Albetol
This medicine helps treat very high blood pressure and lowers blood pressure during sleep (anesthesia).
How to Use
Dosage
For severe high blood pressure (hypertensive crisis), an infusion usually contains 50-200 mg. As an injection, 20 mg can be given and repeated every 10 minutes. For lowering blood pressure during anesthesia, the starting dose is 30 mg as an injection, or 20 mg if halothane is used, with additional 5-10 mg doses if needed.
Method
For severe high blood pressure, the medicine is mixed with saline or glucose solution and slowly given into a vein (infusion), or given as an injection into a vein, usually in a hospital. For lowering blood pressure during anesthesia, it is given as an injection into a vein.
Do not take more than 300 mg in total per day, whether by infusion or injection.
Possible Side Effects
- •tiredness, weakness, dizziness, feeling weak
- •nausea, vomiting, stomach upset, diarrhea, constipation
- •low blood pressure when standing up and dizziness, poor circulation in hands (Raynaud's syndrome)
- •heart failure, worsening heart failure, slow heartbeat, swelling, irregular heartbeats, chest pain, heart electrical problems, heart block, leg pain when walking (intermittent claudication)
- •allergic reactions, drug fever, lupus-like symptoms, positive ANA test
- •headache, nightmares, trouble sleeping, depression, temporary tingling in scalp and skin, numbness around mouth, shaky hands
- •high liver enzyme levels, yellow skin/eyes, liver inflammation
- •breathing difficulties, narrowed airways, stuffy nose
- •impotence, problems with ejaculation, trouble starting to pee
- •rash, itching, hair loss, red face
- •low white blood cells, slightly high blood sugar, temporary rise in creatinine in kidney failure patients
- •sweating
- •vision problems, dry eyes
- •dry mouth
- •muscle cramps and calf pain, muscle disease
- •hives, sudden swelling in one area, fever
- •worsening of Raynaud's syndrome (poor circulation in hands)
- •severe liver damage
- •nipple pain
- •temporary reduced blood flow to nipples, causing numbness, paleness, and pain (Raynaud's phenomenon)
Important Warnings
- Do not use Albetol if you are allergic to labetalol or any other ingredient in this medicine, or if you have asthma, severe heart failure, certain heart rhythm problems (second or third-degree heart block), or cardiogenic shock (very slow heart rate or very low blood pressure).
- Be especially careful with Albetol if you have mild heart failure, first-degree heart block, liver or kidney problems, overactive thyroid, or diabetes (as it may hide symptoms of low blood sugar).
- If you stop labetalol treatment suddenly, symptoms of heart disease may worsen. Also, Albetol is not recommended right after open-heart surgery.
- Long-term use of labetalol has rarely been linked to liver damage. If you have yellow skin or eyes, or increased liver enzymes, treatment should be stopped permanently.
- Labetalol given into a vein after a kidney transplant may increase potassium levels in the blood.
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- Be careful if you have peripheral artery diseases (like leg pain when walking), overactive thyroid, or pheochromocytoma (a rare tumor).
- Tell your eye doctor if you are using Albetol before cataract surgery.
- Tell your doctor if your pulse becomes too slow or if your skin or the whites of your eyes turn yellow, as treatment might need to be stopped.
- You should lie down during and for 1-3 hours after Albetol injection until your blood pressure does not drop when you stand up.