Aldomet Tablet - Uses, Side Effects, Overdose, Warnings, Precautions and FAQs
Uses
What is Methyldopa (Aldomet) used for?
- Hypertension
- Hypertensive Emergency
- Pre-eclampsia/Eclampsia
- Cardiovascular Disease
- not applicable
- Hypertensive Congestive Heart Failure
- Hypertensive Heart (w/ CHF) and Renal Disease
- Hypertensive Heart (w/o CHF) and Renal Disease
- Hypertensive Renal Disease
- Hypertensive Retinopathy
- Renovascular Hypertension
- Hypertensive Encephalopathy
- Hypertensive Heart Disease
Side EffectsGet emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Aldomet may cause serious side effects. Call your doctor at once if you have:
a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out;
pale or yellowed skin, dark colored urine, fever, confusion or weakness;
uncontrolled or involuntary muscle movements;
heart problems--swelling, rapid weight gain, feeling short of breath; or
signs of liver or pancreas problems--loss of appetite, upper stomach pain (that may spread to your back), nausea or vomiting, fast heart rate, dark urine, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).
Common side effects of Aldomet may include:
weakness; or
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur.
Warnings
- Methyldopa may cause anemia (low number of red blood cells). Before starting treatment, doctors may order certain blood tests to check blood levels of red blood cells. Additionally, periodic blood tests should be done during treatment to detect hemolytic anemia (spontaneous break-down of red blood cells). Methyldopa should be discontinued if hemolytic anemia occurs during treatment.
- Methyldopa should be used cautiously in patients who have a history of liver disease and should be avoided in patients with active liver disease including acute hepatitis and active cirrhosis.
- Methyldopa may cause water retention (edema or swelling of the legs) or weight gain in some patients and, therefore, should be used cautiously in heart failure patients.
- Methyldopa is removed by certain types of dialysis procedures. In certain dialysis patients, hypertension (high blood pressure) has occurred as a result of methyldopa being removed from the body during dialysis.
- Methyldopa should be used cautiously in patients with cerebrovascular disease because involuntary movements have been observed during treatment.
PrecautionsBefore using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of: liver disease (such as hepatitis, cirrhosis), low red bloodcell count (anemia), heart failure, pheochromocytoma, a certain genetic condition (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency).
This drug may make you dizzy or drowsy. Alcohol or marijuana (cannabis) can make you more dizzy or drowsy. Do not drive, use machinery, or do anything that needs alertness until you can do it safely. Limit alcoholic beverages. Talk to your doctor if you are using marijuana (cannabis).
Before having surgery, tell your doctor or dentistabout all the products you use (including prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, and herbal products).
Older adults may be more sensitive to the side effects of this medication, especially dizziness(more likely when standing up), fainting, or depression. Dizziness and fainting can increase the risk of falling.
FAQs
What is it?
Methyldopa (Aldomet®) is used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension) in pregnancy.
What are the benefits of taking methyldopa in pregnancy?
Methyldopa can prevent the complications caused by hypertension (high blood pressure) in pregnancy, and a related condition called pre-eclampsia. These complications include preterm birth, low birth weight in the baby, and illness in both the mother and baby which is sometimes serious.
Are there any risks of taking methyldopa during pregnancy?
Use of methyldopa in pregnancy is common and is unlikely to cause any harm. Most pregnant women taking methyldopa will start treatment after the first trimester when the baby is fully developed. This will therefore not cause structural birth defects in the baby. Even if you have taken methyldopa in the first trimester, there is no good evidence that this is linked to birth defects. There are also no known links with miscarriage or stillbirth and no evidence that methyldopa causes preterm birth or low infant birth weight.
Are there any alternatives to taking methyldopa?
Possibly. Other medicines can also be used to treat hypertension in pregnancy and pre-eclampsia. However, if your doctor has suggested that you take methyldopa, this will be based on a number of factors including how you have responded to other high blood pressure medicines and whether you have experienced any side effects. If you have any questions about a medicine that you are offered in pregnancy, you should discuss them with your doctor or midwife.
What if I prefer not to take medicines to treat hypertension or pre-eclampsia?
It is very important to take any medicines prescribed for hypertension or pre-eclampsia as both of these conditions can be serious for both mother and baby. Your doctor will only prescribe medicines when absolutely necessary and will be happy to talk to you about any concerns that you might have.
Will my baby need extra monitoring?
All pregnant women in the UK should be offered a detailed anomaly scan at around 20 weeks of pregnancy as part of their routine antenatal care. No extra monitoring for major birth defects is required following methyldopa use in pregnancy.
In general, women with high blood pressure will be more closely monitored during pregnancy to ensure that they remain well throughout and that their baby is growing as expected.
Are there any risks to my baby if the father has taken methyldopa?
We would not expect any increased risk to your baby if the father takes methyldopa.
Who can I talk to if I have questions?
If you have any questions regarding the information in this leaflet, please discuss them with your health care provider. They can access more detailed medical and scientific information from
