Following your doctor's advice about treatment is probably the best thing you can do to keep heart failure from getting worse. This means no skipping doctor visits. And make sure to take your medicines as directed. If your doctor knows you are having trouble quitting smoking or sticking to your diet, he or she can help you. But if you don't admit you need help, you'll never get help.

Here are some things you can do to make it easier to follow your doctor's advice:

• Use a pillbox marked with each day of the week and the times of day you take your medicines. Fill the pillbox (or ask someone to help) at the beginning of each week. Keep your pillbox in a convenient place, where seeing it will help remind you to take your medication.
  
  
• Keep a list of your medications - including each one's name, the reason you take each medication, and the number of times per day you take each. You can ask your doctor to help you prepare this, or to review the list you make to be certain it's accurate.
  
  
• Refill prescriptions ahead of time so you don't run out.
  
  
• Take your medicines at the same time every day so it becomes routine.
  
  
• Ask a friend or relative to remind you about taking medication, or consider setting an alarm to remind yourself.
  
  
• If medicines are causing uncomfortable side effects, like dizziness or headaches, don't stop taking them. Call your doctor's office. Sometimes a different dosage or a different medication will work better. Some medicines cause side effects that are only temporary.
  
  
• If you have trouble paying for your medicines, tell your doctor or nurse. Many drug companies offer free or discount drugs to some patients.
  
  
• Keep a large calendar in your kitchen to keep track of doctor appointments. If you'll need a ride, make arrangements early so you won't need to re-schedule.

Information for Patients about BiDil®

BiDil is approved for use in addition to routine heart medicines to treat heart failure in black patients, to extend life, improve heart failure symptoms, and help patients stay out of the hospital longer. There is little experience in patients with heart failure who experience significant symptoms while at rest. Most patients in the clinical study of BiDil received routine heart failure medicines.

Important Safety Information

Tell your doctor about any allergies you have, especially if you're sensitive to nitrates, such as nitroglycerin tablets or isosorbide dinitrate (Sorbitrate® or Isordil®). BiDil has a nitrate component, so you need to let your doctor know.

Tell your doctor if you're taking any erectile dysfunction or pulmonary hypertension drugs, like Viagra®/Revatio™ (sildenafil), Levitra® (vardenafil) or Cialis® (tadalafil). Mixing these with BiDil may cause a sudden drop in blood pressure, fainting, chest pain, or heart attack.

Also tell your doctor if you are taking any medication to decrease blood pressure because when taken with BiDil, blood pressure may become too low.

Drinking alcohol when taking BiDil could make you feel very lightheaded. We recommend that you try to avoid drinking alcohol while taking BiDil.

It is possible you'll get headaches, especially at first. For some patients, Tylenol® (acetaminophen) helps ease the discomfort. Keep your doctor posted on your headache progress and Tylenol use; he or she may want to adjust your dosage.

If you experience dizziness, call your doctor. Please make sure to tell your doctor about any of the signs or symptoms mentioned below or about any unusual events that worry you.

Drinking less fluids than your doctor recommends or losing fluid due to diarrhea, sweating, or vomiting may cause low blood pressure, lightheadedness, or fainting. If fainting occurs, stop taking BiDil and contact your doctor immediately.

Lightheadedness may occur when standing, especially after sitting or lying down.

If you experience any achy and/or swollen joints, unexplained fever for more than a few days, skin rashes, chest pain, prolonged weakness or fatigue (even after a good night's sleep), or any other unexplained signs or symptoms, make sure to tell your doctor as they may be signs of a serious medical condition.

You may also experience rapid heartbeat that could lead to chest pain or aggravate chest pain, or numbness or tingling in the hands or feet.

Sorbitrate is a registered trademark of AstraZeneca LP; Isordil is a registered trademark of Bioavail Corporation; Viagra is a registered trademark and Revatio is a trademark of Pfizer Inc.; Levitra is a registered trademark of Bayer Healthcare, GlaxoSmithKline, and Schering-Plough; Cialis is a registered trademark of Lilly ICOS LLC. Tylenol is a registered trademark of McNeil Pharmaceuticals, a Division of McNeil PPC, Inc.

Please see full Prescribing Information for BiDil.