Tarka is a combination medicine prescribed to treat high blood pressure. It contains a combination of an ACE inhibitor (trandolapril) and calcium channel blocker (verapamil) that work together to relax muscles in the heart and blood vessels.

Always follow your doctor’s instructions and use Tarka exactly as prescribed.

• Take with food.
• You may be easily dehydrated while taking Tarka. Take care to drink enough water and call your doctor if you have excessive sweating, ongoing vomiting or diarrhea.
• High blood pressure often has no symptoms. Continue use even if you feel well.

Don’t use Tarka if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

If you have diabetes, do not take Tarka together with medications that contain aliskiren (Tekturna, Tekamlo).

Don’t take Tarka if you have:

• A heart rhythm disorder or serious heart conditions like AV block
• Low blood pressure

Before taking Tarka, inform your doctor if you have any of the following:

• Kidney or liver disease
• Heart conditions or congestive heart failure
• Connective tissue diseases (Marfan syndrome, Sjogren’s syndrome, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma)
• Diabetes
• Nerve-muscle disease (muscular dystrophy)

Tell your doctor about any other medication you take, especially:

• Lithium
• NSAIDs (ibuprofen, aspirin, naproxen, meloxicam, celecoxib, diclofenac)
• Diuretics (water pills)
• Antibiotics and antivirals
• Cholesterol medication
• Colchicine
• Gold injections
• Insulin or diabetes drugs
• Heart or blood pressure drugs
• Anti-rejection drugs
• Seizure medication
• John’s wort

Common side effects of Tarka include:

• Headache, dizziness
• Cough and cold symptoms
• Chest pain, back pain
• Constipation
• Tiredness
• Abnormal liver function

Contact your doctor if you experience these more serious side effects:

• Feeling light headed or passing out
• Sudden weakness, fever, chills, sore throat, mouth sores or pain when swallowing
• Jaundice and upper abdominal pain
• Chest pain and uneven heart rate
• Lung problems – wheezing, gasping, shortness of breath, anxiety, sweating, pale skin, cough
• High potassium – weakness, nausea, slow heart rate, loss of movement
• Kidney problems – blood in urine, urinating more or less than usual, swelling, weight gain

Are there any dietary restrictions to follow while on Tarka?

You should avoid potassium supplements and salt substitutes that contain potassium, which may cause a dangerous amount of potassium to build up in the body.