Gopten (Trandolapril)
Complete patient guide for uses, dosage, side effects, and safety information
Quick Facts
What Is Gopten Used For?
Gopten contains trandolapril, which belongs to a group of medicines called ACE inhibitors. It works by relaxing your blood vessels, making it easier for blood to move around your body.
Primary Uses
Gopten is used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension) and some heart conditions. High blood pressure usually has no symptoms, but if left untreated, it can lead to serious health problems including stroke, heart disease, and kidney failure.
How It Works
Gopten works by relaxing your blood vessels, making it easier for blood to move around your body. This helps lower blood pressure and increases the supply of blood and oxygen to the heart.
Good to know: Gopten is not addictive and helps control your condition to prevent serious health problems.
Continue Reading
Sign in to access the complete medication guide including dosage, side effects, warnings, and more.
How to Take Gopten
Take Gopten exactly as prescribed by your doctor. The dosage depends on your condition and whether you’re taking other medicines.
Dosage Instructions
The usual dosage is one or two capsules taken once daily, up to a maximum of 4mg (two 2mg capsules) once daily. For older people over 65 years, the starting dose is usually lower. Take at the same time each day with water. It doesn’t matter if you take it before, during, or after food. If you need an antacid, take it at least 2 hours before or after your Gopten dose.
What If You Miss a Dose?
If it’s almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose when scheduled. Otherwise, take it as soon as you remember, then return to your normal schedule. If you’re unsure what to do, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Important: Never take a double dose to make up for a missed dose, as this may increase your chance of getting unwanted side effects.
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:
- Light-headedness, dizziness or vertigo
- Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or stomach upset
- Constipation
- Persistent dry cough
- Headache
- Unusual tiredness or weakness
- Aching, tender or weak muscles not caused by exercise
- Taste disturbance
- Excessive sweating
Seek immediate medical attention if you experience:
- Slow, fast or irregular heartbeat (palpitations)
- Signs of frequent infections (fever, severe chills, sore throat, mouth ulcers)
- Itchy skin rash or other skin problems
- Fever, upper stomach pain, feeling generally unwell
- Symptoms of sunburn occurring more quickly than normal
- Fainting within hours of taking Gopten
- Swelling of face, lips, mouth, tongue or throat causing difficulty swallowing or breathing
- Severe dizziness and confusion with visual and speech problems
- Chest pain
- Rapid shallow breathing, cold clammy skin, rapid weak pulse, dizziness, weakness and fainting
Important Warnings
There are important situations where Gopten should not be used and conditions that require special monitoring.
Who Should Not Take Gopten
Do not use Gopten if you: are allergic to trandolapril or any other ACE inhibitor; have a history of unexplained swelling of face, lips, mouth, tongue, throat, hands or feet; have certain heart valve problems (aortic stenosis); recently had severe sickness or diarrhea; have ever had angioedema; are undergoing hemodialysis; are taking aliskiren, NEP inhibitors like sacubitril or racecadotril, or sacubitril combined with valsartan.
Medical Conditions to Discuss
Tell your doctor if you have: kidney or liver problems; regular dialysis or blood filtration; high potassium levels; dizzy spells; diabetes; connective tissue disease; any heart conditions; upcoming surgery; family history of facial swelling; are following a very low salt diet; are about to receive allergy desensitization treatment; have sugar intolerance (Gopten contains lactose).
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Gopten may affect your developing baby if taken during pregnancy. Tell your doctor immediately if you become pregnant while taking Gopten. Like most ACE inhibitors, Gopten is not recommended while breastfeeding.
Special Population: In patients of African descent, ACE inhibitors are less effective in lowering blood pressure than in Caucasian patients.
Drug Interactions
Some medicines may interfere with Gopten and affect how it works. Always tell your doctor about all medicines you’re taking.
- Other blood pressure medications
- Aliskiren
- NEP inhibitors (sacubitril, racecadotril)
- Diuretics (fluid tablets)
- Potassium supplements or salt substitutes
- Anti-inflammatory pain medicines
- Diabetes medications including insulin or vildagliptin
- Lithium or tricyclic antidepressants
- Sympathomimetics (found in decongestants, cough/cold remedies)
- Antacids
- Immunosuppressants like ciclosporin
- Procainamide
- Allopurinol
- Cancer medicines (cytostatic medicines)
- Mental health medicines (neuroleptics)
- General anesthetics
- Injectable gold
- Heparin
Alcohol & Driving
Gopten may cause dizziness, light-headedness, or tiredness that can affect your ability to drive or operate machinery safely.
Alcohol
If you drink alcohol, dizziness or light-headedness may be worse. Tell your doctor if you drink alcohol, and do not drive if you experience these effects.
Driving and Operating Machinery
Be careful before driving or using machines until you know how Gopten affects you. Make sure you know how you react to Gopten before driving a car, operating machinery, or doing anything else that could be dangerous if you are dizzy or light-headed.
Storage
Keep your capsules in the pack until it’s time to take them, as they won’t keep well if removed. Store in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below 25°C. Don’t store in the bathroom, near a sink, in the car, or on window sills. Keep away from moisture, heat, and sunlight, and out of reach of children.
Overdose Information
If you think you’ve taken too much Gopten, seek urgent medical attention immediately. Symptoms may include dizziness, light-headedness, anxiety, weakness, palpitations, feeling faint, or collapse. Contact the Poisons Information Centre (Australia 13 11 26), your doctor, or go to the nearest hospital emergency department, even if you have no symptoms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Gopten helps control your blood pressure, but you should have your blood pressure checked regularly as directed by your doctor to make sure it’s working effectively. It must be taken every day as it controls but does not cure your condition.
Yes, it doesn’t matter if you take Gopten before, during, or after food. Just take it at the same time each day with water.
No, Gopten is not addictive. You can safely take it as prescribed by your doctor.
Do not stop taking Gopten or lower the dosage without checking with your doctor first. You must continue taking it for as long as your doctor tells you, as it controls but does not cure your condition.
Tell your doctor if you drink alcohol. If you drink alcohol, dizziness or light-headedness may be worse, and you should not drive if this occurs.
If you feel light-headed, dizzy, or faint, get up slowly when getting out of bed or standing up. If you feel dizzy after your first dose or when your dose is increased, tell your doctor immediately. Make sure you drink plenty of water, especially if you sweat a lot.
Yes, but the usual starting dose for people over 65 years is less than for younger adults. Your doctor will adjust the dose depending on how quickly your kidneys and liver can remove it from your body. Elderly patients may have an increased chance of getting side effects.
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.