Uses And Side Effects Of Verapamil
Verapamil is a medicine that can be taken both orally and intravenously, depending on the patient’s needs. This medicine can be used to treat angina, hypertension and arrhythmias. Read on to find out the most important uses and side effects of verapamil.
About verapamil
What are arrhythmias?
What is angina?
How does verapamil work?
This drug is effective against the aforementioned diseases thanks to its ability to block voltage-gated calcium channels. In addition, verapamil acts on the entry of extracellular calcium through the membranes of heart muscle cells. Moreover, it does not change the level of calcium in the plasma.
To do these things, verapamil attaches to slow calcium channels, changing its structure. As a result, they cannot move calcium from the plasma into myocardial cells.
This drug also interferes with the release of intracellular calcium, which is stored in the sarcoplasmic reticulum, a cellular structure. By reducing the level of calcium inside the cell, the heart muscle dilates, affecting the contractile mechanism. The same goes for the smooth muscle of blood vessels.
This process reduces the peripheral resistance and therefore the subsequent loading. These mechanisms explain the beneficial effects of verapamil for patients with angina and high blood pressure.
Side effects of verapamil
- Sinus bradycardia
- High-grade atrioventricular block; you may need treatment with another medicine
- Headache
- Abdominal pain
Conclusion
However, it has quite dangerous side effects, so it is important to be careful when taking this medicine. Of course, you should always follow the recommendations of the specialist and inform him of any discomfort you may feel.
