Side Effects Of Carvedilol

Like all medicines, carvedilol can cause side effects in some people, but many people have no side effects or only minor ones.

Side effects usually improve as your body gets used to the medicine.

Common side effects of carvedilol

These common side effects of carvedilol may happen in more than 1 in 100 people. They're usually mild and last a few days after starting the medicine or increasing your dose. There are things you can do to help cope with them:

Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if the advice on how to cope does not help and a side effect is still bothering you or does not go away.

Serious side effects

It happens rarely, but some people have serious side effects when taking carvedilol.

Call a doctor or call 111 straight away if you have:

• nose bleeds that last for more than 10 minutes, unexplained bruising, or you bruise more easily than usual - these can be signs of low numbers of platelets in your blood (thrombocytopenia)
• shortness of breath with a cough that gets worse when you exercise (like walking up the stairs), swollen ankles or legs, or an irregular heartbeat - these may be signs of other heart problems

If you get chest pain and you've already been diagnosed with angina, follow the instructions you've been given for treating your angina:

1. Stop what you're doing and rest.
2. Use any medicine you've been prescribed - this is usually glyceryl trinitrate (GTN).
3. Take another dose after 5 minutes if the first dose does not help.
4. If you still have symptoms 5 minutes after taking the 2nd dose, call 999 for an ambulance.

Call 999 now if:

Do not drive yourself to A&E.

The person you speak to at 999 will give you advice about what to do.

Serious allergic reaction

In rare cases, it's possible to have a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to carvedilol.

Call 999 now if:

• your lips, mouth, throat or tongue suddenly become swollen
• you're breathing very fast or struggling to breathe (you may become very wheezy or feel like you're choking or gasping for air)
• your throat feels tight or you're struggling to swallow
• your skin, tongue or lips turn blue, grey or pale (if you have black or brown skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of your hands or soles of your feet)
• you suddenly become very confused, drowsy or dizzy
• someone faints and cannot be woken up
• a child is limp, floppy or not responding like they normally do (their head may fall to the side, backwards or forwards, or they may find it difficult to lift their head or focus on your face)

You or the person who's unwell may also have a rash that's swollen, raised, itchy, blistered or peeling.

These can be signs of a serious allergic reaction and may need immediate treatment in hospital.

Other side effects

These are not all the side effects of carvedilol. For a full list see the leaflet inside your medicines packet.

Reporting side effects

You can report any suspected side effect using the Yellow Card safety scheme.

Visit the Yellow Card website for more information about reporting side effects.

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