Nicorandil pour l'angine de poitrine

About nicorandil

L'angine de poitrine est une douleur d'origine cardiaque. Elle est généralement causée par le rétrécissement d'une ou de plusieurs artères qui alimentent le cœur en sang. Ce rétrécissement réduit l'apport sanguin à certaines parties du muscle cardiaque. Lorsque votre cœur a besoin de plus de sang et d'oxygène qu'il ne peut en recevoir par les artères rétrécies (par exemple, lorsque vous marchez vite ou montez des escaliers), vous ressentez une douleur d'angine de poitrine.

Nicorandil works by relaxing (widening) your blood vessels. This increases the supply of blood and oxygen to your heart and helps to reduce the number of angina attacks you have. It can also reduce the risk of further heart conditions. You will be prescribed nicorandil if other (more frequently used) medicines are not suitable for you, or if they have not been sufficient to control your chest pains.

Before taking nicorandil

Some medicines are not suitable for people with certain conditions, and sometimes a medicine can only be used if extra care is taken. For these reasons, before you start taking nicorandil it is important that your doctor knows:

• Si vous êtes enceinte ou si vous allaitez.

• Si vous souffrez d'hypotension.

• If you have recently had a heart attack, or been told you have heart failure.

• If you have a problem with fluid build-up in your lungs, called pulmonary oedema.

• Si vous avez déjà eu une réaction allergique à un médicament.

• Si vous prenez ou utilisez d'autres médicaments. Cela comprend tous les médicaments que vous prenez et qui sont disponibles sans ordonnance, ainsi que les médicaments à base de plantes et les médicaments complémentaires.

How to take nicorandil

• Before you start the treatment, read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside the pack. It will give you more information about nicorandil and will also provide you with a full list of side-effects which you could experience from taking it.

• Take nicorandil exactly as your doctor tells you to. It is usual to take one tablet (either 10 mg or 20 mg) twice daily, in the morning and evening. When starting your treatment your doctor may give you a smaller dose (such as half a tablet) and then increase it after a short while. This will help avoid any unwanted side-effects, particularly headache. Your doctor will tell you what dose is right for you, and this information will be printed on the label of the pack of tablets to remind you about what the doctor said to you.

• Try to take your tablets at the same times each day, as this will help you to remember to take your doses regularly. You can take nicorandil tablets either before or after meals. Swallow the tablet with a drink of water.

• Si vous oubliez de prendre une dose, prenez-la dès que vous vous en rendez compte (sauf s'il est presque temps de prendre la dose suivante, auquel cas ne prenez pas la dose oubliée). Ne prenez pas deux doses en même temps pour compenser une dose oubliée.
  

Tirer le meilleur parti de votre traitement

• Nicorandil tablets are not suitable to take to relieve pain if you are having an angina attack. Your doctor will also prescribe a nitrate medicine, such as glyceryl trinitrate (GTN), for you to take if this happens. If after using GTN your pain has not eased within a few minutes, call for an ambulance.

• Essayez de vous rendre à vos rendez-vous réguliers avec votre médecin. Il pourra ainsi vérifier vos progrès.

• Treatment with nicorandil is usually long-term unless you experience an adverse effect. Continue to take the tablets unless you are advised otherwise by your doctor.

• Nicorandil may cause you to feel faint or dizzy, particularly when you first start taking it. Do not drive and do not use tools or machines until you know how you react. It is best not to drink alcohol while you are on nicorandil, as alcohol will increase these feelings of dizziness.

• If you buy any medicines 'over the counter', please check with a pharmacist that they are suitable for you to take with your prescribed medicines, as some anti-inflammatory painkillers may not be. It is very important that you do not take any medicines for erectile dysfunction while you are on nicorandil, unless they have been prescribed by your doctor.

Can nicorandil cause problems?

Along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them. The table below contains some of the most common ones associated with nicorandil. You will find a full list in the manufacturer's information leaflet supplied with your medicine. The unwanted effects often improve as your body adjusts to the new medicine, but speak with your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following continue or become troublesome.

Si vous ressentez d'autres symptômes qui pourraient être dus aux comprimés, demandez conseil à votre médecin ou à votre pharmacien.

How to store nicorandil

• Conservez tous les médicaments hors de la portée et de la vue des enfants.

• Store in a cool, dry place, away from direct heat and light. Keep the blister strip in the outer carton. Do not transfer nicorandil tablets from the blister strips into other containers (including dosette boxes). This is because the original packaging contains a desiccant capsule to keep the tablets fresh and without it they will degrade quickly. Do not swallow the desiccant capsule by mistake.
  

Informations importantes sur tous les médicaments