Gopten

What is it?

An antihypertensive preparation and ACE inhibitor available as capsules of 3 strengths. Yellow/red, orange/red and red/red capsules contain 0.5mg, 1mg and 2mg trandolapril respectively.

Medical Uses

Dysfunction of left ventricle following a heart attack, mild to moderate high blood pressure.

Dosage

Adults, left ventricular dysfunction, 0.5mg once each day in first instance, starting 3 days after heart attack then increase gradually to maintenance dose of 4mg once each da' Hypertension, 0.5mg once each day at first, gradually increasing to a maintenance dose of 1 to 2mg once each day. The maximum single daily dose is 4mg. In all cases, diuretic medication should be stopped 2 to 3 days before beginning Gopten but can be restarted once patient is established on drug, if required.

Special Care

Anaesthesia or surgery, congestive heart failure, liver or kidney disease, stenosis (narrowing) of renal arteries on both sides, kidney dialysis. Kidney function should be monitored before starting treatment and during its course.

Avoid Use

Children, pregnancy, breast- feeding, obstruction of heart outflow or aortic stenosis. Those with angioneurotic oedema (fluid retention) caused by previous treatment with ACE inhibitors, or which is hereditary or of unknown cause.

Possible Drug and Food Interactions

NSAIDs, potassium-sparing diuretics, potassium supplements, TCADs, lithium, neuroleptics, antihypertensive drugs, antidiabetics.

Known Side Effects

Headache, cough, rash, giddiness, weakness, palpitations, hypotension. Rarely there may be depression of bone marrow, blood changes (agranulocytosis-characterized by serious deficiency of certain white blood cells), angioneurotic oedema.