Reserpine precautions

Reserpine
Reserpine® FDA Package Insert
Indications and Usage
Dosage and Administration
Contraindications
Warnings
Precautions
Adverse Reactions
Drug Interactions
Use in Specific Populations
Overdosage
Description
Clinical Pharmacology
Nonclinical Toxicology
How Supplied/Storage and Handling
Patient Counseling Information
Labels and Packages
Clinical Trials on Reserpine
ClinicalTrials.gov

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Abdurahman Khalil, M.D. [2]

Precautions

General

Since reserpine increases gastrointestinal motility and secretion, it should be used cautiously in patients with a history of peptic ulcer, ulcerative colitis, or gallstones (biliary colic may be precipitated).

Caution should be exercised when treating hypertensive patients with renal insufficiency, since they adjust poorly to lowered blood pressure levels.

Preoperative withdrawal of reserpine does not assure that circulatory instability will not occur. It is important that the anesthesiologist be aware of the patient’s drug intake and consider this in the overall management, since hypotension has occurred in patients receiving rauwolfia preparations. Anticholinergic and/or adrenergic drugs (e.g., metaraminol, norepinephrine) have been employed to treat adverse vagocirculatory effects.

Information for Patients

Patients should be informed of possible side effects and advised to take the medication regularly and continuously as directed.

Drug Interactions

MAO inhibitors should be avoided or used with extreme caution.

Concurrent use of tricyclic antidepressants may decrease the antihypertensive effect of reserpine.

Concurrent use of reserpine and direct-or-indirect acting sympathomimetics should be closely monitored. The action of direct-acting amines (epinephrine, isoproterenol, phenylephrine, metaraminol) may be prolonged when given to patients taking reserpine. The action of indirect-acting amines (ephedrine, tyramine, amphetamines) is inhibited.

Reserpine should be used cautiously with digitalis and quinidine, since cardiac arrhythmias have occurred with rauwolfia preparations.

Concomitant use of reserpine with other antihypertensive agents necessitates careful titration of dosage with each agent.