doctor or pharmacist. If neither is available, contact the nearest hospital or poison centre. Take along any tablets that are left, the container and the label so that the hospital staff can easily tell what medicine you have taken. Excess fluid may accumulate in your lungs (pulmonary oedema) causing shortness of breath that may develop up to 24-48 hours after intake. Seek immediate medical attention if you take too many Amlodipine tablets.

If you forget to take CALBLOC

It is important to take your CALBLOC tablets regularly at the same time each day. If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember unless it is time for your next dose. Do not take a double dose to make up for forgotten individual doses.

If you stop taking CALBLOC

Take CALBLOC for as long as your doctor recommends. Don’t stop unless your doctor advises you to.

CALBLOC can have side effects. Not all side effects reported for CALBLOC are included in this leaflet. Should your general health worsen or if you experience any untoward effects while taking CALBLOC, please consult your doctor, pharmacist or other healthcare provider for advice. If any of the following happens, stop taking CALBLOC and tell your doctor immediately or go to the casualty department at your nearest hospital:

Allergic reaction including:

• pruritus (severe itching of the skin).
• rash.
• angioedema (swelling under the skin, often around your face and lips).
• erythema multiforme (large, symmetrical red blotches that appear all over the skin in a circular pattern).

These are a very serious side effects. If you have them, you may have had a serious allergic reaction to CALBLOC. You may need urgent medical attention or hospitalisation.

Tell your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following:

Frequent side effects

• headache, dizziness especially when standing up, sleepiness.
• heart palpitations (very fast heartbeat), flushing (hot or warm feeling in your face).
• stomach pain, nausea.
• swelling of your legs or ankles, tiredness.

Less frequent side effects

• too few white blood cells, too flew blood platelets, too much sugar in the blood.
• mood changes, sleeplessness.
• tightening of the muscles, loss of pain sensation, numbness or tingling sensation, fainting, taste abnormalities, trembling, movement disorder.
• visual disturbances.
• ringing in the ears.
• low blood pressure, inflammation of the blood vessels.
• cough, shortness of breath, sneezing/running nose.
• change in bowel habit, dry mouth, indigestion, swelling of the gums, inflammation of the pancreas, vomiting.
• hair loss, increased sweating, itchy skin, red patches on skin.
• joint or muscle pain, back pain, muscle cramps.
• Increased need to urinate especially at night, pain when urinating.
• enlargement of male breasts, inability to obtain an erection.
• feeling unwell, weakness, pain.
• increase or decrease in weight.
• itching, rash, swelling under the skin, red blotchy skin.
• abnormal liver function, inflammation of the liver (hepatitis), yellowing of the skin (jaundice), liver enzyme increases which may have an effect on some medical tests.
• heart attack, increase in heart rate, chest pain.

Should any of these symptoms occur, or if you notice any side effects not mentioned in this leaflet, please inform your doctor or pharmacist.

Reporting of side effects

If you get side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist or nurse. You can also report side effects to SAHPRA via the “ 6.04 Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Form ”, found online under SAHPRA’s publications: https://www.sahpra.org.za/Publications/Index/8 By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of CALBLOC.

Store all medicines out of reach out children. Store at or below 25 ºC. Protect from light. Store in the original package. Do not store in a bathroom. Do not use after the expiry date stated on the label. Return all unused medicine to your pharmacist. Do not dispose of unused medicine in drains or sewerage systems (e.g. toilets).