Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email
Answers.com

Pindolol

 

n

trade name: Visken; drug class: nonselective β-adrenergic blocker; action: competitively blocks stimulation of β-adrenergic receptors within the heart and decreases renin activity, both of which may play a role in reducing systolic and diastolic blood pressure; use: mild-to-moderate hypertension.

Search unanswered questions...
Enter a question here...
Search: All sources Community Q&A Reference topics
Drug Info: Pindolol
Top

Chemical formula:



Pindolol tablets

What are pindolol tablets?

PINDOLOL (Visken®) belongs to a group of medicines called beta-blockers. Beta-blockers reduce the workload on the heart and help it to beat more regularly. Pindolol controls, but does not cure, high blood pressure (hypertension). High blood pressure may not make you feel sick, but it can lead to serious heart problems. Pindolol also relieves chest pain (angina). Generic pindolol tablets are available.

What should I tell my health care provider before I take this medicine?

They need to know if you have any of these conditions:
• asthma, bronchitis or bronchospasm
• circulation problems, or blood vessel disease (such as Raynaud's disease)
• depression
• diabetes
• emphysema, or other lung disease
• history of heart attack or heart disease, vasospastic angina
• kidney disease
• liver disease
• muscle weakness or disease
• pheochromocytoma
• psoriasis
• thyroid disease
• an unusual or allergic reaction to pindolol, other beta-blockers, other medicines, foods, dyes, or preservatives
• pregnant or trying to get pregnant
• breast-feeding

How should I take this medicine?

Take pindolol tablets by mouth. Follow the directions on the prescription label. Swallow the tablets with a drink of water. Take your doses at regular intervals. Do not take your medicine more often than directed. Do not stop taking except on your prescriber's advice.

Contact your pediatrician or health care professional regarding the use of this medicine in children. Special care may be needed.

What if I miss a dose?

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you can. If it is almost time for your next dose (less than 4 hours), take only that dose. Do not take double or extra doses.

What drug(s) may interact with pindolol?

• antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen)
cimetidine
cocaine
digoxin
ergotamine
• hawthorn
levodopa
• medicines for diabetes
• medicines for high blood pressure
• medicine for mental problems and psychotic disturbances
• monoamine oxidase inhibitors (Azilect®, Eldepryl®, Emsam®, Marplan®, Nardil®, Parnate®, Zelapar™)
reserpine
• water pills

Tell your prescriber or health care professional about all other medicines you are taking, including nonprescription medicines, nutritional supplements, or herbal products. Also tell your prescriber or health care professional if you are a frequent user of drinks with caffeine or alcohol, if you smoke, or if you use illegal drugs. These may affect the way your medicine works. Check with your health care professional before stopping or starting any of your medicines.

What should I watch for while taking pindolol?

Check your heart rate and blood pressure regularly while you are taking pindolol. Ask your prescriber or health care professional what your heart rate and blood pressure should be, and when you should contact him or her. It can be 2 weeks or longer before the full effect of pindolol in lowering blood pressure is seen.

Do not stop taking this medicine suddenly. This could lead to serious heart-related effects.

You may get drowsy or dizzy. Do not drive, use machinery, or do anything that requires mental alertness until you know how pindolol affects you. To reduce the risk of dizzy or fainting spells, do not sit or stand up quickly. Alcohol can make you more drowsy, and increase flushing and rapid heartbeats. Therefore, it is best to avoid alcoholic drinks.

Pindolol can affect blood sugar levels. If you have diabetes, check with your prescriber or health care professional before you change your diet or the dose of your diabetic medicine.

If you are going to have surgery, tell your prescriber or health care professional that you are taking pindolol.

What side effects may I notice from taking pindolol?

Side effects that you should report to your prescriber or health care professional as soon as possible:
• confusion, hallucinations (seeing and hearing things that are not really there)
• changes in blood sugar
• chest pain
• cold hands or feet
• difficulty breathing, wheezing
• difficulty sleeping, nightmares
• dizziness or fainting spells
• joint pain
• muscle cramps or weakness
• skin rash, itching, dry peeling skin
• slow heart rate (less than 50 beats per minute)
• swelling of the legs and ankles
• vomiting

Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report to your prescriber or health care professional if they continue or are bothersome):
• diarrhea
• dry sore eyes
• hair loss
• nausea
• sexual difficulties (impotence or decreased sexual urges)
• weakness or tiredness

Where can I keep my medicine?

Keep out of the reach of children in a container that small children cannot open.

Store at room temperature below 30 degrees C (86 degrees F). Protect from light, Keep container tightly closed. Throw away any unused medicine after the expiration date.

Last updated: 7/1/2002

Important Disclaimer: The drug information provided here is for educational purposes only. It is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the diagnosis, treatment and advice of a medical professional. This drug information does not cover all possible uses, precautions, side effects and interactions. It should not be construed to indicate that this or any drug is safe for you. Consult your medical professional for guidance before using any prescription or over the counter drugs.

Veterinary Dictionary: pindolol
Top

A partial β-agonist used to treat aggression in dogs.

Wikipedia: Pindolol
Top
1 : 1 mixture (racemate)
Pindolol
Systematic (IUPAC) name
(RS)-1-(1H-indol-4-yloxy)-3-(isopropylamino)propan-2-ol
Identifiers
CAS number 13523-86-9
ATC code C07AA03
PubChem 4828
DrugBank APRD00678
Chemical data
Formula C14H20N2O2 
Mol. mass 248.321 g/mol
SMILES eMolecules & PubChem
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability 50% to 95%
Metabolism Hepatic
Half life 3–4 hours
Excretion Renal
Therapeutic considerations
Pregnancy cat.

C(AU) B(US)

Legal status

Prescription only

Routes oral, iv

Pindolol (Visken, Betapindol, Blockin L, Blocklin L, Calvisken, Cardilate, Decreten, Durapindol, Glauco-Visken, Pectobloc, Pinbetol, Prindolol, Pynastin) is a beta blocker.

Contents

Pharmacology

Pindolol is a nonselective beta blocker with partial beta-adrenergic receptor agonist activity. It possesses ISA (Intrinsic Sympathomimetic Activity). This means that pindolol particularly in high doses exerts effects like epinephrine or isoprenaline (increased pulse rate, increased blood pressure, bronchodilation), but these effects are limited. Pindolol also shows membrane stabilizing effects like quinidine, possibly accounting for its antiarrhythmic effects. It also functions as a 5-HT1A receptor weak partial agonist / antagonist.

Pharmacokinetics

Pindolol is rapidly and well absorbed from the GI tract. It undergoes some first-pass-metabolization leading to an oral bioavailability of 50 to 95%. Patients with uremia may have a reduced bioavailability. Food does not alter the bioavailability, but may increase the resorption. Following an oral single dose of 20mg peak plasma concentrations are reached within 1 to 2 hours. The effect of pindolol on pulse rate (lowering) is evident after 3 hours. Despite the rather short halflife of 3 to 4 hours, hemodynamic effects persist for 24 hours after administration. Plasma halflives are increased to 3 - 11.5 hours in patients with renal impairment, to 7 - 15 hours in elderly patients, and from 2.5 to 30 hours in patients with liver cirrhosis. Approximately 2/3 of pindolol are metabolized in the liver giving hydroxylates, which are found in the urine as gluconurides and ethereal sulfates. The remaining 1/3 of pindolol is excreted in urine in unchanged form.

Indications

  • Angina pectoris and hypertension. The use of pindolol in the treatment of unstable angina may be less effective compared to beta blockers without ISA.
  • In some other countries also arrhythmias and prophylaxis of acute stress reactions.

Investigational Use

  • Augmentation therapy of clinical depression: Pindolol is sometimes added to a standard antidepressant therapy,[1] if the patient fails to respond to the standard therapy alone. Fluoxetine is the most commonly used standard antidepressant. The results of augmentation therapy are encouraging. It is not known whether pindolol has antidepressive activities as monotherapeutic agent.
  • Augmentation therapy of premature ejaculation: According to a recent study, pindolol can be effectively added to a standard anti-premature-ejaculation therapy, which usually consists of daily doses of an SSRI antidepressant such as fluoxetine or paroxetine. Augmentation of pindolol results in substantial increase of ejaculatory latency, even in those who previously did not experience in an improvement with the SSRI monotherapy. (source: Once-Daily High-Dose Pindolol for Paroxetine-Refractory Premature Ejaculation : A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled and Randomized Study. MOHAMMAD REZA SAFARINEJAD. Journal of clinical psychopharmacology 2008, vol. 28, no1, pp. 39-44)

Contraindications

See the article on propranolol.

Side Effects

See the article on Propranolol.

Dosage

Usual doses are 5 mg 3 or 4 times daily or 15 to 20 mg in one single dose daily. Slow Release forms (20 mg) may be available to increase patient compliance. The maximum daily dose is 60 mg for hypertension and 40 mg for angina. Treatment should be started with low doses and slowly increased according to the clinical response. The initial and maintenance doses should be reduced in patients with severe liver disease. In some countries pindolol exists as injection concentrate for the emergency treatment of serious arrhythmias. In these cases 0.4 to 1 mg is injected i.v. under strict ECG-monitoring. Further treatment, if necessary, should then be oral.

The recommendation for augmentation in depressive patients is 2.5 mg (or possibly 5 mg) three times daily.

References



 
 
Learn More
Pindolol tablets
Tabletas de pindolol
Pindolol Oral tablet

Help us answer these
What is in pindolol?

Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:

 

Copyrights:

Dental Dictionary. Mosby's Dental Dictionary. Copyright © 2004 by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Drug Info. Gold Standard. Copyright © 2008 by Gold Standard. All rights reserved.  Read more
Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Pindolol" Read more