Carvedilol is a member of the class of drugs known as beta-blockers or beta-blocking drugs. These drugs work by changing how some parts of the body react to certain nerve impulses. They help to regulate the blood pressure in the body. Additionally, they also aid in managing heartbeats. You might be concerned about making any dietary changes if you take beta-blockers. This is why we are going to discuss here some foods to avoid when taking carvedilol.
Highlights
- Carvedilol is prescribed to help your heart pump blood more efficiently.
- Beta-blockers like carvedilol help to lower your heart rate by preventing the action of chemicals like epinephrine (adrenaline), which stimulates your heart and fastens your heart beat.
- You should not take carvedilol with caffeine, foods that are high in sodium and saturated fat.
- If you experience chest pain while taking carvedilol, see a doctor.
About Carvedilol
A drug called carvedilol is used to treat heart diseases and high blood pressure. Both Coreg and Coreg CR are popular brand names for this medication.
By enhancing the blood circulation to your heart, it might help to lessen chest pain (angina). You may also take an appointment with a doctor for angina.
Your doctor might advise taking carvedilol tablets once or twice a day, depending on your health. Carvedilol doses are normally limited to 80 mg per day.
Mechanism of carvedilol
Carvedilol comes under the drug class of beta blockers. By inhibiting the action of chemicals like epinephrine (adrenaline), which stimulates your heart and causes it to beat more quickly, beta-blockers assist to reduce your heart rate.
- Your heart has beta-1 receptors, while other muscles have beta-2 receptors. Being a non-selective beta-blocker, carvedilol shuts down both beta-1 and beta-2 receptors.
- Your blood pressure can be reduced with this medicine as it helps to widen the blood arteries. Your heart can pump blood more effectively when your blood pressure is normal.
- For this reason, carvedilol is given to the patients when there is a risk for heart failure conditions such as congestive heart failure.
You may book an appointment with a cardiologist if you have been facing cardiac issues.
What are the foods to avoid when taking carvedilol?
There are several foods to avoid when taking carvedilol since they may affect your heart health. Carvedilol has certain risky elements which can sometimes interact with what we are eating such as:
1. Avoid foods high in sodium when taking carvedilol
If you are on carvedilol and have high blood pressure, you should avoid foods high in sodium. Your body retains water when you consume sodium (commonly known as salt), which can raise your blood pressure and put more strain on your heart.
Fast food, frozen eatables, canned soups, and deli meats are just a few examples of processed and convenience foods that frequently contain sodium.
Other sources of salt may not be as evident, but if you consume multiple servings of them each day, they can get accumulated in your body.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, these ten foods account for 40% of the sodium in a typical diet.
- Chicken
- Bread and rolls
- Pizza
- Sandwiches
- Cold cuts and cured meats
- Soups
- Cheese
- Burritos and tacos
- Savory snacks
- Eggs and omelets
You should limit your daily sodium consumption to 2,300 milligrams or less. The average person, however, takes in 3,400 mg of sodium every day.
2. Stay away from saturated fat when you are taking carvedilol
Your LDL cholesterol, or bad cholesterol, may increase if you consume saturated fat. According to studies, having high levels of LDL cholesterol can make you more susceptible to developing heart disease.
Although it can be found in some plant foods, saturated fat is typically found in animal foods like high-fat meat and whole-fat dairy products (mainly coconut and palm fruit).
While consuming some saturated fat is acceptable, try to limit your intake to less than 10% of your overall calorie intake (less than 22 grams for a 2,000-calorie diet).
The American Heart Association has compiled a list of foods that are high in saturated fat:
- Beef
- Mutton
- Poultry with the skin on
- Milk cream
- Butter
- Cheese
- Ice cream
- Coconut and its oil
- Palm oil
- Some baked and fried foods
3. Caffeine with heart medication is not recommended
Caffeine is a stimulant. It is generally healthy for people with heart disease to ingest in moderation.
But if you suffer from heart failure, high blood pressure, or any other medical concerns, you should be careful about how much caffeine you take, as too much caffeine can cause your heart to beat more quickly and increase your blood pressure.
The sources of caffeine in your diet can be
- Some forms of soda
- Coffees like drip coffee and espresso energy drinks
- Caffeine teas (green and black tea)
It may also be present in some supplements.
Are there any other safety concerns regarding carvedilol?
Following are the concerns which you need to consider when taking carvedilol.
- Fatigue – Carvedilol can cause adverse effects like fatigue, numbness, and dizziness because it slows your heart rhythm.
- Diarrhea – Vomiting and nausea are additional frequent side effects of this medication.
- Rapid heartbeats – The rapid heartbeat which is one of the symptoms of low blood sugar may be shown by the use of carvedilol because it slows down the heart rate.
- Low blood sugar level – If you have diabetes, make sure to check your blood sugar levels if you suspect low blood sugar after taking this medicine.
- Chest pain and allergic reaction – Hypotension (low blood pressure), chest pain, irregular heartbeat, trouble breathing and swallowing, fainting, and symptoms of an allergic reaction including hives and swelling are some of the more severe possible adverse effects of taking carvedilol.
- Risky for pregnancy – The majority of beta-blockers, including carvedilol, fall into the risky category for pregnancy. If you become pregnant, you should contact your doctor right away to find out if it’s safe to keep taking this medication or not.
Additionally, if you are using carvedilol, you might already have heart disease or be at risk for developing it. So consult a doctor if you experience chest pain while taking carvedilol.
Chest pain is frequently one of the initial symptoms of a heart attack and can be a sign of decreased blood supply to your heart.
Conclusion
A beta-blocker called carvedilol is most frequently prescribed to address cardiac conditions such as excessive blood pressure and heart failure.
Meals which contain high sodium and saturated fat foods have been found to interact with carvedilol.
But when you are taking carvedilol with a heart-healthy diet then it can support the health of your heart by encouraging normal blood pressure levels.
Apart from this, if you are facing any problem regarding your heart, then we would suggest you to immediately consult a cardiologist through Marham.
FAQs
1- Is it important to take carvedilol with food?
There is no harmful side effect of taking carvedilol on an empty stomach. So you may take this medicine with or without food.
2- What are the possible drug interactions of carvedilol?
Antidepressants and medications used to enhance the heartbeat may interact with carvedilol. This may result in irregular blood pressure and changes in heart rate. Hence, please always consult your doctor before taking medicine.
3- What is the limit of the heart rate at which carvedilol should not be taken?
If the patient’s pulse drops below 50 bpm or their blood pressure dramatically changes, they should hold off on taking this medication and call a doctor.