Consumer medicine information

Isordil® Sublingual Tablets

Isosorbide Dinitrate


Consumer Medicine Information

This leaflet answers some common questions about Isordil Sublingual tablets. It does not contain all the available information. It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist or asking questions.

All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you taking Isordil Sublingual tablets against the benefits they expect it will have for you.

If you have any concerns about taking Isordil, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Keep this leaflet with your Isordil tablets. You may need to read it again.

What Isordil is used for

Isordil Sublingual tablets are for the prevention and treatment of attacks of angina. It will not reduce the pain of an angina attack, but when taken regularly may prevent an attack from occurring

Angina is a pain or uncomfortable feeling in the chest, often spreading to the arms, neck and sometimes to the shoulders and back. The pain may be caused by too little blood and oxygen getting to the heart.

Isordil belongs to a group of medicines called nitrates. Isordil works by opening up blood vessels which allows more blood and oxygen to reach the heart.

Isordil may also be helpful in the treatment of some types of heart failure.

Your doctor may have prescribed Isordil for another purpose.

Ask your doctor if you have any questions why Isordil has been prescribed for you.

There is no evidence that Isordil is addictive.

Before you use it

When you must not use it

  1. If you have allergies to:
  • Isordil
  • any medication or food containing nitrates or nitrites
  • any ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet

Symptoms of an allergic reaction may include skin rash, itching or hives on the skin, swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body, shortness of breath, wheezing or troubled breathing, hay fever, and feeling faint.

  1. If you have any of the following medical conditions:
  • you suffer from certain types of heart or vascular disease (your doctor will advise you if this applies)
  • you have very low blood pressure
  • you have anaemia
  • you are pregnant or breastfeeding, unless your doctor advised that you can use Isordil. Ask your doctor about the risks or benefits involved
  1. Do not use Isordil after the expiry date (Exp) printed on the pack.
  2. Do not take it if the package shows any sign of tampering.
  3. Isordil is not recommended for use in children (your doctor will advise you if this applies).

Before you start to use Isordil

See your doctor for a check-up before you start to use Isordil. You must tell your doctor if you are taking any other medicines, including any medicines that you have bought from a pharmacy or supermarket

Tell your doctor if you have any of the following conditions

  • heart, liver or kidney disease
  • blood disorders or hardening of the arteries
  • low blood pressure
  • if you have recently had a heart attack, stroke or head injury
  • hypothyroidism, hypothermia, malnutrition or angle closure glaucoma
  • other medical conditions

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you take any other medicines, including any of the following:

  • medications for high blood pressure and other heart medications
  • tranquillisers/sedatives
  • medications for arthritis
  • medications for depression

These medicines may affect the way Isordil works.

Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you what to do if you are taking any of these medicines.

Do not start to take any other medicine unless prescribed or approved by your doctor.

This includes medicines you can buy without a prescription from a pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.

How to use it

Isordil Sublingual tablets are for the relief of an anginal attack.

How to take Isordil

At the first signs of an anginal attack, place one or two tablets under your tongue. If your angina is not relieved after taking these tablets you should call your doctor or nearest hospital immediately.

Your may doctor may recommend a different dose for you.

Follow your doctor’s instructions if they are different from these.

Swallow the tablets with a glass of water.

Take this medicine exactly as directed by your doctor.

Elderly patients may need a lower dose.

If you forget to take Isordil

If you should be taking your next dose within 2 hours, skip the dose you missed and take your next dose when you are meant to.

Otherwise, take Isordil as soon as you remember, and then go back to take it as you would normally.

Do not try to make up for the dose that you missed by taking more than one dose at a time.

If you are unsure about whether to take your next dose, speak to your doctor or pharmacist.

If you have trouble remembering when to take your medicine, ask your pharmacist for some hints.

Overdose

Immediately telephone your doctor or Poisons Information Centre (Phone 13 11 26) for advice or go to Casualty of your nearest hospital if you think that you or anyone else may have taken too much Isordil, even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. Keep the telephone number for these places handy whilst taking any medications.

If you take too many Isordil tablets, you may experience a headache, become flushed, experience cold sweats, nausea, vomiting, very low blood pressure and a fast heartbeat.

While you are using Isordil tablets

Things you must do

Visit your doctor regularly for a check up and always discuss with your doctor any problems you have with Isordil tablets.

Tell your doctor immediately if your angina attacks are getting worse or more frequent whilst using Isordil.

Take Isordil as your doctor has prescribed.

Keep enough tablets to last weekends and holidays. If you do happen to run out, Isordil can be purchased from a pharmacy without a prescription.

Before having any type of surgery, tell your doctor or anaesthetist you are taking Isordil.

If a headache occurs after taking Isordil, pain relievers are recommended. The headache usually disappears on continual therapy with Isordil. If the headache persists, contact your doctor.

Things to be careful of

You may feel light-headed or dizzy or faint when you begin to take Isordil. This is because your blood pressure is falling suddenly.

Get up slowly when getting out of bed or standing up from a sitting position if you feel light-headed, dizzy or faint.

If you drink alcohol, dizziness or faintness may be worse.

Standing up slowly, especially when you get up from bed or chairs, will help your body get used to the change in position and blood pressure. The problem usually goes away after the first few doses.

Be careful driving or operating machinery until you know how Isordil affects you.

Even though you may feel better when you start taking Isordil, be careful to avoid excessive physical activities.

Things you must not do

Do not chew or crush the tablets.

If you have been taking Isordil regularly for some time, do not suddenly stop taking it as this may bring on an angina attack.

Check with your doctor for the best way to slowly reduce the amount of Isordil you are taking before stopping completely.

Do not give this medicine to anyone else.

Do not take any other medicines unless you have discussed this with your doctor or pharmacist. This includes medicines you can buy without a prescription from a pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.

Side effects

Tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are taking Isordil.

Isordil helps most people with angina, but it may have unwanted side effects in some people.

All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You may need medical treatment if you get any of the following side effects.

More common effects

  • headache (temporary or persistent)
  • dizziness, light-headedness, or feeling faint, especially when getting up from sitting or lying down

Less common

  • nausea and vomiting
  • flushing
  • swollen hands and feet
  • skin rash and flaking of the skin
  • anaemia
  • increase in your heart rate
  • hypoxaemia (low blood oxygen levels)

Serious side effects

  • severe drops in blood pressure and an increase in your heart rate
  • sensitive patients may experience a decrease in blood flow, which could damage your heart or result in heart failure.

Tell your doctor if you notice anything else that is making you feel unwell, even if it is not on this list. Some people may get other side effects while taking Isordil.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have.

After using it

Storage

Keep your Isordil tablets in the bottle until it is time to take them. If you take the tablets out of the bottle they will not keep well.

Keep your medicine in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below 30°C.

Do not store Isordil or any other medicine in the bathroom or near a sink. Heat and dampness can destroy some medicines.

Keep your medication where young children cannot reach it. A locked cupboard at least one-and-a-half metres above the ground is a good place to store medicines.

Do not leave Isordil in the car on hot days.

Disposal

Return any unused medicine to your pharmacist.

Product Description

What Isordil looks like

Isordil 5 mg Sublingual tablets – pink round tablet, supplied in a bottle containing 100 tablets.

Ingredients

Isordil 5 mg Sublingual

Active ingredient: 5 mg isosorbide dinitrate

Inactive ingredients:

  • lactose monohydrate
  • starch
  • magnesium stearate
  • microcrystalline cellulose
  • Erythrosine Lake CI 45430 colouring agent

Contains sugars as lactose.

Distributor

Arrow Pharma Pty Ltd
15-17 Chapel Street
Cremorne VIC 3121

This leaflet was last revised in June 2022.

Australian Registration Numbers:

Isordil 5 mg:
AUST R 12957

Published by MIMS August 2022