Celiprolol: Effects, Uses & Risks

Celiprolol is a drug used to treat high blood pressure and coronary artery disease. The drug belongs to the beta-blocker group. It is predominantly used in combination with others rather than as a stand-alone medication. Celiprolol can cause various side effects or interactions. The use of the drug must always be in consultation with the attending physician.

What is celiprolol?

Celiprolol is a medication used to treat high blood pressure and coronary artery disease. Celiprolol is a drug used to treat so-called essential hypertension, which has no organic causes. In addition, Celiprolol is also used to treat coronary artery disease and stable angina. Specifically, celiprolol is a ß-receptor blocker. The drug acts as an antagonist at the ß1-adrenoceptors as well as a partial agonist at the ß2-adrenoceptors. The drug celiprolol is broken down by the body via the kidneys. It is therefore important to clarify whether renal insufficiency is present before prescribing, as celiprolol must not be administered in this case. Celiprolol is available in the form of film-coated tablets.

Pharmacologic Effects

Celiprolol causes vasodilation of peripheral blood vessels. This property of the drug is not only used to improve blood flow. The drug celiprolol is also well suited to be combined with other drugs to reduce high blood pressure. In this way, side effects can be prevented from occurring with other medications used, as the administration of celiprolol can in turn reduce the dose of these medications. Complementary medications include vasodilators, thiazide-type dehydrators, alpha blockers, or nifedipine-type calcium channel blockers. Celiprolol itself, in turn, combines well with long-term nitrates.

Medical application and use

The curative effect of celiprolol in hypertension or circulatory disorders in the case of coronary artery disease arises as follows: Beta-1 receptors in the body are naturally activated by the neurotransmitters norepinephrine and epinephrine. The effect of these natural messengers is suppressed by celiprolol, in that this drug displaces these messengers and instead binds to these receptors itself. In this way, both the number of heartbeats and the heart rate are reduced. Blood pressure is already lowered by this mode of action. However, celiprolol also causes the release of the hormone renin in the kidneys. This also has the additional effect of lowering blood pressure. Celiprolol also reduces the stress activity of the heart by slowing down the transmission of electrical impulses to the cardiac conduction system. Celiprolol additionally has a beneficial effect on the composition of blood lipids, in that the drug keeps cholesterol levels low.

Risks and side effects

Although the drug celiprolol is a very effective medication, it can also have a number of side effects and interactions. It is therefore very important to have your blood lipid levels, blood sugar levels and also liver values checked regularly by a doctor. Anyone who plays sports should find out beforehand whether celiprolol is on the doping list for that sport. This is the case for some sports, for example fencing, some aviation sports, alpine skiing or shooting. Patients with angina pectoris must have their heart rate checked regularly when taking celiprolol. All hypertensive patients must have their blood pressure checked regularly. It is very important to inform the anesthesiologist during anesthesia that celiprolol is being taken. Similarly, people with hypoglycemia or hyperthyroidism must have regular thorough examinations when taking the drug. Celiprolol is often not tolerated if there is a tendency to psoriasis. The drug often reduces the amount of tear fluid, which can cause problems for people who wear contact lenses. Reactivity is also reduced, especially in combination with alcohol. This is especially important to be aware of when driving or operating machinery.Other side effects include worsening of asthma, diabetes, depression, muscle cramps, allergic skin reactions, visual disturbances, decrease in cardiac output, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, vomiting and many more. It is essential to pay attention to the possible side effects on the package leaflet and to discuss them with the doctor in case they occur. If celiprolol must be discontinued due to the side effects, it must be phased out over a period of one to two weeks, otherwise blood pressure may rise rapidly to a dangerous degree.