Caduet is the brand name of a prescription medication used to treat both high blood pressure and high cholesterol. This medication is unique as it is the only prescription medication that combines the cholesterol lowering medication Lipitor with Norvasc, a medication effective in lowering blood pressure. Caduet can cause serious side effects, including muscle problems that can lead to kidney failure and liver problems. Caduet is effective because of its combination of active and inactive ingredients.
Amlodipine Besylate
As a single ingredient medication, amlodipine besylate is sold as the brand name Norvasc. Amlodipine besylate, a white crystalline powder, is a calcium channel blocker. In order for muscles to contract, nerve signals stimulate the release of calcium from storage within the muscle. Calcium channel blockers work by blocking the release of calcium thereby inhibiting the muscle contractions.
In treating hypertension, the goal is to reduce the blood pressure. Amlodipine besylate affects the muscles in the walls of the arteries, causing them to relax. When the arterial walls are relaxed, they dilate and allow blood to flow more freely, thereby reducing blood pressure.
Amlodipine besylate is a long acting medication with a peak performance occurring between 6 and 12 hours after ingestion according to the National Institutes of Health Archived Drug Label. The most common side effects of amlodipine besylate are headache and edema, which is the retention of fluid in the body.
Atorvastatin Calcium
Atorvastatin calcium, sold as the brand name medication Lipitor, is also a white crystalline powder. This medication is a lipid-lowering agent, meaning it works to decrease the levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood. Also known as a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor, atorvastatin calcium works by blocking the enzyme that is needed to produce cholesterol, according to the doctors at the Mayo Clinic.
By lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels, atorvastatin calcium helps to prevent chest pain, heart attack and stroke caused by the build-up of cholesterol in the blood vessels.
Inactive Ingredients
In addition to the two active ingredients listed, Caduet also contains several other inactive ingredients. These ingredients include calcium carbonate, croscarmellose sodium, microcrystalline cellulose, pregelatinized starch, polysorbate 80, hydroxypropyl cellulose, purified water, colloidal silicon dioxide (anhydrous) and magnesium stearate.
Inactive ingredients are used in drug formulations to serve a variety of functions. They help the medication to be absorbed by the body. They also provide bulk to potent drugs, allowing for easier dosing. Inactive ingredients can also help make the tablet stable and give it a longer shelf-life.
Film Coat
Caduet has ingredients that form a film coat on the tablet. These ingredients, which include polyvinyl alcohol, titanium dioxide, PEG 3000 and talc, work to protect the medication from degradation caused by the moisture in the air. The film coat also helps to make the tablet easier to swallow.
