Patient was educated on precautions to be exercised while taking Captopril as follows:
- Captopril increases potassium levels in the body. Be cautious about using any potassium supplements or any medications that increase the potassium levels in the body, such as, Spironolactone/Aldactone. Too high levels of potassium can be toxic to heart leading to complete heart block.
- Captopril causes loss of sodium from the body and results in hyponatremia. Patients can present with nausea and vomiting, extreme lethargy, muscle cramps, weakness, and fatigue secondary to very low sodium levels in the body. Be aware of these symptoms and report them to the physician without delay.
- If a dose is missed, it should be taken at the earliest notice of noncompliance. If it is time for the next dose, the missed dose can be skipped. Compensating for the missed dose by taking an extra dose can pose serious risk for an episode of extremely low blood pressure.
