Medication Information Leaflet
What is this medication for?
Perindopril lowers blood pressure by reducing the production of a substance called Angiotensin II which causes the blood vessels to narrow. When the blood vessels open up, your blood pressure will be lowered.
This medication can also be used for patients who have protein in their urine and other heart conditions.
How should I take/use this medication?
- Do not stop taking your medicine without checking with healthcare provider
- Take this medicine half to one hour before food
What should I do if I forget to take/use this medication?
- If you miss a dose, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, take only the usual dose. Do not double your dose or use extra medicine to make up for the missed dose.
What precautions should I take?
Inform your doctor if you are pregnant or planning to get pregnant. Once you find out you are pregnant, stop the medication as soon as possible. Taking this medication can cause injury and death to your developing fetus.
Your doctor may need to monitor your potassium levels and kidney function when you are on this medication.
What are some common side-effects of this medication?
The side effects include a dry, annoying cough that does not go away, dizziness and lightheadedness on getting up from a sitting or sleeping position. Very rarely, some patients might experience a loss of taste.
What are some rare but serious side-effects that I need to seek medical advice immediately?
The symptoms of a drug allergy include one or more of the following:
- Swollen face/eyes/lips/tongue
- Difficulty in breathing
- Itchy skin rashes over your whole body
If you experience any of these symptoms, you should stop your medicine immediately and see your doctor.
Very rarely, this medicine can injure or damage the liver. A liver injury may recover on its own. However in some cases, it can cause serious liver damage. Stop this medicine and see a doctor immediately if you notice dark coloured urine or light coloured stools, or if you experience nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, stomach pain or yellowing of your eyes or skin. This side effect has a very low chance of occurring. Most patients take this medicine with no problems. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you have any concerns regarding your medicines.
Very rarely, this medicine may cause the number of white blood cells in your body to be low. This increases your chance of getting an infection. Stop this medicine and see a doctor immediately if you have any signs of an infection such as fever, chills, bad sore throat, pain when you pass urine or have mouth sores or wounds that do not heal. This side effect has a very low chance of occurring. Most patients take this medicine with no problems. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you have any concerns regarding your medicines.
How should I store this medication?
- Store your medication in a cool, dry place away from heat, moisture and direct sunlight.
- Keep the medicine out of reach of children.
- Throw away all expired medicines.
How should I dispose of this medication safely?
Pack this medicine into a black trash bag and seal it tightly before throwing into the rubbish chute or bin.
Disclaimers
If you take more than the recommended dose, please seek medical advice immediately. The information provided on this page does not replace information from your healthcare professional. Please consult your healthcare professional for more information.
This article is jointly developed by members of the National Medication Information workgroup. The workgroup consists of cluster partners (National Healthcare Group, National University Health System and SingHealth), community pharmacies (Guardian, Unity and Watsons) and Pharmaceutical Society of Singapore. The content does not reflect drug availability and supply information in pharmacies and healthcare institutions. You are advised to check with the respective institutions for such information.
Last updated on May 2019
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