Who should not take Ranexa
It is very important to tell your doctor about all medications you are taking.
Do not take Ranexa if you are taking certain medications that strongly affect the enzyme CYP3A, such as:
- Nizoral® (ketoconazole)
- Sporanox® (itraconazole)
- Biaxin® (clarithromycin)
- Serzone® (nefazodone)
- Viracept® (nelfinavir)
- Norvir® (ritonavir)
- Crixivan® (indinavir)
- Fortovase® (saquinavir)
- Rifadin® (rifampin)
- Mycobutin® (rifabutin)
- Priftin® (rifapentin)
- Phenobarbital
- Phenytek® (phenytoin)
- Tegretol® (carbamazepine)
- St. John's wort (herbal supplement)
Do not take Ranexa if you have serious liver problems.
What to tell your doctor before taking Ranexa
Because Ranexa may prolong a part of the heartbeat known as the QT interval, tell your doctor if you or a family member have had problems with your heart rhythm or heartbeat. Also, tell your doctor if you are taking medicines that prolong the QT interval, such as quinidine, Tikosyn® (dofetilide), Betapace® (sotalol), Cordarone® (amiodarone), erythromycin, Mellaril® (thioridazine), or Geodon® (ziprasidone).
Who can take Ranexa
Ranexa has been studied in adult patients with chronic angina. Some of the chronic angina patients in the clinical studies also had other conditions such as diabetes or heart failure.
Will tolerance develop with Ranexa?
Patients did not develop tolerance to Ranexa after 12 weeks of therapy.
Is Ranexa safe with other medications?
Ranexa can be taken with common heart medications:
- Beta-blockers, such as Toprol-XL® or Inderal®
- Long-acting nitrates, such as Imdur® or Isordil®
- Calcium channel blockers, such as Cardene® or Sular®
- Anti-platelet therapy, such as aspirin or Plavix®
- Lipid-lowering therapy, such as Lipitor® or Crestor®
- ACE inhibitors, such as Prinivil® or Zestril®
- Angiotension receptor blockers, such as Diovan®
or Cozaar®
What should you know about taking Ranexa with other medications or food?
Tell your doctor and pharmacist about all of the prescription medications, over-the-counter (OTC) medications, and herbal supplements you take. The dose of Ranexa may need to be adjusted when taken with certain medications, such as:
- Cardizem® (diltiazem)
- Calan SR® (verapamil)
- Emend® (aprepitant)
- Erythromycin
- Fluconazole
- Mellaril® (thioridazine)
- Geodon® (ziprasidone)
- Cyclosporine
If you take Ranexa, you should limit the amount of grapefruit juice or grapefruit products you consume.
The doses of other medications, such as tricyclic antidepressants, antipsychotics, or digoxin, may need to be adjusted when taken with Ranexa.
What are the possible side effects of Ranexa?
The most common side effects of Ranexa are:
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Constipation
- Nausea
In clinical trials, 6% of patients receiving Ranexa decided to stop taking Ranexa because of side effects. Of patients receiving placebo (sugar pill), 3% stopped taking placebo because of side effects.
Because Ranexa may cause dizziness or light-headedness, you should know how you react to Ranexa before you drive a car, operate machinery, or do any other activity that requires you to be alert or coordinated.
When to contact your doctor
Tell your doctor if you faint or have a side effect that bothers you or does not go away.
If you have any questions about your condition or your treatment, including Ranexa, talk with your doctor.
Please click here to view the Full Prescribing Information.
Biaxin and Norvir are registered trademarks of Abbott Laboratories. Crestor, Imdur, Toprol-XL, and Zestril are registered trademarks of AstraZeneca. Betapace is a registered trademark of Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals. Serzone is a registered trademark of Bristol-Myers Squibb. Plavix is a registered trademark of Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Partnership. Cozaar is a registered trademark of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company. Sular is a registered trademark of Sciele. Cardene is a registered trademark of Hoffmann-La Roche. Sporanox is a registered trademark of Janssen Pharmaceutica. Cardizem is a registered trademark of Biovail. Nizoral is a registered trademark of McNeil Consumer & Specialty Pharmaceuticals. Crixivan, Emend, and Prinivil are registered trademarks of Merck. Phenytek is a registered trademark of Mylan Laboratories. Diovan, Mellaril, and Tegretol are registered trademarks of Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation. Calan SR, Geodon, Lipitor, Mycobutin, Tikosyn, and Viracept are registered trademarks of Pfizer Inc. Fortovase is a registered trademark of Roche. Priftin and Rifadin are registered trademarks of Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC. Cordarone, Inderal, and Isordil are registered trademarks of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.
