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These medicines reduce the amount of calcium that enters the heart and blood vessel muscle cells. Calcium makes these muscles squeeze shut. When the calcium is blocked, these muscles don’t squeeze as much. Blood vessels relax, and the supply of blood and oxygen to the heart increases. This also lowers blood pressure.
Benefits
These medicines can help lower blood pressure.
Some things to watch for:
Call your doctor if you have any of these symptoms while taking these medicines:
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Swollen ankles
- Constipation
- Irregular, skipped, or slow heartbeats (arrhythmias)
Also keep in mind:
- These medicines aren’t right for everyone. Talk with your doctor about all your medical conditions before starting this medicine.
- Talk with your doctor about eating grapefruit, or drinking grapefruit juice or alcohol, when taking one of these medicines. Grapefruit juice may block the action of some of these medicines. Alcohol may do the same and also increase the side effects.
Taking prescribed calcium supplements for bone thinning will not affect how well these drugs work.
Also of Interest
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