verapamil ER

• Risk factors: History of heart disease

Verapamil ER (Verelan) can cause heart failure and fluid buildup in your lungs. Heart failure means your heart isn't pumping blood as well as it should. If you have a history of heart disease or heart-related problems, let your healthcare provider know before you start verapamil ER (Verelan). You might need to take other medications, such as water pills (diuretics), to help manage your heart problem. Symptoms of heart failure include shortness of breath, tiredness, swelling of the feet, legs, or stomach, quick weight gain, dizziness, and cough.

• Risk factors: History of low blood pressure | Taking blood pressure medications

Verapamil ER (Verelan) can sometimes cause your blood pressure to drop to seriously low levels. This isn't very common if you have high blood pressure, but it's still possible. Tell your healthcare provider if you have symptoms of low blood pressure, including dizziness, lightheadedness, or weakness or tiredness, and especially if you experience blurred vision, thirst (dehydration), sweating, cold or pale skin, fast breathing, or confusion.

• Risk factors: History of liver disease

Verapamil ER (Verelan) can raise the level of liver proteins in your blood. These levels are checked when you get bloodwork done to monitor the health of your liver. Some of these elevations are harmless and disappear as you continue using verapamil ER (Verelan). Other times, it can lead to more serious liver problems. If you have a history of liver disease, let your healthcare provider know before starting verapamil ER (Verelan). You might need routine bloodwork to make sure your labs are within the normal range. Let your provider know right away if you notice yellowing of your skin or eyes (jaundice), stomach pain or swelling, loss of appetite, dark urine, nausea, vomiting, tiredness, weakness, or confusion. These can be signs of liver injury.

• Risk factors: Taking other blood pressure medications, especially beta-blockers

Verapamil ER (Verelan) can cause changes in your heart rhythm, including temporarily lowering your heart rate. Rarely, it can also cause a heart rhythm problem called heart block (AV block), which can be life-threatening. If this occurs, your dose might have to be lowered or you might have to completely stop taking verapamil ER (Verelan). Call for emergency medical help if you have chest pain, dizziness, shortness of breath, severe tiredness, feel like fainting, or feel like your heart skipped a beat.

• Risk factors: Wolff-Parkinson-White or Lown-Ganong-Levine syndrome | Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy | Taking verapamil by injection

Before starting verapamil ER (Verelan), make sure your healthcare provider knows your full medical history, especially if you have any heart-related problems.

If you have an irregular heart rate (e.g., atrial fibrillation or A-fib, atrial flutter) and you're born with extra heart muscle tissue, don't take verapamil ER (Verelan), as this medication might put you at a higher risk for ventricular fibrillation (V-fib). This is a serious heart rhythm condition that can be life-threatening if not treated right away. V-fib was seen in people taking the injection form of verapamil, but you should still take similar precautions with oral forms of verapamil as well. Symptoms of V-fib include chest pain or pressure, shortness of breath, nausea, and vomiting.

If you have a genetic heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), take verapamil ER (Verelan) with caution. HCM causes your heart muscle to grow thicker, making it harder for your heart to pump blood to the rest of your body. If you have HCM, verapamil ER (Verelan) can cause serious complications, such as fluid buildup in your lungs, severely low blood pressure, slow heart rate, heart block, and even death. Let your healthcare provider know if you have HCM because you might need to use a lower dose of verapamil ER (Verelan).