Carvedilol is used to treat mild to moderate heart failure and high blood pressure.
Summary of Interactions with Vitamins, Herbs, and Foods
In some cases, an herb or supplement may appear in more than one category, which may seem contradictory. For clarification, read the full article for details about the summarized interactions.
 May be Beneficial: Side effect reduction/prevention—Taking these supplements may help reduce the likelihood and/or severity of a potential side effect caused by the medication. | Food |
| May be Beneficial: Supportive interaction—Taking these supplements may support or otherwise help your medication work better. | Low-salt diet |
| Depletion or interference | None known |
| Reduced drug absorption/bioavailability | None known |
| Adverse interaction | None known |
An asterisk (*) next to an item in the summary indicates that the interaction is supported only by weak, fragmentary, and/or contradictory scientific evidence.
Interaction with Foods and Other Compounds
Food
Taking carvedilol with food slows the speed, but not the overall extent of absorption of the drug. Though taking carvedilol with food does not reduce the effectiveness of the drug, it might reduce the incidence of a common side effect known as orthostatic hypotension.1 Therefore, people should take carvedilol with a meal.
Salt restriction
In one controlled clinical trial, lowering dietary salt intake increased the fall in blood pressure obtained with carvedilol.2 Therefore, people taking carvedilol to treat high blood pressure should consider eating a diet low in salt to improve the outcome of drug therapy.
References
1. Sifton DW, et. Physicians’ Desk Reference. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 2000, 2989–92.
2. Ruilope LM, Lahera V. Influence of salt intake on the antihypertensive effect of carvedilol. J Hypertens Suppl 1993;11:S17–9.
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2006-09-07
