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Drug Details

Labetalol Hydrochloride (hypertension)

• Drug Class Description
  a/b-blockers (alpha-blockers / beta-blockers).
• Generic Name
  Generic
• Presentation
  Tablets, labetalol hydrochloride 100 mg , 200 mg , 400 mg . Available from Cox, Generics UK, Hillcross, Lagap.
• Description
  Tablets, film-coated.
• Indications
  

  Hypertension

• Adult Dosage
  

  Initially, 100mg twice daily with Initially, 100mg twice daily with food, increasing if necessary at two-week intervals to a maximum dose of 2.4g daily in three or four divided doses.

• Elderly Dosage
  Initially, 50mg twice daily.
• Contra Indications
  

  2nd or 3rd degree AV block, sinus bradycardia, sick sinus syndrome, severe peripheral arterial disease, uncompensated cardiac failure, cardiogenic shock, hypotension, right ventricular failure secondary to pulmonary hypertension, significant cardiomegaly, untreated phaeochromocytoma.

• Special Precautions
  

  Poor cardiac reserve should be controlled with digitalis and diuretics. History of bronchospasm (labetalol usually has a lesser effect on airways resistance than the non-selective type but should be avoided in patients with wheezing or obstrucive airways disease unless there are compelling clinical reasons).

  Diabetes: metabolic acidosis. Asthenic symptoms. Cerebrovascular insufficiency. Atopy. Renal or hepatic impairment, thyrotoxic crisis. General anaesthesia; consider withdrawal before elective surgery. Pregnancy and lactation. Withdraw gradually.

• Interactions
  

  Clonidine withdrawal, verapamil, diltiazem, class II calcium- channel blockers, class I antiarrhythmics, cardiac depressant anaesthetics, hypoglycaemics, reserpine, other antihypertensives, ergot alkaloids, cimetidine, rifampicin, theophylline, warfarin, CNS depressants, sympathominetics, indometacin (indomethacin).

• Adverse Drug Reactions
  

  Dizziness, headache, fatigue, oedema, ejaculatory fialure, nasal congestion. Rarely, postural hypotension, hepatic reaction. Cold extremities, sleep disturbances (particularly with the more lipophilic drugs), tiredness, bronchospasm, heart failure, hypotension, gastrointestinal upset. If unexplained dry eyes or skin rash occur withdraw gradually.