Candesartan Cilexetil and Hydrochlorothiazide (Page 5 of 6)

Nursing Mothers

It is not known whether candesartan is excreted in human milk, but candesartan has been shown to be present in rat milk. Thiazides appear in human milk. Because of the potential for adverse effects on the nursing infant, a decision should be made whether to discontinue nursing or discontinue the drug, taking into account the importance of the drug to the mother.

Pediatric Use

Neonates with a History of In Utero Exposure to Candesartan Cilexetil and Hydrochlorothiazide

If oliguria or hypotension occurs, direct attention toward support of blood pressure and renal perfusion. Exchange transfusions or dialysis may be required as a means of reversing hypotension and/or substituting for disordered renal function.

Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients have not been established.

ADVERSE REACTIONS

Candesartan Cilexetil and Hydrochlorothiazide

Candesartan cilexetil and hydrochlorothiazide tablets have been evaluated for safety in more than 2800 patients treated for hypertension. More than 750 of these patients were studied for at least six months and more than 500 patients were treated for at least one year. Adverse experiences have generally been mild and transient in nature and have only infrequently required discontinuation of therapy. The overall incidence of adverse events reported with candesartan cilexetil and hydrochlorothiazide tablets was comparable to placebo. The overall frequency of adverse experiences was not related to dose, age, gender, or race.

In placebo-controlled trials that included 1089 patients treated with various combinations of candesartan cilexetil (doses of 2-32 mg) and hydrochlorothiazide (doses of 6.25-25 mg) and 592 patients treated with placebo, adverse events, whether or not attributed to treatment, occurring in greater than 2% of patients treated with candesartan cilexetil and hydrochlorothiazide tablets and that were more frequent for candesartan cilexetil and hydrochlorothiazide tablets than placebo were: Respiratory System Disorder: upper respiratory tract infection (3.6% vs 3.0%); Body as a Whole: back pain (3.3% vs 2.4%); influenza-like symptoms (2.5% vs 1.9%); Central/Peripheral Nervous System: dizziness (2.9% vs 1.2%).

Post-Marketing Experience

The following have been very rarely reported in post-marketing experience with candesartan cilexetil:

Digestive: Abnormal hepatic function and hepatitis.

Hematologic: Neutropenia, leukopenia, and agranulocytosis.

Immunologic: Angioedema

Metabolic and Nutritional Disorders: Hyperkalemia, hyponatremia.

Respiratory System Disorders: Cough

Skin and Appendages Disorders: Pruritus, rash and urticaria.

Rare reports of rhabdomyolysis have been reported in patients receiving angiotensin II receptor blockers.

Hydrochlorothiazide

Other adverse experiences that have been reported with hydrochlorothiazide, without regard to causality, are listed below:

Gastrointestinal: pancreatitis, jaundice (intrahepatic cholestatic jaundice), sialadenitis, cramping, constipation, gastric irritation, anorexia

Hematologic: aplastic anemia, agranulocytosis, leukopenia, hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia

Hypersensitivity: anaphylactic reactions, necrotizing angiitis (vasculitis and cutaneous vasculitis), respiratory distress including pneumonitis and pulmonary edema, photosensitivity, urticaria, purpura

Musculoskeletal: muscle spasm

Non-melanoma Skin Cancer: Hydrochlorothiazide is associated with an increased risk of non-melanoma skin cancer. In a study conducted in the Sentinel System, increased risk was predominantly for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and in white patients taking large cumulative doses. The increased risk for SCC in the overall population was approximately 1 additional case per 16,000 patients per year, and for white patients taking a cumulative dose of ≥ 50,000 mg the risk increase was approximately 1 additional SCC case for every 6,700 patients per year.

Skin: erythema multiforme including Stevens-Johnson syndrome, exfoliative dermatitis including toxic epidermal necrolysis, alopecia

Special Senses: transient blurred vision, xanthopsia

Urogenital: impotence

OVERDOSAGE

Candesartan Cilexetil and Hydrochlorothiazide

No lethality was observed in acute toxicity studies in mice, rats and dogs given single oral doses of up to 2000 mg/kg of candesartan cilexetil or in rats given single oral doses of up to 2000 mg/kg of candesartan cilexetil in combination with 1000 mg/kg of hydrochlorothiazide. In mice given single oral doses of the primary metabolite, candesartan, the minimum lethal dose was greater than 1000 mg/kg but less than 2000 mg/kg.

Limited data are available in regard to overdosage with candesartan cilexetil in humans. The most likely manifestations of overdosage with candesartan cilexetil would be hypotension, dizziness, and tachycardia; bradycardia could occur from parasympathetic (vagal) stimulation. If symptomatic hypotension should occur, supportive treatment should be initiated. For hydrochlorothiazide, the most common signs and symptoms observed are those caused by electrolyte depletion (hypokalemia, hypochloremia, hyponatremia) and dehydration resulting from excessive diuresis. If digitalis has also been administered, hypokalemia may accentuate cardiac arrhythmias.

Candesartan cannot be removed by hemodialysis. The degree to which hydrochlorothiazide is removed by hemodialysis has not been established.

Treatment

To obtain up-to-date information about the treatment of overdose, consult your Regional Poison Control Center. Telephone numbers of certified poison control centers are listed in the Physicians’ Desk Reference (PDR). In managing overdose, consider the possibilities of multiple-drug overdoses, drug-drug interactions, and altered pharmacokinetics in your patient.

DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION

The usual recommended starting dose of candesartan cilexetil is 16 mg once daily when it is used as monotherapy in patients who are not volume depleted. Candesartan cilexetil tablets can be administered once or twice daily with total daily doses ranging from 8 mg to 32 mg. Patients requiring further reduction in blood pressure should be titrated to 32 mg. Doses larger than 32 mg do not appear to have a greater blood pressure lowering effect.

Hydrochlorothiazide is effective in doses of 12.5 to 50 mg once daily.

Use in Renal Impairment

Dosing recommendations for candesartan cilexetil and hydrochlorothiazide tablets in patients with creatinine clearance < 30 mg/min cannot be provided (see SPECIAL POPULATIONS: Renal Insufficiency).

Use in Moderate to Severe Hepatic Impairment

Candesartan cilexetil and hydrochlorothiazide tablets are not recommended for initiation because the appropriate starting dose, 8 mg, cannot be given (see SPECIAL POPULATIONS, Hepatic Insufficiency).

Replacement Therapy

The combination may be substituted for the titrated components.

Dose Titration by Clinical Effect

A patient whose blood pressure is not controlled on 25 mg of hydrochlorothiazide once daily can expect an incremental effect from candesartan cilexetil and hydrochlorothiazide tablets 16 mg/12.5 mg. A patient whose blood pressure is controlled on 25 mg of hydrochlorothiazide but is experiencing decreases in serum potassium can expect the same or incremental blood pressure effects from candesartan cilexetil and hydrochlorothiazide tablets 16 mg/12.5 mg and serum potassium may improve.

A patient whose blood pressure is not controlled on 32 mg of candesartan cilexetil can expect incremental blood pressure effects from candesartan cilexetil and hydrochlorothiazide tablets 32 mg/12.5 mg and then 32 mg/25 mg. The maximal antihypertensive effect of any dose of candesartan cilexetil and hydrochlorothiazide tablets can be expected within 4 weeks of initiating that dose.

Candesartan cilexetil and hydrochlorothiazide tablets may be administered with other antihypertensive agents.

Candesartan cilexetil and hydrochlorothiazide tablets may be administered with or without food.

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