Symptoms of PAH

Symptoms of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) are caused by a lack of oxygen due to narrowed blood vessels in the lungs and increased stress on the heart. PAH symptoms may not be obvious at first, but over time they can become more limiting.

  Symptoms of PAH may include*:  
  Breathlessness or shortness of breath (dyspnea), the most common symptom  
  Feeling tired all the time  
  Dizziness, especially when climbing stairs or when standing up  
  Fainting (syncope)  
  Swollen ankles and legs (peripheral edema)  
  Chest pain, especially during physical activity (angina)  

Understanding Functional Class

Once a diagnosis has been made, your healthcare provider may determine your Functional Class. The Functional Class system categorizes the severity of your disease according to your symptoms. Functional Class describes how symptoms of PAH, such as shortness of breath, chest pain, or lightheadedness, limit physical activity.5 Placing patients into Functional Classes helps your healthcare team make decisions about your treatment. The study showing VENTAVIS is effective included mainly patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) Functional Class III-IV PAH (WHO Group 1).

  Symptoms and classification5  
  The NYHA functional classification system is an important method your doctor may use to measure the severity of your symptoms to decide what type of treatment is right for you.  
  Class I No symptoms with ordinary physical activity.  
  Class II Symptoms with ordinary physical activity, with slight limitation of activity.  
  Class III Symptoms with even mild physical activity. Significant limitation of activity.  
  Class IV Symptoms with any level of physical activity, or even at rest.  

WHAT IS VENTAVIS®?

VENTAVIS® is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with certain kinds of severe pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a condition in which blood pressure is too high in the blood vessels between the heart and the lungs. VENTAVIS® may improve your ability to exercise and your symptoms for a short time by lowering your blood pressure and opening up the blood vessels in your lungs.

VENTAVIS® has not been studied in children younger than 18 years old.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

What should I tell my doctor before taking VENTAVIS®?:

VENTAVIS® may not be right for you.

Before taking VENTAVIS®, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

  • are pregnant, or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if VENTAVIS® can harm your unborn baby. VENTAVIS® should only be used during pregnancy if the benefit to you is worth the possible risk to your baby.
  • are breast-feeding. It is not known if VENTAVIS® passes into your breast milk. You and your doctor should decide if you will take VENTAVIS® or breast feed.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

VENTAVIS® and other medicines may affect each other causing side effects. VENTAVIS® may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how VENTAVIS® works.

Especially tell your doctor if you take:

  • medicines used to treat high blood pressure or heart problems
  • medicines that lessen blood clotting (for example warfarin, Coumadin®, Jantoven®)

Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of your medicines and show it to your doctor and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.

How should I take VENTAVIS®?

  • Take VENTAVIS® exactly as your doctor tells you to take it. Your doctor may change your dose if needed.
  • You should not take VENTAVIS® more than every 2 hours. The benefits of VENTAVIS® may not last 2 hours, so you may adjust the times that you use it to cover planned activities.
  • Do not drink VENTAVIS®.
  • Do not let VENTAVIS® solution come into contact with your skin or eyes. If it does, rinse your skin or eyes with water right away.
  • Do not allow other people to be exposed to VENTAVIS® while you are breathing it, especially babies.
  • If you take too much VENTAVIS®, you may have a headache, red face, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. If this happens stop taking VENTAVIS®. If your symptoms do not go away, call your doctor or get emergency help right away.

What are the most common side effects of VENTAVIS®?

VENTAVIS® may cause side effects, including feeling dizzy, lightheaded and faint. If you have any of these side effects, you should stand up slowly when you get out of chairs or bed. Tell your doctor if your fainting gets worse during treatment with VENTAVIS®. Your doctor may need to change your dose or your treatment.

Do not drive a car or operate any tools or machines if dizziness or fainting from low blood pressure is a problem for you.

You may have trouble breathing after taking VENTAVIS® because it may cause the muscles around your airway to tighten (bronchospasm). Get emergency help right away if you have trouble breathing.

Other important side effects of VENTAVIS® include:

  • bleeding
  • red face (flushing)
  • increased cough
  • low blood pressure
  • headaches
  • nausea
  • spasm of your jaw muscles that makes it hard to open your mouth

Talk to your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

These are not all the possible side effects of VENTAVIS®. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Call your healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see full Prescribing Information and Patient Information for VENTAVIS® and discuss any questions you have with your doctor.

cp-134776v2

WHAT IS VENTAVIS®?

VENTAVIS® is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with certain kinds of severe pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a condition in which blood pressure is too high in the blood vessels between the heart and the lungs. VENTAVIS® may improve your ability to exercise and your symptoms for a short time by lowering your blood pressure and opening up the blood vessels in your lungs.

VENTAVIS® has not been studied in children younger than 18 years old.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

What should I tell my doctor before taking VENTAVIS®?:

VENTAVIS® may not be right for you.

Before taking VENTAVIS®, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

  • are pregnant, or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if VENTAVIS® can harm your unborn baby. VENTAVIS® should only be used during pregnancy if the benefit to you is worth the possible risk to your baby.
  • are breast-feeding. It is not known if VENTAVIS® passes into your breast milk. You and your doctor should decide if you will take VENTAVIS® or breast feed.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

VENTAVIS® and other medicines may affect each other causing side effects. VENTAVIS® may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how VENTAVIS® works.

Especially tell your doctor if you take:

  • medicines used to treat high blood pressure or heart problems
  • medicines that lessen blood clotting (for example warfarin, Coumadin®, Jantoven®)

Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of your medicines and show it to your doctor and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.

How should I take VENTAVIS®?

  • Take VENTAVIS® exactly as your doctor tells you to take it. Your doctor may change your dose if needed.
  • You should not take VENTAVIS® more than every 2 hours. The benefits of VENTAVIS® may not last 2 hours, so you may adjust the times that you use it to cover planned activities.
  • Do not drink VENTAVIS®.
  • Do not let VENTAVIS® solution come into contact with your skin or eyes. If it does, rinse your skin or eyes with water right away.
  • Do not allow other people to be exposed to VENTAVIS® while you are breathing it, especially babies.
  • If you take too much VENTAVIS®, you may have a headache, red face, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. If this happens stop taking VENTAVIS®. If your symptoms do not go away, call your doctor or get emergency help right away.

What are the most common side effects of VENTAVIS®?

VENTAVIS® may cause side effects, including feeling dizzy, lightheaded and faint. If you have any of these side effects, you should stand up slowly when you get out of chairs or bed. Tell your doctor if your fainting gets worse during treatment with VENTAVIS®. Your doctor may need to change your dose or your treatment.

Do not drive a car or operate any tools or machines if dizziness or fainting from low blood pressure is a problem for you.

You may have trouble breathing after taking VENTAVIS® because it may cause the muscles around your airway to tighten (bronchospasm). Get emergency help right away if you have trouble breathing.

Other important side effects of VENTAVIS® include:

  • bleeding
  • red face (flushing)
  • increased cough
  • low blood pressure
  • headaches
  • nausea
  • spasm of your jaw muscles that makes it hard to open your mouth

Talk to your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

These are not all the possible side effects of VENTAVIS®. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Call your healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see full Prescribing Information and Patient Information for VENTAVIS® and discuss any questions you have with your doctor.

cp-134776v2