Odaplix SR (Indapamide)
Complete patient guide for uses, dosage, side effects, and safety information
Prescription RequiredQuick Facts
What Is Odaplix SR Used For?
Odaplix SR is a sustained-release medication that contains indapamide, which releases progressively over 24 hours to help manage your blood pressure.
Primary Uses
Odaplix SR is prescribed specifically for treating high blood pressure (hypertension). It is available only with a doctor’s prescription.
How It Works
Indapamide belongs to a group of medicines called chlorosulfamoyl diuretics (a type of ‘fluid’ or ‘water’ tablet). It helps lower your blood pressure by removing excess fluid from your body. High blood pressure, if left untreated, can lead to serious health problems including stroke, heart disease, and kidney failure.
Good to know: There is no evidence that ODAPLIX SR is addictive.
How to Take Odaplix SR
Follow all directions given by your doctor and pharmacist carefully. Your doctor will select the appropriate dose when prescribing ODAPLIX SR for you.
Dosage Instructions
The usual dose is one tablet once daily. Swallow your tablet with water, preferably in the morning. Do not crush or break the tablets. ODAPLIX SR treatment is usually for life, so you should keep taking the tablets regularly unless advised otherwise by your doctor.
What If You Miss a Dose?
If your next usual dose is less than 6 hours away, just leave out the dose that you missed and take the next dose at the usual time. If your next dose is more than 6 hours away, take the missed dose as soon as you realize, then take the next dose at the usual time and continue as normal.
Important: Do not try to make up for missed doses by taking more than one dose at a time.
Available Tablet Strengths
Side Effects
Like all medications, this medicine can cause side effects. Most are mild and temporary, but some require medical attention.
Common Side Effects
These side effects occur relatively frequently and usually don’t require emergency care:
- Headache
- Feeling tired or having less energy
- Difficulty sleeping
- Feeling faint, light-headed, or dizzy
- Feeling nervous or anxious
- Nausea or upset stomach
- Uncomfortable feeling after eating
- Vomiting or constipation
- Muscle weakness, pain, tenderness, or cramps
- Tingling or numbness of hands or feet
- Skin rashes or allergic reactions
- Gout
- Increased sensitivity to sunlight
- Dry mouth
Seek immediate medical attention if you experience:
- Swelling of lips, face, mouth, tongue, or throat
- Purple spots with blisters on arms, legs, neck, or ears (Stevens-Johnson Syndrome)
- Toxic epidermal necrolysis
- Fast and irregular heartbeat
- Severe blisters, skin rash, itching, or allergic reactions
- Signs of dehydration (dry mouth, thirst, fainting, weakness, tiredness, muscle pain, fast heartbeat, passing less urine)
- Abnormal muscle breakdown (muscle problems with feeling unwell or high temperature)
- Kidney disease
- Inflammation of the pancreas
- Hepatic encephalopathy
- Blood cell changes (easy bruising, nasal bleeding, unexplained fever, sore throat)
- Blurred or changed vision, short-sightedness
- Severe vision decrease or eye pain due to high pressure
Important Warnings
There are certain people who should not take ODAPLIX SR and conditions that require special attention before starting treatment.
Who Should Not Take Odaplix SR
Do not take ODAPLIX SR if you are allergic to indapamide or any other ingredients, allergic to sulfonamide antibiotics or thiazide diuretics, pregnant or trying to become pregnant, breastfeeding, have severe kidney disease, have severe liver disease or hepatic encephalopathy, have low potassium levels in your blood, or if the packaging is damaged or expired.
Medical Conditions to Discuss
Tell your doctor if you have lactose intolerance, high or low levels of potassium/sodium, gout, diabetes, increased sensitivity to sunlight, systemic lupus erythematosus, heart rhythm problems, kidney problems, vision problems or eye pain, muscle disorders, or if you’re an athlete (this medicine may give a positive reaction in doping tests).
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Do not take ODAPLIX SR if you are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, breastfeeding, or plan to breast-feed.
Vision Warning: If you experience a decrease in vision or eye pain, contact your doctor immediately. These could be symptoms of fluid accumulation in the eye or increased eye pressure, which can happen within hours to a week of taking ODAPLIX SR and can lead to permanent vision loss if not treated.
Drug Interactions
ODAPLIX SR may change the effect of some medicines, and some medicines may affect how well ODAPLIX SR works. Always tell your doctor about all medicines you are taking.
- Lithium medications (should not be taken together)
- Steroid medicines
- Other diuretics (amiloride, spironolactone, triamterene)
- Heart rhythm medications (disopyramide, amiodarone, sotalol, flecainide)
- Blood pressure medications (ACE inhibitors)
- Mental health medications (tricyclic antidepressants, antipsychotics, neuroleptics)
- Antimalarial medicines (chloroquine)
- Pentamidine
- Antihistamines
- Anti-nausea medications (ondansetron, domperidone)
- Cancer medications (vandetanib, oxaliplatin)
- Pain relievers (NSAIDs, high-dose aspirin)
- Calcium supplements
- Stimulant laxatives
- Baclofen
- Metformin
- Immune system medications (cyclosporin, tacrolimus)
- Antifungal medications (amphotericin B, fluconazole)
- Antibiotics (moxifloxacin, ciprofloxacin, clarithromycin, erythromycin)
- Allopurinol
- Methadone
- Cilostazol
Alcohol & Driving
Be careful when driving or operating machinery until you know how ODAPLIX SR affects you, as it may cause dizziness or light-headedness.
Alcohol
Symptoms of dizziness and light-headedness are likely to be made worse if you drink alcohol while taking ODAPLIX SR.
Driving and Operating Machinery
You may feel light-headed or dizzy when you begin taking ODAPLIX SR because your blood pressure is falling. Be careful when driving or operating machinery until you know how the medication affects you. If you have these symptoms when standing up or getting out of bed, getting up more slowly can help.
Sun Sensitivity
ODAPLIX SR may cause your skin to become more sensitive to the sun. If this happens, you should stop taking ODAPLIX SR and contact your doctor.
Storage
Keep your tablets in the pack until it is time to take them. Store them in a cool, dry place where the temperature stays below 25°C. Keep them where children cannot reach them.
Overdose Information
Taking too much ODAPLIX SR may cause low blood pressure (hypotension), sickness, cramps, sleepiness, confusion, kidney problems, and salt and water disturbances. If you think you or anyone else may have taken too much ODAPLIX SR, act immediately. Telephone your doctor or the Poisons Information Centre (13 11 26 in Australia), or go to the nearest hospital emergency department, even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, there is no evidence that ODAPLIX SR is addictive.
ODAPLIX SR treatment is usually for life. It can help control your blood pressure but cannot cure it, so you should keep taking the tablets regularly unless advised otherwise by your doctor.
The medication should be swallowed with water, preferably in the morning. The leaflet doesn’t specify whether it should be taken with or without food.
If your next dose is less than 6 hours away, skip the missed dose. If your next dose is more than 6 hours away, take the missed dose as soon as you remember, then continue with your regular schedule. Never take two doses at once.
Elderly people can generally use ODAPLIX SR safely. However, some older people have reduced kidney function, in which case additional care may be required.
Do not stop taking ODAPLIX SR or change the dose without checking with your doctor first. Since it’s usually a lifelong treatment for blood pressure control, stopping suddenly could cause your blood pressure to rise again.
Symptoms of dizziness and light-headedness from ODAPLIX SR are likely to be made worse if you drink alcohol, so caution is advised.
Important Disclaimer
This information is intended for general educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider or pharmacist before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or emergency services immediately.