What it is used for
- Chronic heart failure
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Protecting the heart after a heart attack
- Chest pain from angina
How it works
Carvedilol both slows the heart and relaxes blood vessels, lowering blood pressure and reducing the heart's workload. In heart failure, it helps protect the heart muscle over time.
How it is taken
Taken by mouth as a tablet, usually with food, which can reduce the chance of dizziness. It is often given twice a day, and an extended-release form may be once daily. Take it exactly as your doctor or pharmacist directs and follow the label; the dose is usually increased slowly in heart failure and should never be stopped suddenly.
No doses here on purpose. The right strength and schedule depend on you — only a doctor or pharmacist should set them. Always follow your prescription and the label.
Common side effects
- Dizziness or light-headedness
- Tiredness
- Slow heartbeat
- Low blood pressure, especially when standing
- Weight gain or mild fluid retention
- Diarrhoea
Serious effects — get help
- Fainting or severe dizziness
- Worsening breathlessness, swelling, or rapid weight gain (possible heart failure worsening)
- Very slow or irregular heartbeat
- Signs of low blood sugar being masked in people with diabetes
- Sudden worsening of chest pain if stopped abruptly
If a reaction is severe — for example trouble breathing, swelling of the face or throat, or collapse — go to the nearest emergency room now or call your local emergency number. Do not wait for an online consultation.
Interactions to watch
- Heart-rate-slowing calcium channel blockers (verapamil, diltiazem)
- Other blood pressure medicines
- Diabetes medicines including insulin (may hide low-blood-sugar signs)
- Digoxin (levels may rise)
- Some asthma or COPD treatments
- Clonidine (care needed when stopping)
Who should take care
- Tell your clinician about asthma, COPD, or breathing problems
- Take with food to reduce dizziness
- Use caution in diabetes, as it can mask low-blood-sugar symptoms
- Do not stop suddenly — taper under medical guidance
- Tell your eye surgeon you take it if you are having cataract surgery