ting period.
Amlodipine
Common
Vomiting.
Uncommon
Alopecia, altered bowel habits, dyspepsia, dyspnoea, rhinitis, gastritis, gingival hyperplasia, gynaecomastia, hyperglycaemia, impotence, increased urinary frequency, leucopenia, malaise, mood changes, myalgia, peripheral neuropathy, pancreatitis, hepatitis, thrombocytopenia, vasculitis, angioedema and erythema multiforme.
Rare
Arrhythmia, myocardial infarction. Rarely, patients, particularly those with severe obstructive coronary artery disease, have developed increased frequency, duration or severity of angina or acute myocardial infarction on starting calcium channel blocker therapy or at the time of dosage increase. Arrhythmia (including ventricular tachycardia and atrial fibrillation) has also been reported. These adverse events may not be distinguishable from the natural history of the underlying disease.
Very rare
Cholestatic jaundice, AST and ALT increase, purpura, rash and pruritus. Exceptional cases of extrapyramidal syndrome have been reported.
Valsartan
Not known
Decrease in haemoglobin, decrease in haematocrit, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, increase of serum potassium, elevation of liver function values including increase of serum bilirubin, renal failure and impairment, elevation of serum creatinine, angioedema, myalgia, vasculitis, hypersensitivity including serum sickness.
4.9 Overdose
Symptoms
There is no experience of overdose with Exforge. The major symptom of overdose with valsartan is possibly pronounced hypotension with dizziness. Overdose with amlodipine may result in excessive peripheral vasodilation and, possibly, reflex tachycardia. Marked and potentially prolonged systemic hypotension up to and including shock with fatal outcome have been reported.
Treatment
If ingestion is recent, induction of vomiting or gastric lavage may be considered. Administration of activated charcoal to healthy volunteers immediately or up to two hours after ingestion of amlodipine has been shown to significantly decrease amlodipine absorption. Clinically significant hypotension due to Exforge overdose calls for active cardiovascular support, including frequent monitoring of cardiac and respiratory function, elevation of extremities, and attention to circulating fluid volume and urine output. A vasoconstrictor may be helpful in restoring vascular tone and blood pressure, provided that there is no contraindication to its use. Intravenous calcium gluconate may be beneficial in reversing the effects of calcium channel blockade.
Both valsartan and amlodipine are unlikely to be removed by haemodialysis.
5. PHARMACOLOGICAL PROPERTIES
5.1 Pharmacodynamic properties
Pharmacotherapeutic group: Agents acting on the renin-angiotensin system; angiotensin II antagonists, combinations; angiotensin II antagonists and calcium channel blockers, ATC code: C09DB01
Exforge combines two antihypertensive compounds with complementary mechanisms to control blood pressure in patients with essential hypertension: amlodipine belongs to the calcium antagonist class and valsartan to the angiotensin II antagonist class of medicines. The combination of these substances has an additive antihypertensive effect, reducing blood pressure to a greater degree than either component alone.
Amlodipine/Valsartan
The combination of amlodipine and valsartan produces dose-related addit |
