Istin

Order Istin Blood Pressure Tablets Online

Order Istin online from our UK registered online doctor and pharmacy service. Our doctors can prescribe it after checking it is safe and appropriate to do so. This is checked by asking you to complete a medical questionnaire for our doctors to review.

When approved by our doctors, a prescription will be issued and sent to our pharmacy team. The medication will then be delivered to your address.

Please note, this medication can only be prescribed as an emergency supply of your repeat prescription. You should receive a regular supply of this medication from your GP. Some people take more than one type of blood pressure medicine. If you would like to order an emergency request of all of your blood pressure medicines, you just need to fill out a consultation for each one.

What is Istin?

Istin is a branded version of the generic medicine amlodipine. Istin can be used to treat people diagnosed with hypertension (high blood pressure). It can also be used to prevent chest pain caused by angina.

Istin is a type of medicine called a calcium channel blocker (CCB).

Branded versions of medicines are usually more expensive than the cheaper generic versions.

How does it work?

Istin acts by relaxing and widening blood vessels, allowing for easier blood flow. By doing so, it makes it easier for the heart to pump blood around the body, helping to lower blood pressure.

The effect amlodipine has on lowering blood pressure is important because it helps to prevent future health problems. If high blood pressure is left untreated, over time it can increase the risk of developing problems. This includes serious illnesses such as heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease and heart disease. Taking Istin to lower your blood pressure helps to reduce this risk.

Lifestyle changes can also help to reduce your blood pressure. Changes such as reducing the amount of salt you eat, exercising regularly and stopping smoking are all effective at reducing blood pressure. Weight loss (if you’re overweight) is another effective method of reducing blood pressure. 

We offer weight-loss medication and stop smoking medication which some people find useful to help with these lifestyle changes.

The only way to be diagnosed with high blood pressure is to have a blood pressure reading. You can ask your GP surgery or local pharmacy for a blood pressure check or purchase a home BP monitor.

Dose

Istin is available as 5mg or 10mg tablets.

Your doctor will decide the most appropriate dose for you based on several factors. The starting dose is usually 5mg once a day. If your doctor decides you need a higher dose, they can increase it to the maximum dose of 10mg a day.

It can be taken at any time of the day but should be taken around the same time each day.

Alternatives

There are numerous treatments used to reduce blood pressure. Different types include:

• Beta-blockers
• Angiotensin-2 receptor blockers (ARBs)
• Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
• Diuretics (e.g thiazide diuretics)

Examples of other calcium channel blockers used to treat hypertension are felodipine, nifedipine, and lacidipine.

What is Istin?

Istin is a branded version of the generic medicine amlodipine. It can be used to treat people diagnosed with hypertension (high blood pressure). It may also be prescribed to prevent chest pain caused by angina.

Istin is a type of medicine called a calcium channel blocker (CCB). It is a prescription-only medicine.

What are Istin tablets used for?

Istin is used to reduce blood pressure in people diagnosed with hypertension. It is also used to prevent chest pain caused by angina. 

Is it okay to take amlodipine?

Amlodipine is the generic version of Istin. Amlodipine may be an effective medicine for some people but may not be effective or suitable for others. Before prescribing amlodipine, your doctor will make sure it is safe for you to take. They will monitor you during treatment to check for serious side effects and to check it is effective at reducing your blood pressure.

Is amlodipine a diuretic?

Amlodipine is not a diuretic, it is a calcium channel blocker (CCB). Diuretics are medicines that can also be used to treat high blood pressure. Examples of diuretics are furosemide, bendroflumethiazide and indapamide.

What are the side effects of amlodipine?

Common Istin (amlodipine) side effects include:

• Visual disturbances
• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Ankle swelling
• Nausea
• Abdominal pain
• Muscle cramps
• Diarrhoea or constipation
• Fluid retention
• Sleepiness

Further information on side effects can be found in the patient information leaflet.

Do blood pressure tablets work immediately?

Some blood pressure tablets can work quickly to lower your blood pressure. They may cause your blood pressure to lower within hours of the first dose. Most blood pressure medicines take a number of days/weeks to have a full effect on lowering your blood pressure. Istin may take around two weeks to achieve a full effect.

Can I order Istin tablets online?

Yes, Istin blood pressure tablets (UK) are available online at Simple Online Pharmacy. It is a prescription-only medicine which means you must complete an online consultation before you order. This allows our doctors to make sure it is safe and suitable for you to take. If approved, a prescription will be sent to our pharmacy team and the medicine delivered to your address.

Please note, Istin can only be prescribed by our doctors if you are already prescribed it by your GP.  

Content Reviewed: 26/10/2020

Every medicine has a risk of side effects. Some can be common and others are rare. If you find you experience side effects, you should report them to us, your doctor or pharmacist.

Common side effects of Istin include:

• Fluid retention
• Visual disturbances
• Ankle swelling
• Muscle cramps
• Nausea
• Abdominal pain
• Diarrhoea or constipation
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Sleepiness

If any of the above side effects last more than a week or cause you problems, discuss them with your doctor.

Some serious side effects that are possible with Istin include:

• Swelling of the face, throat, tongue or lips
• Severe skin rashes such as severe itching, intense rashes and reddening of the skin
• Heart attack (see NHS information on symptoms such as an abnormal heart beat)
• Severe abdominal and back pain which could be signs of an inflamed pancreas

This is not a comprehensive list of side effects. See the patient information leaflet for further information.

Before taking any medication, it is important to read the Patient Information Leaflet. You can find information leaflets for your medicines by typing them into the search bar at medicines.org, or by contacting us.

• Istin PIL 5mg
• Istin PIL 10mg

Other conditions and Istin

Treatment with Istin may not be suitable for everyone. People with the following should not take Istin:

• An allergy to amlodipine or any of the ingredients in the tablets
• Heart failure after suffering a heart attack
• Severe low blood pressure
• Conditions called aortic stenosis or cardiogenic shock

Istin may be unsuitable in other conditions too, including:

• Heart failure
• Hypertensive crisis
• Liver disease
• Recent heart attack

Further information is in section 2 of the patient information leaflet. If you are unsure whether Istin is suitable for you, discuss this with your pharmacist or doctor.

Interactions with other medicines

Certain drugs interact with Istin and may not be suitable to take with it. Examples include:

• Certain antibiotics like clarithromycin
• Certain antifungal medicines like ketoconazole
• Simvastatin
• Anti-HIV medicines
• Verapamil
• Diltiazem
• Some medicines that alter your immune system like tacrolimus

The patient information leaflet contains more information on interacting medicines.