Calan – Information, Use and Side Effects

Drug Trade Name: Calan, Calan SR, Verelan, Verelan PM

Category: Calcium Channel Blockers

Generic Name: Verapamil

Introduction and Quick information:

Calan, generic name Verapamil, belongs to a class of medicines known as Calcium Channel Blockers. It is commonly used to cure some cardiovascular conditions, like high blood pressure, chest pain (angina) & irregular heart rhythms. It helps by relaxing the heart muscles and improves the flow by calming the blood vessels, thus improves the pump of blood via the heart. 

Is It Approved by U.S. FDA?

Calan is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (U.S. FDA). It was approved in 1984, September 10.

Usage and Benefits of Calan:

Calan is beneficial in the treatment of various heart problems. Following are some its major uses:

• Relaxing the muscles of heart and blood vessels.
• Treat angina (chest pain)
• Deal with hypertension

Side Effects of Calan:

Calan, despite being beneficial for the cardiovascular health, can cause some allergic reactions like hives and swelling in various parts of the body, i.e. face, tongue, lips, throat, and face. Besides these allergic reactions, there can be various other side-effects of Calan, these include:

• Chest pain and irregular heartbeat
• Lightheadedness and feeling of passing out
• Shortness of breath
• Reduced appetite and pain in the upper stomach
• Tiredness and headache
• Jaundice
• Constipation
• Dark urine
• Clay-colored stools

Besides these side-effects, there can be various other side-effects. Thus, if you observe any kind of discomfort after the use of Calan, it is advised to call for immediate medical attention.

General Recommended Dosages of Calan:

It is advised to follow the dosage recommended by a specialized doctor, as they recommend you appropriate dosage by analyzing various factors such as age, sex, height, current medical status, etc. Also, it is advised to not recommend your dosage to someone else, even if they are suffering from the same condition, as the dosage should only be recommended by a professional.

When taking the medicine, you should not break, crush, chew or open an extended-release capsule. Instead, it is advised to gulp the whole tablet down. However, if you face difficulties while swallowing the medicine, ask your doctor to recommend you other ways of taking it.

In Case I Miss the Dose?

If a dosage is missed, you can consume it later whenever you remember. However, just make sure that the time when you consume the missed dose doesn’t overlap with the time of the next dosage, it is advised to skip the missed dose and continue with the further dosage.

In Case I Take Overdose?

In case of the overdose of Calan, you can observe side effects like slowed down heartbeat or even faint. Thus, it is advised that if you observe any of these symptoms after taking Calan, you should call for immediate medical attention as these symptoms can be fatal.

Drug Interactions of Calan:

Calan can interact with the other drugs that you might be using for some other problems. This can reduce the functioning of the Calan and can even be harmful to health. Thus, it is advised that if you are consuming any other prescribed or non-prescribed drug, keep your doctor informed about them so that they can prescribe appropriate prescription and dosage.

Some of the drugs that interact with Calan are listed below: 

• Cimetidine (Tagamet)
• Buspirone (BuSpar)
• Clonidine (Catapres, Kapvay) 
• Cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, SandIMMUNE)
• Lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid)
• Simvastatin (Zocor)
• Digoxin (Lanoxin)
• Theophylline (Elixophyllin)
• Lovastatin (Mevacor, Altocor)
• Antibiotics such as Clarithromycin (Biaxin), Rifampin (Rifadin), Erythromycin (Erythrocin), Telithromycin (Ketek).
• An antifungal medication such as-
  • Fluconazole (Diflucan)
  • Voriconazole (VFEND)
  • Itraconazole (Sporanox)
  • Ketoconazole (Nizoral)
• A beta blocker such as-
  • Bisoprolol (Zebeta)
  • Timolol (Blocadren)
  • Atenolol (Tenormin)
• Cancer medicine such as-
  • Cyclophosphamide (Neosar, Cytoxan)
  • Cisplatin (Platinol)
  • Doxorubicin (Adriamycin)
  • Vinorelbine (Navelbine)
  • Paclitaxel (Taxol)
  • Procarbazine (Matulane)
  • Vincristine (Oncovin)

Lifestyle and Food Habits You Must Follow When on Calan:

Following are some lifestyle and food habits that should be followed when taking Calan:

• Avoid getting up too fast from lying or sitting position. Get up steady & slowly yourself to prevent a fall.
• Avoid drinking alcohol because it may lower your blood pressure and can also cause various other side-effects.
• Verapamil is just a part of the complete treatment that includes exercise, diet & other medications. Follow your diet, exercise routines and medication very closely.
• Grapefruit juice & Grapefruit may interact with Verapamil that leads to dangerous effects. Talk to your doctor about the use of grapefruit products.

How Safe Is Calan for Pregnant Women or Nursing Mothers?

Calan lies under the U.S. FDA pregnancy category C, animal studies have shown no negative effect of the drug on fetal or embryo. While there is no appropriate data available for its effect in human pregnancy.

In case of nursing mothers, it is advised to choose either between the usage of Calan or breastfeeding the newborn child, as it gets excreted in the breastmilk. The decision depends on the medical condition of the mother. 

Complications and Conditions Possible Due to Prolonged Use of Calan:

When Calan is used for a longer time period as compared to the recommended duration by the doctor, it can be hazardous to the health of the patient. Thus, it is advised to consume it only for the time-period suggested by the doctor and only consume the recommended dosages to avoid side-effects.

Availability of Calan:

Calan is a U.S. FDA approved medicine. Thus, you can buy it easily by showing your prescription at government recognized hospitals or at any U.S. FDA  approved medical store. You should also talk to your medical healthcare provider about its availability, in case you do not get this drug.