For more information about heart failure and what you can do, the following organizations offer help for patients, their families, and caregivers.

• American Diabetes Association Web site. This official site contains information on diabetes prevention, treatment, research, nutrition and diet advice, and more.
  
  
• American Heart Association Web site. This site offers in-depth information on heart failure as well as tips for caregivers, guidance on end-of-life issues, personal stories, and even heart-healthy recipes.
  
  
• Association of Black Cardiologists Web site. This professional organization of African American heart specialists offers occasional news updates on research related to heart diseases in the African American community and recommended books on heart health.
  
  
• The Cleveland Clinic Heart Center Web site and the Mayo Clinic Web site. These top-notch hospitals for heart care each offers Web sites with searchable databases on all sorts of heart health topics, as well as research updates and news information.
  
  
• Heart Failure Society of America Web site. This organization of health care professionals and researchers also offers a useful patient and caregiver "brochure" about heart failure. You can also order patient education materials by calling 1-877-510-HFSA.
  
  
• National Black Nurses Association Web site. This professional organization's site offers programs for African American nursing professionals as well as information for the public about heart-related screenings, counseling services, and preventive education classes it offers at its 17 chapter locations.
  
  
• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Web site. This U.S. government Web site offers an excellent overview of heart failure, its causes, and its treatments. It also offers an in-depth guide to lowering blood pressure, including information on heart-healthy exercise and the DASH eating plan.
  
  
• National Medical Association Web site. This professional organization of African American physicians focuses on promoting equality in health care. The site offers information about health policies that the group supports and materials to encourage African American health professionals and patients to more actively participate in clinical research studies. The site includes a physician locator feature to help you find a doctor in your area who's an NMA member.
  
  
• National Network of Tobacco Cessation Quitlines (1-800-QUIT-NOW). This phone network - recently established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - connects callers with counselors who can offer free guidance and support for quitting smoking. Callers are routed either to their state quitline services or, in states where these are not yet available, to telephone counselors at the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service.
  
  
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health Web site. This site offers links to publications, statistics, fact sheets, and resources on all sorts of minority health issues.

By clicking on a link you will be leaving the BiDil.com Web site. We make no representations whatsoever about any other Web site which you may access through this one.

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.