About levosimendan
Calcium sensitizer and inodilator
Used for
- Short-term treatment of severe acute heart failure when usual treatment is insufficient.
Usual adult dose
Usually a 6–12 microgram/kg loading dose over 10 minutes, followed by 0.05–0.2 microgram/kg/min infusion for up to 24 hours; dosing is clinician-directed.
Common side effects
- Low blood pressure
- Headache
- Abnormal heart rhythm
- Nausea
Important warnings
- Given by monitored intravenous infusion in hospital.
- May cause dangerous low blood pressure or abnormal heart rhythms.
- Avoid in severe kidney or liver impairment and significant outflow obstruction.
- The loading dose may be omitted if blood pressure is low.
Pregnancy
Use is generally avoided during pregnancy unless clearly necessary; human safety information is limited.
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding safety is not established; use requires clinician assessment.
Interactions
- Other blood-pressure-lowering medicines may increase hypotension.
- Medicines that widen blood vessels may increase hypotension.
AI-generated from general medical knowledge, not from this product's official leaflet. It may be incomplete or out of date. Not medical advice — ask a pharmacist or doctor before making any decision.