Concor® (Bisoprolol hemi fumarate)

Dosage form:

Film-coated tablet 2.5 mg, 5mg, and 10 mg

What is Concor^® (Bisoprolol hemi fumarate) used for?

 It is used to treat high blood pressure, heart failure, and angina pectoris.

Important notes before taking Concor^® (Bisoprolol hemi fumarate):

• If you have an allergy to bisoprolol or any other part of this drug.
• If you are allergic to drugs like this one, other drugs, foods, or other substances. Tell your doctor about the allergy and what signs you had, like rash; hives; itching; shortness of breath; wheezing; cough; swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat; or any other signs.
• If you have heart failure (weak heart).
• If you have any of these health problems: Heart block, shock caused by heart problems, or slow heartbeat.
• If you have any of these health problems: Asthma or other breathing problems like COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).
• If you are using another drug like this one. If you are not sure, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
• This is not a list of all drugs or health problems that interact with this drug.

Tell your doctor and pharmacist about all of your drugs (prescription or OTC, natural products, vitamins) and health problems. You must check to ensure that it is safe to take this drug with all of your drugs and health problems. Do not start, stop, or change the dose of any drug without checking with your doctor.

Important notes while taking Concor^® (Bisoprolol hemi fumarate)

• Tell all of your health care providers that you take this drug. This includes your doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and dentists.
• Do not stop taking this drug all of a sudden. If you do, chest pain that is worse and in some cases heart attack may occur. The risk may be greater if you have certain types of heart disease. To avoid side effects, you will want to slowly stop this drug as ordered by your doctor. Call your doctor right away if you have new or worse chest pain or if other heart problems occur.
• Avoid driving and doing other tasks or actions that call for you to be alert until you see how this drug affects you.
• To lower the chance of feeling dizzy or passing out, rise slowly if you have been sitting or lying down. Be careful going up and down stairs.
• Check blood pressure and heart rate as the doctor has told you. Talk with the doctor.
• This drug may affect certain lab tests. Tell all of your health care providers and lab workers that you take this drug.
• This drug may hide the signs of low blood sugar. Talk with the doctor.
• If you have high blood sugar (diabetes), you will need to watch your blood sugar closely.
• Talk with your doctor before using OTC products that may raise blood pressure. These include cough or cold drugs, diet pills, stimulants, ibuprofen or like products, and some natural products or aids.
• This drug may make it harder to tell if you have signs of an overactive thyroid like fast heartbeat. If you have an overactive thyroid and stop taking this drug all of a sudden, it may get worse and could be life-threatening. Talk with your doctor.
• If you have had a very bad allergic reaction, talk with your doctor. You may have a chance of an even worse reaction if you come into contact with what caused your allergy. If you use epinephrine to treat very bad allergic reactions, talk with your doctor. Epinephrine may not work as well while you are taking this drug.
• If you are 65 or older, use this drug with care. You could have more side effects.
• Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan on getting pregnant, or are breast-feeding. You will need to talk about the benefits and risks to you and the baby.

Side effects of Concor^® (Bisoprolol hemi fumarate):

• Signs of an allergic reaction, like rash; hives; itching; red, swollen, blistered, or peeling skin with or without fever; wheezing; tightness in the chest or throat; trouble breathing, swallowing, or talking; unusual hoarseness; or swelling of the mouth, face, lips, tongue, or throat.
• Very bad dizziness or passing out.
• Shortness of breath, a big weight gain, or swelling in the arms or legs.
• Slow heartbeat.
• Feeling cold in the arms or legs.
•  
• Feeling tired or weak.
• Signs of a common cold.
• These are not all of the side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, call your doctor. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

What do I do if I miss a dose?

• Take a missed dose as soon as you think about it. If it is close to the time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your normal time. Do not take 2 doses at the same time or extra doses.

How do I store and/or throw out this drug?

• Store at room temperature.
• Store in a dry place. Do not store in a bathroom.
• Keep all drugs in a safe place. Keep all drugs out of the reach of children and pets.
• Throw away unused or expired drugs. Do not flush down a toilet or pour down a drain unless you are told to do so. Check with your pharmacist if you have questions about the best way to throw out drugs. There may be drug take-back programs in your area.