What is in this CMI
This CMI answers some common questions about Hydralazine Link. It does not contain all the available information. It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist. All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you having Hydralazine Link against the benefits they expect it will have for you.
If you have any concerns about this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Keep this information. You may need to read it again.
What Hydralazine Link is used for
Hydralazine Link is an injection that is used when your blood pressure is very high and needs to be brought down quickly. Hydralazine Link is used to reduce very high blood pressure especially during late pregnancy.
Hydralazine Link belongs to a group of medicines called vasodilators. It acts by relaxing and widening (dilating) the walls of blood vessels. This action helps to reduce blood pressure and increase blood and oxygen supply to the heart, brain, spleen and kidneys.
Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why this medicine has been prescribed for you. Your doctor may have prescribed it for another purpose.
Hydralazine Link is only available with a doctor's prescription. It is not addictive.
Before you are given Hydralazine Link
When you must not have it
You must not have Hydralazine Link if you have ever had an allergic reaction to:
- hydralazine, the active ingredient in Hydralazine Link.
- dihydralazine
- any of the ingredients listed at the end of this CMI
Some of the symptoms of an allergic reaction may include:
- shortness of breath
- wheezing or difficulty breathing
- swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body
- rash, itching or hives on the skin.
You must not have Hydralazine Link if you have any of these medical conditions:
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or a related disease
- Recent heart attack or other severe heart problems eg. due to inflammation around the heart, narrowing of blood vessels or heart valves, or related to increased demand on the heart in diseases such as thyrotoxicosis (overactive thyroid gland)
- Right heart failure due to pulmonary hypertension (high pressure in blood vessels supplying the lungs)
- Swelling and weakening of part of a large blood vessel (called an aneurysm)
- A rare blood pigment disorder known as porphyria
If you are not sure whether any of the above conditions apply to you, ask your doctor.
Hydralazine Link must not be given to children. There is not enough information to recommend its use in children.
Before you have it
Tell your doctor if you have any of the following medical conditions:
- Chest pain (angina) or other heart problems even if not severe
- Previous heart attack
- Problems with blood flow to the brain eg. mini-stroke or transient ischaemic attach (TIA)
- Kidney problems
- Liver problems
Your doctor may want to take special precautions if you have any of these conditions.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Hydralazine Link may affect your developing baby if you have it while you are pregnant, although it is often used near the end of pregnancy to lower very high blood pressure. Your doctor can discuss with you the risks and benefits involved.
Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding. The active ingredient of Hydralazine Link passes into the breast milk and could affect your baby if you breastfeed.
If you have not told your doctor about any of these things, tell him/her before you have Hydralazine Link.
Taking other medicines
Tell your doctor if you are taking any other medicines, including medicines that you buy without a prescription from a pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.
Some medicines and Hydralazine Link may interfere with each other. These include:
- Other medicines used to treat high blood pressure, such as vasodilators (eg. diazoxide), calcium antagonists, ACE inhibitors or beta blockers (eg. propranolol, metoprolol).
- Diuretics (fluid tablets), medicines used to reduce water retention and treat high blood pressure
- Some medicines used to treat heart problems
- monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), used to treat depression or Parkinson’s Disease
- Some other medicines used to treat depression, such as tricyclic antidepressants
- Central depressants, sometimes referred to as sedatives and tranquillisers (medicines to help you sleep, reduce anxiety, induce anaesthesia or treat psychosis)
- Non-steriodal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), medicines used to relieve pain, swelling and other symptoms of inflammation
- Adrenaline (epinephrine), used to raise blood pressure, eg. due to a heart attack or serious allergic reaction
- Oestrogens, eg. used in the contraceptive pill and in hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
- Other injectable medicines that also contain propylene glycol such as diazepam, lorezapam and phenytoin.
These medicines may be affected by Hydralazine Link or they may affect how well it works. You may need to take different amounts of your medicines or you may need to take different medicines.
Your doctor and pharmacist have more information on medicines to be careful with or avoid while you are receiving Hydralazine Link.
How Hydralazine Link is given
How much you need
Your doctor will decide how much you need and how often the injections will be given. The first dose of Hydralazine Link is usually 5 to 10 mg. After 20 or 30 minutes, another dose can be given, if necessary, to bring your blood pressure down.
How it is given
Hydralazine Link is usually given in hospital. It can be given by slow injection directly from the syringe into a vein or by infusion (drip) over a longer period.
How long your treatment will last
Hydralazine Link is only used over a short period to bring down very high blood pressure quickly. After that, you may have to take blood pressure tablets to help keep your blood pressure down.
If you have too much (overdose)
If you think that you may have been given too much Hydralazine Link, immediately alert your doctor or the nursing staff in the hospital. Symptoms such as a fast or irregular heartbeat, dizziness or faintness, nausea (feeling sick), vomiting or sweating, may mean your blood pressure has fallen too far.
While you are being given Hydralazine Link
Things you must do
Before having any surgery or emergency treatment, tell the doctor or anaesthetist in charge that you are being treated with Hydralazine Link. This medicine may interfere with some of the medicines used during surgery.
If you are about to be started on any new medicine, remind your doctor and pharmacist that you are being treated with Hydralazine Link.
Tell any other doctor, dentist or pharmacist who treats you that you are being treated with Hydralazine Link.
Things to be careful of
If you are driving, operating machinery or doing jobs that require you to be alert shortly after having Hydralazine Link, be careful until you know how this medicine has affected you. This medicine may cause dizziness or light headedness in some people.
Be careful drinking alcohol after being treated with Hydralazine Link. The combination could make your blood pressure fall further than usual, causing you to feel dizzy or light headed.
Side effects
Tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are having Hydralazine Link.
All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You may need medical treatment if you get some of the side effects.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have.
Do not be alarmed by the following lists of possible side effects. You may not experience any of them.
Tell your doctor if you notice any of the following side effects and they worry you:
- Dizziness or light headedness
- Fast or irregular heart beat (pounding, racing, skipping beats)
- Feeling anxious or agitated
- Headache
- Nausea (feeling sick) or vomiting
- Feeling generally unwell, loss of appetite or weight loss
- Diarrhoea
- Flushing of the skin
- Congested (blocked) nose
- Red, swollen or teary eyes
- Shaking or tremors
- Numbness or tingling in hands or feet
Tell your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following:
- Signs of allergy such as rash, itching or hives on the skin, swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body, shortness of breath or wheezing
- Painful or swollen joints, particularly if accompanied by skin rash, fever, persistent tiredness or chest pain
- Difficult or painful breathing
- Constant "flu-like" symptoms such as fever, sore throat, swollen glands, tiredness, lack of energy
- Unusual bruising or bleeding under the skin
- Yellow colour to skin or eyes
- Sudden decrease in the amount of urine or pain when passing urine; blood in the urine
- Swelling of feet or legs due to extra fluid
- Pain in the stomach or abdomen
- Depression or hallucinations (seeing things that aren't there)
The above side effects could be serious. You may need urgent medical attention.
Some side effects can only be found if your doctor does tests on your blood or urine.
Tell your doctor if you notice anything else that is making you feel unwell. Other side effects not listed above may happen in some people.
After being given Hydralazine Link
Storage
The pharmacy is responsible for the appropriate storage of Hydralazine Link.
The vials should be stored protected from light, where the temperature stays below 25°C.
Disposal
If you have any unused Hydralazine Link, return it to the pharmacy. The pharmacy will dispose of any unused Hydralazine Link.
Product description
What it looks like
Hydralazine Link comes in a clear glass vial containing the active ingredient, hydralazine hydrochloride, in a sterile solution for injection.
Each pack contains 10 vials in a cardboard carton.
Ingredients
Each vial of Hydralazine Link contains 20 mg of hydralazine hydrochloride.
It also contains:
- propylene glycol
- water for injections
- sodium hydroxide
- hydrochloric acid
Sponsor
Hydralazine Link is supplied in Australia by:
Link Medical Products Pty Ltd.
5 Apollo Street
Warriewood NSW 2102
Australia
Australian Registration Number:
AUST R 272644
Date of preparation:
September 2020.
Published by MIMS November 2020