Introduction
Amlovas VS 5/80 contains two medicines, both of which help to control high blood pressure. It lowers the blood pressure by relaxing the blood vessels and making it easier for your heart to pump blood around your body. This will reduce your risk of having a heart attack or a stroke.
Amlovas VS 5/80 may be taken on an empty stomach or along with food. However, it is better to take it regularly at a fixed time each day, as prescribed by your doctor. The dose will depend on your condition and how you respond to the medicine. It's important to keep taking this medicine even if you feel well. By lowering your blood pressure, it is reducing your risk of heart attack or stroke so do not stop taking it unless your doctor tells you to. You can help this medicine work better by making a few changes to your lifestyle such as keeping active, stopping smoking, and eating a low salt and low fat diet.
The most common side effects of this medicine include swelling in your ankles or feet (oedema), headache, sleepiness, dizziness, tiredness, taste change, and upset stomach. Since it may cause sleepiness and dizziness, do not drive or do anything requiring concentration until you know how it affects you. Talk to your doctor if any of the side effects bother you or will not go away.
Before taking this medicine, let your doctor know if you have any kidney or liver problems or severe dehydration. Pregnant or breastfeeding women should also consult their doctor before taking it. While using this medicine, your blood pressure will need to be checked often and your kidney function may also need to be tested.
Uses of Amlovas VS 5/80
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Side effects of Amlovas VS 5/80
Common
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Ankle swelling
- Tiredness
- Palpitations
- Increased potassium level in blood
- Sleepiness
- Taste change
- Flushing (sense of warmth in the face, ears, neck and trunk)
- Upset stomach
How to use Amlovas VS 5/80
Take this medicine in the dose and duration as advised by your doctor. Swallow it as a whole. Do not chew, crush or break it. Amlovas VS 5/80 may be taken with or without food, but it is better to take it at a fixed time.
How Amlovas VS 5/80 works
Amlovas VS 5/80 is a combination of two medicines: Amlodipine and Valsartan, which lowers blood pressure effectively. Amlodipine is a calcium channel blocker (CCB) and Valsartan is an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB). They work by relaxing the blood vessels and making the heart more efficient at pumping blood throughout the body.
Indication
Hypertension
Initiate with 5 mg/160 mg PO qDay OR
Substitute for individually titrated components
May increase dose after at least 2 weeks, not to exceed 10 mg/day amlodipine and 320 mg/day valsartan
May be adminsitered concomitantly with other antihypertensive agents
Hepatic impairment
Not recommended for initial therapy; amlodipine 2.5 mg is not an available strength with available dosage forms for this drug combination
Amlodipine: Exposure is increased with hepatic insufficiency, consider decreasing dose
Valsartan: Exposure increased with mild-to-moderate hepatic insufficiency does not require dosage adjustment; unknown for severe hepatic impairment
Elderly: Since both components of the combination are equally well tolerated when used at similar doses in elderly or younger patients, normal dosage regimens are recommended.
Administration
Amlodipine : Plasma concentrations may be elevated w/ CYP3A4 inhibitors (e.g. azole antifungals, ritonavir). Concomitant therapy w/ simvastatin may increase risk of myopathy including rhabdomyolysis. May increase ciclosporin plasma levels and conivaptan.
Valsartan : May antagonise hypotensive effects and increase the risk of renal impairment w/ NSAIDs. Increased risk of hyperkalaemia w/ K-sparing diuretics, K supplements or K-containing salt substitutes.
Potentially Fatal: Increased risk of hypotension, hyperkalemia and changes in renal function (including acute renal failure) when used w/ aliskiren in patients w/ diabetes and renal impairment (GFR <60 mL/min).
Adult Dose
Impaired liver or renal function, CHF, sick-sinus syndrome, severe ventricular dysfunction, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, severe aortic stenosis. Caution when used in patients with idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis. Elderly, children. During the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, these drugs have been associated with fetal injury that includes hypotension, neonatal skull hypoplasia, anuria, reversible or irreversible renal failure, and death. Discontinue as soon as possible when pregnancy is detected; affects renin-angiotensin system causing oligohydramnios, which may result in fetal injury and/or death
Lactation: discontinue drug or do not nurse
Child Dose
Pregnancy Category: C (1st trimester); D (2nd & 3rd trimesters).
Renal Dose
Amlodipine relaxes peripheral and coronary vascular smooth muscle. It produces coronary vasodilation by inhibiting the entry of Ca ions into the slow channels or select voltage-sensitive channels of the vascular smooth muscle and myocardium during depolarisation. It also increases myocardial oxygen delivery in patients w/ vasospastic angina.
Valsartan, an angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor antagonist, produces its BP lowering effects by inhibiting angiotensin II-induced vasoconstriction, aldosterone release and renal reabsorption of Na.
Mode of Action
May be taken with or without food.
Side Effect
Renal impairment
Mild or moderate (CrCl >30 mL/min): Dose adjustment not necessary
Severe (CrCl <30 mL/min): Not studied
Pregnancy Category Note
>10%
Headache,Increased BUN (6-17%)
1-10%
Peripheral edema (5-8%),Anxiety (3%),Nasopharyngitis (4%),Increased potassium (3%),Upper respiratory infection (3%),Dizziness (2%),Somnolence (3%),Diarrhea (3%),Nausea (3%),Abdominal pain (3%),Cough (2%)
<1%
Orthostatic hypotension,Syncope,Visual disturbance,Tinnitus,Exanthema
Potentially Fatal: Hypotension, bradycardia, conductive system delay and CCF.
Interaction
Known hypersensitivity to dihydropyridines.