How and when to take eplerenone

Eplerenone comes as 25mg and 50mg tablets.

The usual starting dose is 25mg once a day, and your doctor may increase it to 50mg once a day.

Your dose may also change depending on the level of potassium in your blood. If your blood test shows you have too much potassium in your blood, your doctor may reduce the dose or tell you to take it every other day. Or they may ask you to stop taking eplerenone for a short time.

You'll usually take eplerenone once a day. Try to take it at the same time every day. This makes it easier to remember when to take your medicine.

Swallow the tablets whole with a drink of water. You can take eplerenone with or without food.

You'll usually take eplerenone long term, possibly for the rest of your life.

If you forget to take a dose of eplerenone, take it as soon as you remember on that day.

If you forget your dose for the whole day, skip the missed dose and carry on as normal the next day.

Do not take 2 doses at once to make up for a forgotten one.

If you forget doses often, it may help to set an alarm to remind you. You could also ask your pharmacist for advice on other ways to help you remember to take your medicine.

Taking too much eplerenone can:

• make you feel sick or be sick, or have diarrhoea
• cause low blood pressure and make you feel confused or dizzy, sleepy, weak, lightheaded or have blurry eyesight
• raise your potassium levels and cause a tingling feeling, muscle cramps or weakness
• cause an unusual heartbeat or chest pain
• make you feel short of breath

You take more than your prescribed dose of eplerenone and:

• you have an irregular or fast heartbeat (your heart feels like it's pounding or is beating a lot faster than normal)
• you have chest pain – this needs to be checked out as chest pain is a possible sign of a heart attack

• you take more than your prescribed dose of eplerenone even if you do not have symptoms

Call 111 or get help from 111 online .

If you need to go to A&E, do not drive. Ask someone to drive you or call 999 and ask for an ambulance.

Bring the eplerenone packet or leaflet inside it, any remaining medicine, and any other medicines you take.