Hydralazine

Hydralazine is a prescription medication used to treat high blood pressure.

Hydralazine belongs to a group of drugs called peripheral vasodilator. Hydralazine works by relaxing the blood vessels so that blood can flow more easily through the body.

This medication comes in tablet form and is taken usually 4 times a day with food.

This medication is also available in an injectable form to be given directly into the vein (IV) and/ or the muscle (IM) by a healthcare professional.

Common side effects of hydralazine include headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea.

Hydralazine is a prescription medication used to treat high blood pressure.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Hydralazine may be found in some form under the following brand names:

• Apresazide

• Apresoline

• Bidil

• Diuretic Ap-Es

• Hhr

• HydrALAZINE Plus

• Hydrap-ES

• Marpres

• Ser-Ap-Es

• Serathide

• Serpazide

• Serpex

• Tri-Hydroserpine

• Uni Serp

• Unipres

Serious side effects have been reported with hydralazine. See the “Hydralazine Precautions” section.

Common side effects of hydralazine include the following:

• headache
• anorexia
• nausea/vomiting
• diarrhea
• palpitations
• tachycardia
• angina pectoris

This is not a complete list of hydralazine side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• MAO inhibitors such as tranylcypromine (Parnate), phenelzine (Nardil), selegiline (Eldepryl, Zelapar), isocarboxazid (Marplan), and rasagiline (Azilect)
• Other potent parenteral antihypertensive drugs, such as diazoxide (Proglycem)

This is not a complete list of hydralazine drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Serious side effects have been reported with hydralazine including the following:

• Neurologic. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have some or all of the following symptoms:
  • numbness and tingling
  • muscle pain
• Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms:
  • fainting
  • unexplained fever
  • rapid heartbeat
  • chest pain
  • swollen ankles or feet

Hydralazine can cause dizziness. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how hydralazine affects you.

Do not take hydralazine if you:

• are allergic to hydralazine or to any of its ingredients
• coronary artery disease
• mitral valvular rheumatic heart disease

Medications can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of hydralazine, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this medication.

Before taking hydralazine, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions. Especially tell your doctor if you:

• if you are allergic to hydralazine, aspirin, tartrazine (a yellow dye in some processed foods and medications), or any other drugs.
• prescription and nonprescription medications you are taking, especially indomethacin (Indocin), metoprolol (Lopressor), propranolol (Inderal), and vitamins.
• if you have or have ever had coronary artery disease, rheumatic heart disease, kidney or liver disease, or a heart attack.
• if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while taking hydralazine, call your doctor.
• if you are having surgery, including dental surgery
• if you drink alcohol. Alcohol can make the side effects from hydralazine worse.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

Hydralazine falls into category C. There are no well-controlled studies that have been done in pregnant women. Hydralazine should be used during pregnancy only if the possible benefit outweighs the possible risk to the unborn baby.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

It is not known if hydralazine crosses into human milk. Because many medications can cross into human milk and because of the possibility for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants with use of this medication, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or stop the use of this medication. Your doctor and you will decide if the benefits outweigh the risk of using hydralazine.

Take hydralazine exactly as prescribed.

Hydralazine comes in tablet and capsule form and is taken usually four times a day with food.

If you miss a dose, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the regular time. Do not take two doses of hydralazine at the same time.

This medication is also available in an injectable form to be given directly into a vein (IV) or muscle (IM) by a healthcare professional when there is urgent need. Hydralazine hydrochloride injection should be used only when the drug cannot be given orally.

Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.

The dose your doctor recommends may be based on the following:

• the condition being treated
• other medical conditions you have
• other medications you are taking
• how you respond to this medication
• your weight
• your height
• your age

The recommended dose range of oral hydralazine for the treatment of hypertension is 10 mg - 50 mg.

The recommended dose range of hydralazine injection for the treatment of hypertension is 20-40 mg and can be repeated as necessary.

If you take too much hydralazine, call your healthcare provider or local Poison Control Center, or seek emergency medical attention right away.

• Store hydralazine at 20° to 25°C (68° to 77°F) and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom).
• Keep this medication in the container it came in, and keep it tightly closed.
• Keep this and all medicines out of the reach of children.
• Throw away any medication that is outdated or no longer needed.