Guanadrel (Systemic)

Brand Names : Hylorel

Before Using This Medicine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For guanadrel, the following should be considered:

Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to guanadrel. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy - Guanadrel has not been studied in pregnant women. However, guanadrel has not been shown to cause birth defects or other problems in animal studies.

Breast-feeding - It is not known whether guanadrel passes into breast milk. However, it has not been reported to cause problems in nursing babies.

Children - Studies on this medicine have been done only in adult patients, and there is no specific information comparing use of guanadrel in children with use in other age groups.

Older adults - Dizziness or faintness may be more likely to occur in the elderly, who are usually more sensitive to the effects of guanadrel.

Other medicines - Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking guanadrel, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

• Chlorprothixene (e.g., Taractan) or
• Loxapine (e.g., Loxitane) or
• Thiothixene (e.g., Navane) or
• Tricyclic antidepressants (amitriptyline [e.g., Elavil], amoxapine [e.g., Asendin], clomipramine [e.g., Anafranil], desipramine [e.g., Pertofrane], doxepin [e.g., Sinequan], imipramine [e.g., Tofranil], nortriptyline [e.g., Aventyl], protriptyline [e.g., Vivactil], trimipramine [e.g., Surmontil]) or
• Trimeprazine (e.g., Temaril) - May decrease the effects of guanadrel on blood pressure

• Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor activity (isocarboxazid [e.g., Marplan], phenelzine [e.g., Nardil], procarbazine [e.g., Matulane], selegiline [e.g., Eldepryl], tranylcypromine [e.g., Parnate]) - Taking guanadrel while you are taking or within 1 week of taking MAO inhibitors may cause a severe increase in blood pressure

Other medical problems - The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of guanadrel. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Asthma (history of) or
• Diarrhea or
• Pheochromocytoma or
• Stomach ulcer (history of) - Guanadrel may worsen these conditions

• Fever - Effects of guanadrel may be increased

• Heart attack or stroke (recent) or
• Heart or blood vessel disease - Lowering blood pressure may make problems resulting from these conditions worse