Inspra (Eplerenone)
Complete patient guide for uses, dosage, side effects, and safety information
Prescription RequiredQuick Facts
What Is Inspra Used For?
Inspra contains eplerenone, which belongs to a group of medicines called selective aldosterone blockers that stop the action of aldosterone in your body.
Primary Uses
Inspra is used to treat heart failure in patients who have experienced a heart attack and to reduce the risk of death or need for hospitalization due to heart failure in patients with chronic heart failure.
How It Works
Your body makes a substance called aldosterone that is important for regulating blood pressure and heart function. Sometimes aldosterone can cause changes that lead to heart failure. Inspra works by blocking the action of aldosterone and slowing the progression of heart failure by reducing heart damage.
Good to know: There is no evidence that this medicine is addictive.
How to Take Inspra
Your doctor will tell you how many tablets you need to take each day based on your age, kidney condition, potassium levels in your blood, and other medicines you may be taking.
Dosage Instructions
The usual starting dose is 25 mg taken once a day. After about 4 weeks, your doctor may increase the dose to 50 mg once a day. Take your medicine at about the same time each day. Your tablets may be taken with or after a meal, or on an empty stomach. Swallow the tablets whole with a full glass of water.
What If You Miss a Dose?
If you miss your dose and it is less than 12 hours before your next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose when you are meant to. Otherwise, take it as soon as you remember, then go back to taking your medicine as you would normally.
Important: Do not take a double dose to make up for the dose you missed. This may increase the chance of getting an unwanted side effect.
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:
- feeling light-headed, dizzy or faint
- stomach or bowel problems (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, flatulence)
- cough
- sore throat
- headache
- rash, itchy skin
- high temperature, signs of infection
- back pain
Seek immediate medical attention if you experience:
- heart flutters, increased heart rate
- unusual tiredness, weakness
- muscle spasms and pain
- abdominal pain
- enlargement of breasts in men
- reduced sense of touch
- increased sweating
- feeling weak and generally unwell
- problems with sleeping
- shortness of breath
- swelling of feet or legs due to fluid buildup
- chest pain which may spread to neck and shoulders
- swelling of face, lips, mouth, tongue or throat which may cause difficulty swallowing or breathing
Important Warnings
There are several important conditions and situations where Inspra should not be used or requires special caution.
Who Should Not Take Inspra
Do not take Inspra if you are allergic to eplerenone or any ingredients, have very high levels of potassium in your blood, have severely reduced kidney function, have severe liver problems, are currently taking potassium-sparing diuretics, ketoconazole, itraconazole, clarithromycin, saquinavir, or ritonavir, are pregnant, or are breastfeeding.
Medical Conditions to Discuss
Tell your doctor if you have high levels of potassium in your blood, diabetes, long-term kidney disease, or liver problems. You may be at risk of developing certain side effects during treatment.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Do not take Inspra if you are pregnant as it may affect your developing baby. Do not breastfeed while taking Inspra as the active ingredient may pass into breast milk and affect your baby.
Elderly Patients: If you are over 65 years of age, you may have an increased chance of having some side effects as you may be more sensitive to the effects of the medication.
Drug Interactions
Some medicines may interfere with Inspra and affect how it works. Tell your doctor about all medicines you are taking.
- ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) like quinapril, losartan
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) including aspirin and ibuprofen
- Lithium for mood swings
- Neuroleptics for mental illness
- Tricyclic antidepressants
- St John’s Wort for depression
- Carbamazepine for seizures
- Phenytoin and phenobarbital for seizures
- Potassium-sparing diuretics like spironolactone, amiloride
- Potassium supplements or salt substitutes containing potassium
- Antifungal medicines like ketoconazole, itraconazole
- Antibiotics like erythromycin, trimethoprim, rifampin
- HIV medicines like saquinavir, ritonavir
- Immunosuppressive agents like ciclosporin, tacrolimus
- Baclofen muscle relaxant
- Prazosin for high blood pressure
- Alfuzosin for benign prostatic hyperplasia
- Amifostine used with cancer treatments
- Salt tablets
Alcohol & Driving
Be careful with activities that require alertness until you know how Inspra affects you.
Alcohol
No specific alcohol warnings mentioned in the source material.
Driving and Operating Machinery
Be careful before you drive or use any machines or tools until you know how Inspra affects you. Inspra may cause dizziness and feeling faint in some people. If you have these symptoms, do not drive, operate machinery or do anything else that could be dangerous.
Temperature Regulation
Make sure you drink enough water during exercise and hot weather when taking Inspra, especially if you sweat a lot. If you do not drink enough water, you may feel faint, light-headed or sick because your blood pressure is dropping suddenly.
Storage
Keep your Inspra tablets in the pack until it is time to take them. Store in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below 25°C. Do not store in the bathroom, near a sink, in the car, or on window sills. Keep where young children cannot reach it – a locked cupboard at least one-and-a-half metres above the ground is a good place to store medicines.
Overdose Information
If you think you or anyone else have taken too much Inspra, urgent medical attention may be needed. Immediately phone the Poisons Information Centre (Australia telephone 13 11 26) for advice, contact your doctor, or go to the Emergency Department at your nearest hospital. You should do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. If you take too much Inspra, you may feel light-headed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Continue taking your medicine for as long as your doctor tells you. This medicine helps to control your condition but does not cure it. It is important to keep taking your medicine even if you feel well.
Yes, your tablets may be taken with or after a meal, or on an empty stomach.
No, there is no evidence that this medicine is addictive.
Do not stop taking your medicine or lower the dosage without checking with your doctor. If you stop taking it suddenly, your condition may worsen or you may have unwanted side effects.
Call your doctor straight away if you feel light-headed or dizzy after taking your first dose of Inspra or when your dose is increased. Make sure you drink enough water, especially during exercise and hot weather.
Yes, your doctor may occasionally do blood tests to check your potassium levels and see how your kidneys are working. Your dose of Inspra may be adjusted depending on the potassium levels in your blood.
If you have excess vomiting or diarrhea while taking Inspra, tell your doctor. You may lose too much water and salt and your blood pressure may drop too much.
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.