What Is Coralan Used For?

Coralan contains the active ingredient ivabradine and is prescribed to help manage heart conditions by lowering your heart rate.

Primary Uses

Coralan is prescribed for two main conditions: 1) Stable angina in adults whose heart rate is 70 beats per minute or higher – this is chest pain that typically occurs during physical activity and is usually relieved with medication or rest. 2) Heart failure – a condition where the heart muscle cannot pump blood strongly enough to supply all the blood needed throughout the body.

How It Works

For stable angina, Coralan relieves symptoms by lowering your heart rate, which reduces the heart’s demand for oxygen. For heart failure, Coralan helps improve your ability to perform daily activities – you may breathe more easily, feel less tired, and have less swelling. Note that Coralan is not for treating sudden angina attacks – your doctor will provide other medication for that.

How to Take Coralan

Always follow your doctor’s instructions carefully, as they may differ from general guidelines. Take your tablets with water and with food.

Dosage Instructions

The usual dose is one tablet in the morning and one tablet in the evening. For stable angina: Starting dose should not exceed one 5mg tablet twice daily. After 3-4 weeks, your doctor may adjust the dose. Maximum maintenance dose is one 7.5mg tablet twice daily. For heart failure: Usual starting dose is one 5mg tablet twice daily. After 2 weeks, your doctor may adjust the dose. Maximum maintenance dose is one 7.5mg tablet twice daily. Elderly patients may be prescribed half doses (half of a 5mg tablet morning and evening).

What If You Miss a Dose?

If you forget to take a dose, take the next dose at your normal time. Do not take a double dose to make up for the missed one.

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:

• Temporary visual symptoms (bright spots of light, halos, colored flashes, multiple or distorted images)
• Blurred vision, double vision or impaired vision
• Changes in heart function (slowing down of heart rate)
• Uncontrolled blood pressure (low or high)
• Feeling sick (nausea)
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal pain
• Headache
• Fainting (possibly related to slow heart rate)
• Spinning sensation (vertigo)
• Difficulty breathing
• Muscle cramps
• Feeling tired or weak
• Dizziness, light headedness
• Generally feeling unwell
• Abnormal ECG heart tracing

Important Warnings

There are several important conditions and situations where Coralan should not be used or requires special caution.

Who Should Not Take Coralan

Do not use Coralan if you have: allergy to ivabradine or other ingredients; heart rhythm disturbances, sick sinus syndrome, or sino-atrial block; certain types of artificial pacemakers; 3rd degree AV block; resting heart rate below 70 beats per minute; unstable or acute heart failure; very low blood pressure; unstable angina; cardiogenic shock; currently having a heart attack; severe liver disease; hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HOCM); are pregnant or trying to become pregnant; are of childbearing age without reliable birth control; are breastfeeding.

Medical Conditions to Discuss

Tell your doctor if you have: artificial pacemaker (certain types); slow heart beat (less than 70 bpm); long QT syndrome; atrial fibrillation symptoms; low blood pressure; recent stroke; unstable heart failure; severe heart failure or heart failure with bundle branch block; allergies to medicines, foods, dyes or preservatives; severe liver disease; moderate or severe kidney disease; retinitis pigmentosa (eye condition affecting light-sensitive cells).

Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

Coralan may affect your developing baby if taken during pregnancy. Do not use if you are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or of childbearing age without reliable birth control. Breastfeeding should be discontinued if you take Coralan. Tell your doctor immediately if you discover you are pregnant while taking Coralan.

Drug Interactions

Some medicines and foods can interfere with Coralan by increasing or decreasing its effect. You may need different amounts of medication or different medicines.

• Grapefruit and grapefruit juice
• Macrolide antibiotics (azithromycin, clarithromycin, erythromycin, roxithromycin)
• Cyclosporin (prevents transplant rejection)
• Ketoconazole (oral antifungal)
• Gestodene
• HIV treatment medicines
• Rifampicin (antibiotic)
• Barbiturates (for sleep or epilepsy)
• Phenytoin (for epilepsy)
• Beta-blockers (atenolol, propranolol, metoprolol)
• Heart rhythm medicines (quinidine, disopyramide, ibutilide, sotalol)
• Depression medicines (imipramine)
• Anxiety/psychosis medicines (phenothiazines, thioridazine)
• Amiodarone (heart rhythm)
• Calcium channel blockers (diltiazem, verapamil)
• St John’s Wort
• Water tablets that may lower potassium (frusemide, hydrochlorothiazide, indapamide)

Alcohol & Driving

Special precautions are needed when driving or operating machinery while taking Coralan.

Alcohol

No specific alcohol warnings mentioned in the source material.

Driving and Operating Machinery

Be careful when driving or operating machinery in situations where there may be sudden changes from dim to bright lighting. This is because Coralan can cause temporary visual symptoms like bright spots of light, halos, or colored flashes, particularly when moving quickly between different lighting conditions.

Storage

Keep Coralan where children cannot reach it – a locked cupboard at least 1.5 meters above floor level is ideal. Store in a cool, dry place where temperature stays below 30°C, but not in the fridge or freezer. Do not store in bathrooms, near sinks, in cars, or on window sills as heat and dampness can reduce medicine quality. Keep tablets in their blister pack until time to take them.

Overdose Information

If you think you or anyone else has taken too much Coralan, immediately call your doctor, the Poisons Information Centre (13 11 26), or go to the nearest hospital emergency department, even if there are no symptoms. The main effect of overdose is a very slow heartbeat, and you may feel breathless or tired. You may need urgent medical attention.

Frequently Asked Questions