What Is Ranexa and How Can It Help Treat Angina?

Did you know that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death globally? Nearly 18 million people die from cardiovascular disease yearly, accounting for almost one-third of all deaths. 

Angina is one of the symptoms of underlying cardiac diseases. Have you wondered what is Ranexa? If you've tried nitrates in the past or are looking at newer medications, Ranexa may be your solution!

Luckily, we will break down what Ranexa is, how to take it, how to find affordable prices, and how it stacks up against other angina treatment medications. Keep reading for more information!

What Is Angina?

Angina is the medical term for chest pain, although symptoms may include tightness, pressure, or squeezing. Angina occurs when there is a lack of adequate blood flow to heart muscle regions. 

Coronary artery disease and ischemia are examples of cardiovascular diseases that cause angina, which is a symptom rather than an independent diagnosis. Typically, angina isn't life-threatening, but it can indicate key signs of a heart attack or underlining cardiac diagnoses. There are several types of angina, including:

• Stable angina
• Unstable angina
• Microvascular angina
• Variant angina

Women may also have slightly different symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, or shortness of breath. 

Angina Treatment Options

Some of the main treatments for angina are lifestyle changes, medication management, spinal cord stimulators, and surgery. The first two lines of defense are usually lifestyle changes and medication. Here are some ways you can reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease and improve angina symptoms:

• Eliminating smoking
• Lose excess weight
• Regular exercise
• Reduce stress
• Healthy diet changes

What are the primary medication options? Nitrates are the most common angina medications.

They help vasodilate blood vessels and improve blood flow to the heart. Your physician may also prescribe beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, statins, or anticoagulants. 

What Is Ranexa?

Ranexa is a brand-name prescription medication. It contains the main ingredient, ranolazine, which is its generic counterpart. 

Ranexa is a non-nitrate medication that treats angina and can be combined with nitrates or other heart medications. How does it differ from standard nitrates?

Nitrates are the oldest form of medication that treat angina. They help vasodilate larger blood vessels and are short acting medications. Higher dosages can lower blood pressure and increase heart rate. 

Ranolazine helps manage calcium overload, which has close ties to ischemia. This mechanism of action promotes better coronary artery blood flow in ischemic cardiac regions. 

Research shows that there are no changes in blood pressure, unlike nitrates, and it is safe for patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). A meta-analysis also showed that it improved all outcomes when ranolazine was added to beta-blockers. 

How Do You Take Ranexa?

Typically, Ranexa comes in 375 mg, 500 mg, 750 mg, or 1,000 mg dosages. Some of these are extended-release tablets that are more expensive than their generic version. Many patients take these tablets twice daily. 

Ranexa medication doesn't have to be taken with food. Yet, you should avoid eating or drinking anything with grapefruit. Grapefruit and grapefruit juice inhibits the breakdown of specific enzymes. 

In some medications, this can increase the amount of drug in your system and its duration. What happens if you miss a dose? If you aren't too far off, you can take your prescribed dosage. 

But if it is much later, you should wait until your next dosage. Don't double up on medication, and call your physician if you have further questions. 

Ranexa Side Effects

Ranexa medication may have mild side effects, such as headaches or constipation. Other side effects that can occur are:

• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Dry mouth
• Ears ringing

If you notice allergic reaction symptoms like hives or swelling, you should seek immediate medical attention. Other serious reactions include bloody urine, tachycardia, or shortness of breath.

How Much Does Ranexa Cost?

In the United States, Ranexa prices can cost over $515 for a 60 tablet supply. Insurance and rebates may lower costs, but they can still be unaffordable for many Americans. 

Ranexa's cost at PricePro Pharmacy is $175 for 60 tablet supplies. Another way you can save money is by choosing the generic version. Extended-release ranolazine 1000 mg is less than $1 per unit through PricePro Pharmacy.

Extended-release drugs in the United States can cost hundreds of more dollars. Switching to immediate-release drugs saved Medicare Part D and Medicaid nearly $500 million. 

What Is the Best Medication for Angina?

Many patients wonder if Ranexa is worth the cost compared to other angina medications. Let's break down Imdur versus Ranexa. Imdur is another prescription drug that falls under the nitrate classification. 

It helps vasodilate blood vessels and prevent angina. While most people report that it is effective and easy to use, it comes with some negative side effects, such as:

• Hypotension
• Headache
• Flushed skin

In some cases, it may make your angina worse. The downside of Imdur is you often can't take it with medications such as PDE5 inhibitors. Nitrates and erectile dysfunction medications often clash and can cause serious side effects.

If you haven't responded well to nitrates in the past or are on other medication, Ranexa may be a better alternative. 

Find Ranexa at Affordable Prices

Now that you can answer the question, 'what is Ranexa,' you want to find a pharmacy that can offer low-prices and high-quality medication. Remember, your physician must write a script for a Ranexa prescription. 

Afterward, check out PricePro Pharmacy for low prices on all your prescription medications. Canada has more regulation on prescription drug price caps, driving prices much lower than those found in the United States.

Ready to get started? Check out our full list of angina medications today!

Works Cited

https://www.everydayhealth.com/drugs/isosorbide-mononitrate

https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/grapefruit-juice-and-some-drugs-dont-mix#:~:text=Many%20drugs%20are%20broken%20down,much%20drug%20in%20your%20body.

https://www.futuremedicine.com/doi/10.2217/fca-2021-0058

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/8886#types

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7049080/

https://www.pricepropharmacy.com/categories/angina/

https://www.pricepropharmacy.com/product/ranexa/

https://www.verywellhealth.com/stable-angina-1745941#:~:text=A%20Word%20From%20Verywell,the%20heart%20is%20being%20stressed.

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cardiovascular-diseases-(cvds)