Alteplase is used in the treatment of heart attack and ischemic stroke.

Alteplase works by dissolving the harmful blood clots in the blood vessels. This allows reperfusion of affected tissue, preventing tissue death and improving outcomes.

Nausea, Vomiting, Decreased blood pressure, Injection site bleeding

• Seek immediate medical advice if you experience signs and symptoms of bleeding such as pink or brown colour urine, blood in stools, black stools, coughing blood, vomiting blood or vomiting clotted blood (looks like coffee grounds), headache or any other signs and symptoms of stroke.
• Stop the medication and contact your doctor immediately if you notice skin reactions (pale red, raised skin rashes), sudden fall in blood pressure, difficulty in breathing, fluid accumulation and swelling of eyes, lips, tongue etc.
• Tell your doctor if you have had any surgery recently or planning to have one.
• Inform your doctor if you have recently had any trauma (biopsies, intramuscular injection etc.), or conditions that can cause internal bleeding (bleeding in brain, digestive or reproductive system, eye) or external bleeding or if you have been diagnosed with severe blood clotting conditions (septic thrombophlebitis) or if you are taking any medications for prevention of blood clots (such as warfarin).
• Tell your doctor if you have high blood pressure, heart disorders (acute pericarditis, bacterial endocarditis, mitral stenosis with arterial fibrillation), liver or kidney problems or any other bleeding disorders.
• Tell your doctor if you are or planning to become pregnant or are breastfeeding.
• Do not take if you are allergic to tissue plasminogen activator or any of its ingredients.
• Do not give to Children, adolescents (aged below 18 years), and patients older than 80 years.
• Do not give to patients with high risk of bleeding (those who have active internal bleeding, bleeding in brain, recent surgeries or trauma related to brain or spinal cord, some cancers, some abnormalities of blood vessels like, arteriovenous malformations, or aneurysms, patients receiving medications for blood clot prevention such as warfarin).
• Do not give to patients with uncontrolled high blood pressure.
• Do not give to patients with history of stroke or stroke due to bleeding in the brain (hemorrhagic stroke).
• Do not give to patients with abnormal susceptibility to bleed (hemorrhagic diathesis).
• Do not give to patients with inflammation of pancreas or coverings of the heart (bacterial endocarditis, pericarditis).
• Do not give to patients with ulcers in the stomach or intestine.
• Do not take if you are suffering from liver disease (such as hepatic failure, cirrhosis, portal hypertension, and hepatitis).
• Do not take if you have received an external heart massage in the past 10 days.