Ranexa Blood Thinner: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects
What are the uses of Ranexa? What is the dosage of Ranexa? What are the side effects of Ranexa?
Ranexa: Uses and Purpose
Ranexa, the brand name for the drug ranolazine, is a medication primarily used to treat a certain type of chest pain known as chronic angina. It works by decreasing the frequency of chest pain episodes and helping to increase the ability to exercise. Ranexa is thought to improve the heart’s ability to utilize oxygen more efficiently, allowing it to perform more work with less oxygen.
One of the key benefits of Ranexa is that it can be used in conjunction with other angina medications, such as nitrates, calcium channel blockers, and beta-blockers. This makes it a valuable addition to the treatment arsenal for patients with chronic angina.
Ranexa Dosage and Administration
The dosage of Ranexa is typically based on the individual’s medical condition, response to treatment, and other medications they may be taking. Patients are advised to take Ranexa orally, with or without food, usually twice daily as directed by their healthcare provider.
It is important to swallow the Ranexa tablets whole and not to crush, chew, or split them, as this can release the drug all at once, increasing the risk of side effects. Patients should also be aware that grapefruit and grapefruit juice can interact with Ranexa, potentially increasing the risk of side effects, and should only be consumed if their doctor or pharmacist deems it safe to do so.
Ranexa Side Effects
Like any medication, Ranexa can have potential side effects. The most common side effects associated with Ranexa include:
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Nausea
- Constipation
- Weakness
In some cases, Ranexa can also cause more serious side effects, such as QT prolongation (a heart rhythm issue) or renal impairment. Patients should inform their healthcare provider of any side effects they experience and seek immediate medical attention if they develop severe or concerning symptoms.
Ranexa Interactions
Ranexa can interact with a wide range of medications, including certain antibiotics, antifungals, antidepressants, and heart medications. It is essential for patients to provide their healthcare provider with a comprehensive list of all the medications, both prescription and over-the-counter, they are currently taking, as well as any dietary supplements or herbal remedies.
Some of the most common medications that can interact with Ranexa include:
- Amlodipine
- Aspirin
- Atorvastatin
- Clopidogrel
- Furosemide
- Gabapentin
- Isosorbide mononitrate
- Levothyroxine
- Lisinopril
- Metformin
- Metoprolol
- Nitroglycerin
- Omeprazole
- Pantoprazole
- Simvastatin
Healthcare providers may need to adjust the dosage of Ranexa or other medications, or closely monitor the patient, to manage potential interactions and ensure the safe and effective use of the medications.
Ranexa Contraindications and Precautions
Ranexa is generally contraindicated in patients with severe hepatic (liver) impairment or prolonged QT interval, a heart rhythm issue. Patients with renal disease may also require special consideration and monitoring when taking Ranexa.
It is crucial for patients to inform their healthcare provider of any pre-existing medical conditions, as well as any changes in their health status or medication regimen, to ensure the safe and appropriate use of Ranexa.
Ranexa in Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
The safety of Ranexa during pregnancy and breastfeeding has not been fully established. Pregnant or breastfeeding women should discuss the potential risks and benefits of using Ranexa with their healthcare provider, who can help them make an informed decision based on their individual circumstances.
Conclusion
Ranexa is a valuable medication in the treatment of chronic angina, offering an alternative mechanism of action that can be used in combination with other angina medications. Patients should carefully follow the dosage instructions, be aware of potential side effects and interactions, and consult their healthcare provider for guidance on the safe and effective use of Ranexa.
Ranexa Interactions Checker – Drugs.com
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There are 510 drugs known to interact with
Ranexa (ranolazine), along with
3 disease interactions, and 1 alcohol/food interaction.
Of the total drug interactions,
161 are major, 318 are moderate, and 31 are minor.
Does Ranexa interact with my other drugs?
Enter other medications to view a detailed report.
- View all 510 medications that may interact with Ranexa
- View Ranexa alcohol/food interactions (1)
- View Ranexa disease interactions (3)
Most frequently checked interactions
View interaction reports for Ranexa (ranolazine) and the medicines listed below.
- Major
- Moderate
- Minor
- Unknown
- amlodipine
- Aspir 81 (aspirin)
- aspirin
- Aspirin Low Strength (aspirin)
- atorvastatin
- carvedilol
- clopidogrel
- Crestor (rosuvastatin)
- furosemide
- gabapentin
- Imdur (isosorbide mononitrate)
- isosorbide mononitrate
- Lasix (furosemide)
- levothyroxine
- Lipitor (atorvastatin)
- lisinopril
- losartan
- metformin
- metoprolol
- Metoprolol Succinate ER (metoprolol)
- Metoprolol Tartrate (metoprolol)
- nitroglycerin
- Nitrostat (nitroglycerin)
- omeprazole
- pantoprazole
- Plavix (clopidogrel)
- potassium chloride
- simvastatin
- Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin)
- Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol)
Ranexa alcohol/food interactions
There is 1 alcohol/food interaction with Ranexa (ranolazine).
Ranexa disease interactions
There are 3 disease interactions with Ranexa (ranolazine) which include:
- severe hepatic impairment
- QT prolongation
- renal disease
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More about Ranexa (ranolazine)
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- FDA approval history
- Drug class: antianginal agents
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Related treatment guides
- Angina
Drug Interaction Classification
Major | Highly clinically significant. Avoid combinations; the risk of the interaction outweighs the benefit. |
---|---|
Moderate | Moderately clinically significant. Usually avoid combinations; use it only under special circumstances. |
Minor | Minimally clinically significant. Minimize risk; assess risk and consider an alternative drug, take steps to circumvent the interaction risk and/or institute a monitoring plan. |
Unknown | No interaction information available. |
Further information
Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.
Medical Disclaimer
Ranexa Oral: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, Pictures, Warnings & Dosing
Uses
Ranolazine is used to treat a certain type of chest pain (chronic angina). It decreases how often you may get chest pain and may help to increase your ability to exercise.Ranolazine works differently than other drugs for angina, so it can be used with your other angina medications (including nitrates, calcium channel blockers such as amlodipine, beta blockers such as metoprolol). It is thought to work by improving how well the heart uses oxygen so that it can do more work with less oxygen.
How to use Ranexa
Read the Patient Information Leaflet if available from your pharmacist before you start taking ranolazine and each time you get a refill. If you have any questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Take this medication by mouth with or without food as directed by your doctor, usually twice daily. Swallow this medication whole. Do not crush, chew, or split tablets. Doing so can release all of the drug at once, increasing the risk of side effects.
Avoid eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice while using this medication unless your doctor or pharmacist says you may do so safely. Grapefruit can increase the chance of side effects with this medicine. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details.
The dosage is based on your medical condition, response to treatment, and other medications you may be taking. Be sure to tell your doctor and pharmacist about all the products you use (including prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, and herbal products). Do not take more of this medication than your doctor prescribes.
Use this medication regularly in order to get the most benefit from it. To help you remember, take it at the same times each day. This medication must be taken regularly to be effective. It should not be used to treat angina when it occurs. Use other medications (such as sublingual nitroglycerin) to relieve an angina attack as directed by your doctor. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for details.
Tell your doctor if your condition does not get better or if it gets worse (such as if your chest pain happens more often).
Side Effects
Dizziness, headache, lightheadedness, nausea, tiredness, and constipation may occur. If any of these effects last or get worse, notify your doctor or pharmacist promptly.
To reduce the risk of dizziness and lightheadedness, get up slowly when rising from a sitting or lying position.
Remember that this medication has been prescribed because your doctor has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects. Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects.
Tell your doctor right away if you have any serious side effects, including: signs of kidney problems (such as change in the amount of urine).
Get medical help right away if you have any very serious side effects, including: fainting, severe dizziness, fast/irregular heartbeat.
A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is rare. However, get medical help right away if you notice any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, trouble breathing.
This is not a complete list of possible side effects. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.
In the US – Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or at www.fda.gov/medwatch.
In Canada – Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to Health Canada at 1-866-234-2345.
Precautions
Before taking ranolazine, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it; or if you have any other allergies. This product may contain inactive ingredients, which can cause allergic reactions or other problems. Talk to your pharmacist for more details.
Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of: liver problems (such as cirrhosis), kidney problems.
Ranolazine may cause a condition that affects the heart rhythm (QT prolongation). QT prolongation can rarely cause serious (rarely fatal) fast/irregular heartbeat and other symptoms (such as severe dizziness, fainting) that need medical attention right away.
The risk of QT prolongation may be increased if you have certain medical conditions or are taking other drugs that may cause QT prolongation. Before using ranolazine, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all the drugs you take and if you have any of the following conditions: certain heart problems (heart failure, slow heartbeat, QT prolongation in the EKG), family history of certain heart problems (QT prolongation in the EKG, sudden cardiac death).
Low levels of potassium or magnesium in the blood may also increase your risk of QT prolongation. This risk may increase if you use certain drugs (such as diuretics/”water pills”) or if you have conditions such as severe sweating, diarrhea, or vomiting. Talk to your doctor about using ranolazine safely.
This drug may make you dizzy. Alcohol or marijuana (cannabis) can make you more dizzy. Do not drive, use machinery, or do anything that needs alertness until you can do it safely. Limit alcoholic beverages. Talk to your doctor if you are using marijuana (cannabis).
Before having surgery, tell your doctor or dentist about all the products you use (including prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, and herbal products).
Older adults may be more sensitive to the side effects of this drug, especially QT prolongation (see above).
During pregnancy, this medication should be used only when clearly needed. Discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor.
It is unknown if this medication passes into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding.
Interactions
See also How to Use section.
Drug interactions may change how your medications work or increase your risk for serious side effects. This document does not contain all possible drug interactions. Keep a list of all the products you use (including prescription/nonprescription drugs and herbal products) and share it with your doctor and pharmacist. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicines without your doctor’s approval.
Other medications can affect the removal of ranolazine from your body, which may affect how ranolazine works. Examples include azole antifungals (such as itraconazole, ketoconazole), clarithromycin, cobicistat, nefazodone, HIV protease inhibitors (such as indinavir, nelfinavir, saquinavir), rifamycins (such as rifabutin, rifampin), ritonavir, drugs used to treat seizures (such as carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin), St. John’s wort, among others.
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Overdose
If someone has overdosed and has serious symptoms such as passing out or trouble breathing, call 911. Otherwise, call a poison control center right away. US residents can call their local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. Canada residents can call a provincial poison control center. Symptoms of overdose may include: severe dizziness/fainting, fast/irregular/very slow heartbeat, mental/mood changes (such as confusion, hallucinations), vomiting, severe tremor, unsteadiness.
Do not share this medication with others.
Lab and/or medical tests (such as kidney function) may be done while you are taking this medication. Keep all medical and lab appointments. Consult your doctor for more details.
If you miss a dose, skip the missed dose. Take your next dose at the regular time. Do not double the dose to catch up.
Store at room temperature away from light and moisture. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep all medications away from children and pets.
Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company.
Images
Ranexa 1,000 mg tablet,extended release
Color: pale yellowShape: oblongImprint: GSI1000
This medicine is a pale yellow, oblong, film-coated, tablet imprinted with “GSI1000”.
Ranexa 500 mg tablet,extended release
Color: light orangeShape: oblongImprint: GSI500
This medicine is a pale yellow, oblong, film-coated, tablet imprinted with “GSI1000”.
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Selected from data included with permission and copyrighted by First Databank, Inc. This copyrighted material has been downloaded from a licensed data provider and is not for distribution, except as may be authorized by the applicable terms of use.
CONDITIONS OF USE: The information in this database is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the expertise and judgment of healthcare professionals. The information is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, drug interactions or adverse effects, nor should it be construed to indicate that use of a particular drug is safe, appropriate or effective for you or anyone else. A healthcare professional should be consulted before taking any drug, changing any diet or commencing or discontinuing any course of treatment.
Ranex – a new milestone in the treatment of stable angina | #08/13
By selectively inhibiting the late sodium current, ranolazine prevents the overload of cardiomyocytes with sodium ions, blocking the reverse sodium-calcium exchange and the accumulation of calcium ions. Can be used as monotherapy and in combination
#08/13
Keywords / keywords:
Ranolazine, Stable stenocardia
Ranexa: a new step in treatment of stable stenocardia
Through selective inhibit ion of late sodium current, ranolazine prevents cardiomyocites overloading by sodium ions, blocking reverse sodium-calcium exchange and accumulation of calcium ions. It can be applied as a single-drug therapy amounting to combined treatment of stable stenocardia.
As advertising
Modern medicine offers a wide range of tools used to treat coronary heart disease, including both drug therapy and invasive treatments. But, despite all the achievements of medicine, a significant part of patients suffering from coronary heart disease continues to experience symptoms of angina pectoris, which significantly limits their activity and reduces the quality of everyday life.
For these reasons, at the present stage, one of the main tasks in the treatment of patients with stable angina is still to reduce the frequency and intensity of angina attacks in order to improve the patient’s quality of life.
Berlin-Chemie/A Menarini introduces a new drug in its cardiology line – Ranexa®. Ranexa® is an innovative drug for the treatment of stable angina pectoris.
Ranexa® was first registered in the United States in 2006, where it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration of the United States (FDA) as a drug for the treatment of stable angina pectoris. The drug has been on the European market since 2008.
Ranexa® is a new drug for the treatment of stable angina with an innovative mechanism of action that reduces ischemia in patients with stable angina.
The clinical manifestations of stable angina are based on transient myocardial ischemia, which is caused by a mismatch between myocardial oxygen demand and its delivery. Under conditions of ischemia, cardiomyocytes are overloaded with calcium ions, which in turn leads to impaired myocardial relaxation during diastole and impaired diastolic filling of the coronary arteries, provoking an angina attack.
Ranolazine, the active ingredient of the original drug Ranexa®, is a powerful inhibitor of late sodium current. By selectively inhibiting the late sodium current, ranolazine prevents the overload of cardiomyocytes with sodium ions, thereby blocking the reverse sodium-calcium metabolism and, accordingly, the accumulation of calcium ions in the cell. This contributes to the improvement of the mechanical and electrical function of the myocardium by improving diastolic relaxation and coronary blood flow without affecting the hemodynamic parameters and independently of them. Due to this mechanism of action, the drug breaks the vicious circle of ischemia, restoring the balance between the delivery and consumption of oxygen by the myocardium.
The mechanism of action of ranolazine is unique and fundamentally new, which distinguishes it from other classes of drugs for the treatment of stable angina pectoris and suggests the emergence of a new modern class of antianginal drugs.
The high efficacy and safety parameters of ranolazine have been studied in large multicenter clinical trials (MARISA, CARISA, ROLE, ERICA, MERLIN-TIMI, TERISA), which involved more than 8,000 patients. Ranolazine has an effective antianginal and antiischemic effect, has been proven to reduce the frequency of angina attacks and increase exercise tolerance in patients with stable angina pectoris.
The drug is included in European and American guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of stable angina.
Ranexa® is available in two dosages of 500 mg and 100 mg.