Brevibloc
Brevibloc contains esmolol, a beta-blocker, which helps control your heart rate and strength, and can also lower your blood pressure.
Form
infuusioneste, liuos
Strength
10 mg/ml
Active Ingredient
Esmolol hydrochloride
Manufacturer
Baxter Oy
How to Use
Dosage
Your doctor will decide the correct dose and how long you will receive this medicine.
Method
The medicine is given as a slow injection (infusion) into a vein in your arm.
Important
This medicine is usually not used for more than 24 hours.
Possible Side Effects
COMMON
- •Low blood pressure (may cause dizziness or lightheadedness).
- •Excessive sweating.
- •Loss of appetite.
- •Anxiety or depression.
- •Dizziness.
- •Drowsiness.
- •Headache.
- •Tingling or prickling sensation (pins and needles) in the skin.
- •Difficulty concentrating.
- •Confusion or irritability.
- •Feeling sick (nausea and vomiting).
- •Weakness.
- •Feeling tired (fatigue).
- •Skin irritation and hardening at the Brevibloc injection site.
RARE
- •Abnormal thoughts.
- •Sudden loss of consciousness.
- •Lightheadedness or fainting.
- •Seizures or convulsions.
- •Speech difficulties.
- •Vision problems.
- •Slow heart rate.
- •Problems with electrical signals controlling heart rate.
- •Increased pressure in lung arteries.
- •Heart's inability to pump enough blood (heart failure).
- •Heart rhythm problems or palpitations (ventricular extrasystoles).
- •Irregular heart rhythm (nodal rhythm).
- •Chest discomfort caused by poor blood flow through heart muscle vessels (angina pectoris).
- •Poor circulation in arms or legs.
- •Paleness or redness.
- •Fluid in the lungs.
- •Shortness of breath or chest tightness, making breathing difficult.
- •Wheezing.
- •Stuffy nose.
- •Abnormal crackling/rattling sounds during breathing.
- •Changes in taste.
- •Indigestion.
- •Constipation.
- •Dry mouth.
- •Abdominal pain.
- •Skin discoloration.
- •Skin redness.
- •Muscle or tendon pain, including in shoulder blades and ribs.
- •Urination problems (urinary incontinence).
- •Feeling cold or hot (fever).
- •Pain or swelling (edema) in the vein at the Brevibloc injection site.
- •Burning sensation or bruising at the injection site.
- •Very slow heart rate (sinus arrest).
- •No electrical activity in the heart (cardiac arrest).
- •Tender blood vessels and hot, red skin (thrombophlebitis).
- •Skin death due to solution leakage around the injection site.
- •Increased potassium levels in the blood (hyperkalemia).
- •Increased acid levels in the body (metabolic acidosis).
- •Increased heart contraction rate (accelerated idioventricular rhythm).
- •Spasms in heart arteries.
- •Disturbance of normal blood circulation (cardiac arrest).
- •Psoriasis (where your skin produces scaly patches).
- •Swelling of facial skin, limbs, tongue, or throat (angioedema).
- •Hives (urticaria).
- •Vein inflammation or blister formation at the infusion site.
Important Warnings
- Do not take if you are allergic to esmolol, other beta-blockers, or any other ingredients in this medicine. Signs of an allergic reaction include shortness of breath, wheezing, rash, or itching/swelling of the face and lips.
- Do not take if your heart rate is very slow (less than 50 beats per minute) or if it is fast or varies between fast and slow.
- Do not take if you have a severe heart block (a problem with the electrical signals controlling your heart rate).
- Do not take if your blood pressure is low or if you have severe symptoms of heart failure.
- Do not take if you are receiving or have recently received verapamil. Brevibloc should not be given within 48 hours of stopping verapamil treatment.
Show 11 more warnings
- Do not take if you have an untreated pheochromocytoma (a condition that can cause sudden high blood pressure, severe headache, sweating, and increased heart rate).
- Do not take if you have high blood pressure in your lungs (pulmonary hypertension) or asthma symptoms that are rapidly worsening.
- Do not take if you have high acid levels in your body (metabolic acidosis).
- Tell your doctor if you are being treated for a specific heart rhythm disorder (supraventricular arrhythmia) and have other heart problems or are taking other heart medicines. Brevibloc in these cases can cause severe reactions like loss of consciousness, shock, or cardiac arrest.
- Tell your doctor if your blood pressure drops too low (hypotension). Signs include dizziness or confusion, especially when standing up. Low blood pressure usually corrects itself within 30 minutes after stopping Brevibloc.
- Tell your doctor if your heart rate drops below 50-55 beats per minute. Your doctor may lower your dose or stop Brevibloc.
- Tell your doctor if you develop skin problems (like irritation or hardening) at the injection site, which might be due to solution leakage.
- Tell your doctor if you have circulation problems, such as pale fingers (Raynaud's syndrome) or pain in your legs.
- Tell your doctor if you have kidney problems or need dialysis, as potassium levels in your blood might rise too high (hyperkalemia), causing serious heart problems.
- Tell your doctor if you are prone to allergies or severe allergic reactions, as Brevibloc can worsen them.
- Tell your doctor if you have diabetes or low blood sugar, as Brevibloc can increase the effects of your diabetes medications.