

contains the active ingredient trandolapril

What is in this leaflet

This leaflet answers some common questions about Tranalpha.
All medicines have benefits and risks. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you taking Tranalpha against the benefits expected for you.
Keep this leaflet with your medicine.
You may need to read it again.

What Tranalpha is used for

Tranalpha is used to treat:
high blood pressure (hypertension)
some heart conditions
There are usually no symptoms of hypertension. The only way of knowing that you have hypertension is to have your blood pressure checked on a regular basis. If high blood pressure is not treated it can lead to serious health problems. You may feel fine and have no symptoms, but eventually hypertension can lead to serious health problems, including stroke, heart disease and kidney failure. Tranalpha helps to lower your blood pressure.
Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why Tranalpha has been prescribed for you.
Your doctor may have prescribed Tranalpha for another purpose.

How Tranalpha works

Tranalpha belongs to a group of medicines called angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors.
ACE inhibitors lower blood pressure by widening and relaxing your blood vessels, making it easier for the heart to pump blood around the body.
Widening of the blood vessels also increases the supply of blood and oxygen to the heart. By increasing the supply of oxygen to your heart, your heart does not have to work as hard.
Tranalpha is available only with a doctor's prescription.
There is no evidence that Tranalpha is addictive.

Before you take Tranalpha

When you must not take it

Do not take Tranalpha if you:
have had an allergic (sensitive) reaction to trandolapril or medicines containing trandolapril or any of the ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet.Some of the symptoms of an allergic reaction may include skin rash, itching or hives, swelling of the face, lips, mouth, throat or other parts of the body, shortness of breath, wheezing or troubled breathing.
Do not take Tranalpha if:
you have ever taken any other ACE inhibitor medicine, which caused your face, lips, tongue, throat, hands or feet to swell up, or made it hard for you to breathe.
If you have had an allergic reaction to an ACE inhibitor before, you could be allergic to Tranalpha.
you have a history of swelling of the face, lips, mouth, tongue, throat, hands or feet for no apparent reason.
Taking Tranalpha could cause this problem to happen again.
are suffering from any obstruction that slows the flow of blood to the heart, such as narrowing of one of the valves in the heart (aortic stenosis)
recently had severe or prolonged sickness or diarrhea
have ever had the condition known as angioedema (a severe allergic skin condition)
are undergoing haemodialysis or having your blood treated outside your body.
Taking Tranalpha could cause an allergic reaction.
Tranalpha may affect your developing baby if you take it during pregnancy.
Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or wish to breastfeed.
Tranalpha may pass into breast milk. It is recommended that you do not breastfeed while taking Tranalpha
Tranalpha must not be given to children.
Safety and effectiveness in children have not been established.

Before you start to take it

Be sure to tell your doctor if you have had any type of allergic reaction to an ACE inhibitor.
You may have an increased chance of being allergic to Tranalpha if you are allergic to other ACE inhibitors.
kidney or liver problems
regular dialysis, blood filtration or similar procedures
high levels of potassium in your blood
dizzy spells
connective tissue disease
are about to have surgery or general anaesthetic
any heart conditions
Tell your doctor if you if you have a family history of excessive swelling in the face, lips, mouth, tongue or throat.
Tell your doctor if you are following a very low salt diet.
Tell your doctor if you are about to receive desensitisation treatment for an allergy e.g. to insect stings.
Tell your doctor if you plan to become pregnant or breastfeed.
Tranalpha should not be used during pregnancy or while you are breast-feeding.
If you had not told your doctor about any of the above, tell them before you start taking Tranalpha.

Taking other medicines

Tell your doctor if you are taking any other medicines, including any that you buy with or without a prescription from a pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.
Some medicines may be affected by Tranalpha, or may affect how well it works. These include:
any other high blood pressure medicines
diuretics, also known as 'fluid tablets', a medicine used to remove excess body fluids
lithium and tricyclic antidepressants, medicines used to treat mood changes
potassium supplements or large amounts of salt
potassium - containing salt substitutes in your food (check the label)
anti-inflammatory pain medicines used to treat arthritis, pain or fever
any anti-diabetic medicine used to lower blood glucose
sympathomimetics which may be found in some decongestants, cough/cold remedies and asthma medicines
immunosuppressants, medicines which lower the body's resistance to disease
procainamide, a medicine used to improve abnormal heart rhythms
allopurinol, a medicine used to treat gout
cytostatic medicines, medicines used to treat certain cancers
neuroleptic medicines, medicines used to treat certain mental and emotional conditions
general anaesthetics
injectable gold (sodium aurothiomalate), a medicine used to treat rheumatoid arthritis.
These medicines may be affected by Tranalpha or may affect how well it works. Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you what to do if you are taking any of these medicines. They also have a more complete list of medicines to be careful with or avoid while taking Tranalpha.

How to take Tranalpha

How much to take

Your doctor will tell you how many capsules of Tranalpha you need to take each day. This depends on your condition and whether or not you are taking any other medicines.
The usual dosage is one or two capsules taken once daily, up to a maximum of 4 mg (two 2 mg capsules) once daily.

Dosage for older people over 65 years.

The usual starting dose for older people is less than that for younger adults. Your doctor will adjust the dose of Tranalpha, depending on how quickly your kidneys and liver can remove it from your body.
These directions may differ from the information contained in this leaflet.

How to take it

Swallow Tranalpha with water.

When to take it

Take Tranalpha at about the same time each day.
It does not matter if you take Tranalpha before, during or after food.

How long to take it for


If you forget to take it


If you take too much (overdose)

Immediately telephone your doctor or the Poisons Information Centre (telephone 13 11 26) for advice, or go to Accident and Emergency at the nearest hospital, if you think that you or anyone else may have taken too much Tranalpha. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning.
You may need urgent medical attention.
If you take too much Tranalpha, you may feel dizzy, light-headed, weak, have palpitations or faint.

While you are taking Tranalpha

Things you must do

Have your blood pressure checked when your doctor says, to make sure Tranalpha is working.
If you become pregnant while taking Tranalpha tell your doctor immediately.
If you feel light-headed or dizzy after taking your first dose of Tranalpha, or when your dose is increased, tell your doctor immediately.
Tell your doctor if you have excessive vomiting and/or diarrhoea while taking Tranalpha.
Drink plenty of water when you are using Tranalpha, especially if you sweat a lot (e.g. during hot weather or exercise).
If you do not drink enough water while taking Tranalpha, you may faint or feel light-headed or sick. This is because your blood pressure is dropping suddenly. If you continue to feel unwell, tell your doctor.
Tell any other doctors, dentists and pharmacists who are treating you that you are taking Tranalpha.
If you are about to have any blood tests, tell your doctor that you are taking Tranalpha.
Tranalpha may interfere with the results of some tests.
Go to your doctor regularly for a check-up.

Things you must not do

Do not give Tranalpha to anyone else, even if they have the same condition as you.
Do not take Tranalpha to treat any other complaints unless your doctor tells you to.
Do not stop taking Tranalpha, or lower the dosage, without checking with your doctor.

Things to be careful of

Be careful driving or operating machinery until you know how Tranalpha affects you.
Tranalpha may cause dizziness, light-headedness or tiredness in some people. Make sure you know how you react to Tranalpha before you drive a car, operate machinery, or do anything else that could be dangerous if you are dizzy or light-headed.
If this occurs do not drive.

Lifestyle measures that help reduce heart disease risk

Quit smoking and avoid second-hand smoke.
Limit alcohol intake.
Enjoy healthy eating by:
eating plenty of vegetables and fruit;
Maintain a healthy weight.
Discuss your lifestyle and lifestyle plans with your doctor.
Know warning signs of heart attack and what to do:

Side effects

Tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are taking Tranalpha.
Tranalpha helps most people with hypertension and some heart conditions, but it may have unwanted side effects in some people. All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You may need medical treatment if you get some of the side effects.
light-headedness or dizziness
nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea or stomach pains
persistent dry cough
unusual tiredness or weakness
aching, tender or weak muscles not caused by exercise
taste disturbance
These are the more common side effects of Tranalpha.
Tell your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following:
fast or irregular heart beat, also called palpitations
itchy skin rash or other skin problems
If any of the following happen stop taking Tranalpha and tell your doctor immediately or go to Accident and Emergency at the nearest hospital:
fainting within a few hours of taking Tranalpha
severe dizziness and confusion with visual disturbances and speech problems
chest pain
rapid, shallow breathing, cold clammy skin, a rapid, weak pulse, dizziness, weakness and fainting
Other side effects not listed above may occur in some patients. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information about side effects. Tell your doctor promptly if you notice anything that is making you feel unwell.
If the condition persists or worsens, seek medical attention.

After taking Tranalpha


If you take capsules out of the box they may not keep well.
Do not keep Tranalpha or any other medicine in the bathroom or near a sink.
Do not leave Tranalpha in the car on hot days or on window sills.
Heat and dampness can destroy some medicines.
Keep it where children cannot reach it.



Product description

What it looks like

Tranalpha capsules are available in four different strengths. Each strength has a separate colour to distinguish it from the others.
Tranalpha 0.5 mg: light scarlet & rich yellow capsules
Tranalpha 1 mg: light scarlet & light orange capsules
Tranalpha 2 mg: light scarlet capsules
Tranalpha 4 mg: orange & scarlet capsules
Each pack contains 28 capsules.


The active ingredient in Tranalpha is trandolapril
each Tranalpha 0.5 capsule contains 0.5 mg of trandolapril per capsule
each Tranalpha 1 capsule contains 1 mg of trandolapril per capsule
each Tranalpha 2 capsule contains 2 mg of trandolapril per capsule
each Tranalpha 4 capsule contains 4 mg of trandolapril per capsule
Tranalpha is also contains:
dimethicone 350
microcrystalline cellulose
pregelatinised maize starch
magnesium stearate
silicon dioxide
titanium dioxide
sunset yellow FCF (Tranalpha 0.5, Tranalpha 1 & Tranalpha 2)
quinoline yellow (Tranalpha 0.5)
iron oxide red (Tranalpha 4)
iron oxide yellow (Tranalpha 4)
iron oxide black (Tranalpha 4)
Tranalpha does not contain gluten, sucrose or tartrazine.


Tranalpha is supplied by:
Alphapharm Pty Limited
(ABN 93 002 359 739)
Level 1, 30 The Bond
30 - 34 Hickson Road
Millers Point NSW 2000
Phone: (02) 9298 3999
Australian registration numbers:
Tranalpha 0.5: AUST R 198992
Tranalpha 1: AUST R 198993
Tranalpha 2: AUST R 198994
Tranalpha 4: AUST R 198995
This leaflet was prepared on
18 June 2013.