Treats a kind of low blood pressure that can cause severe dizziness or fainting
Brand Names:
Proamatine
Contraindications:
You should not use this medicine if you have had an allergic reaction to midodrine or if you have severe heart or kidney disease, an overactive thyroid, problems emptying your bladder, high blood pressure, or pheochromocytoma (a tumor on the adrenal gland)
Uses:
Tablet
Your doctor will tell you how much medicine to take and how often.
Your doctor may tell you to take this medicine in the morning, at noon, and in the late afternoon.
Lying down after taking midodrine may cause your blood pressure to get too high. Don't take the last dose of the day after 6 pm (unless your doctor tells you differently), and be sure you wait at least 3-to-4 hours after the last dose before going to bed.
Wait at least 3 hours between each dose of this medicine.
You may take the medicine with food or on an empty stomach.
If a dose is missed:
Take the missed dose as soon as possible, unless you are due to take your next dose within 3 hours.
Skip the missed dose if you are due to take your next dose within 3 hours.
You should not use two doses at the same time.
Storage:
Store the tablets at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light.
Keep all medicine out of the reach of children.
Special precautions:
Before taking, tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to any medications. tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking. tell your doctor if you have or have ever had heart failure or liver disease. tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while taking, call your doctor
Make sure your doctor knows if you are taking dihydroergotamine (DHE 45), fludrocortisone (Florinef®), prazosin (Minipress®), terazosin (Hytrin®), doxazosin (Cardura®), metformin (Glucophage®), cimetidine (Tagamet®), ranitidine (Zantac®), procainamide (Procan SR®), triamterene (Dyazide®, Dyrenium®), flecainide (Tambocor®), or quinidine.
Tell your doctor if you are taking digoxin (Lanoxin®) or beta blockers such as propranolol, atenolol, metoprolol, timolol, and others. If your heart beats become slower or if you feel dizzy while taking midodrine, tell your doctor.
Some diet pills and over-the-counter cold and hay fever medicines can also raise your blood pressure. Talk to your doctor before taking these or any other medicines.
Warnings:
Check with your doctor before taking this medicine if you have problems urinating, diabetes, glaucoma, or liver disease.
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, talk to your doctor before taking this medicine.
This medicine will raise your blood pressure. Your blood pressure may get too high, especially when you lie down. Your doctor may want you to sleep with the head of your bed raised to help prevent this.
If your blood pressure gets too high, you may have a fast heartbeat, chest pain, pounding in your ears, a headache, or blurred vision. If you have any of these symptoms, stop taking the medicine and tell your doctor right away.
While you are taking this medicine, you will need to have your blood pressure checked regularly. Keep all appointments with your doctor.
If you have been taught to check your blood pressure yourself, check it on a regular schedule. Your blood pressure should stay within a certain range. Your doctor will tell you what that range should be. If your blood pressure is out of that range, call your doctor.
Side Effects:
Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
Fast heartbeat
Chest pain
Pounding in your ears, headache
Eye pain or blurred vision
Tingling or itching, especially on your scalp
Chills or goosebumps
Urinating more often than usual or feeling the urge to urinate more often
