Details

Reserpine lowers blood pressure by slowing down your nervous system. This allows your blood vessels to relax and dilate (widen), which helps your heart beat more slowly and improves blood flow. Reserpine is used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure). Reserpine is also used to treat agitated psychotic conditions such as schizophrenia. You should not use reserpine if you are allergic to it, or if you have a history of depression a history of suicidal thoughts or actions a stomach ulcer ulcerative colitis or a condition for which you are being treated with electroconvulsive (shock) therapy. To make sure reserpine is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have gallstones kidney disease or a history of stomach problems or slow digestion. Reserpine is not approved for use by anyone younger than 18 years old.

Typical Uses

Reserpine is used with or without other medications to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). Lowering high blood pressure helps prevent strokes, heart attacks, and kidney problems. It works by decreasing certain substances in the body (such as norepinephrine). This causes the blood vessels to relax so that blood can flow more easily and also slows the heart rate. These effects help to lower blood pressure.

Side Effects

Some people taking reserpine have developed depression. Stop taking reserpine and call your doctor right away if you have unusual changes in mood or behaviour sudden lack of energy or feelings of low self-worth loss of interest in things you once enjoyed new sleep problems, such as nightmares or early morning insomnia or thoughts about hurting yourself. Other side effects of reserpine may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, loss of appetite headache, dizziness, drowsiness breast tenderness or swelling itching or rash stuffy nose, nosebleeds weight gain or impotence, decreased interest in sex.

Drug Interactions

• Reserpine+tetrabenazine- Using tetrabenazine together with reserpine is not recommended. These medications have similar effects and taking them together can increase the risk of serious side effects including symptoms of Parkinson's disease, difficulty swallowing, and other movement disorders. When switching from reserpine to tetrabenazine, you need to wait at least 20 days after stopping reserpine before starting tetrabenazine.
• Reserpine+tizanidine- Tizanidine and reserpine may have additive effects in lowering your blood pressure. You may experience headache, dizziness, light-headedness, fainting, and/or changes in pulse or heart rate. These side effects are most likely to be seen at the beginning of treatment, following a dose increase, or when treatment is restarted after an interruption.

Mechanism of action

Reserpine belongs to a class of medicines called rauwolfia alkaloids. It works by slowing the activity of the nervous system, thereby slowing down the heartbeat and allowing the blood vessels to relax.

Pregnancy Category : C