Labetalol has not been approved for use in children.
Trandate is manufactured by Prometheus Laboratories. A number of companies manufacture
generic labetalol, such as Watson Pharmaceuticals, Teva Pharmaceuticals, and Eon Laboratories.
Labetalol is part of a class of drugs called beta-adrenergic blocking agents, or beta blockers for short.
As the name implies, beta blockers block beta receptors in the body. Beta receptors are located in a number of places within the body, including the heart and blood vessels. These receptors are what stress hormones (such as adrenaline) attach to and cause certain reactions in the body, such as an increase in:
By blocking beta receptors, labetalol causes the reverse effect of stress hormones. It decreases heart rate and both
systolic and diastolic blood pressure, as well as the workload of the heart.
Unlike a lot of other beta blockers, labetalol also blocks alpha receptors. The alpha blocker component of labetalol works more on the peripheral blood vessels (arteries and veins), or those blood vessels in the arms and legs. By blocking the alpha receptors, labetalol relaxes these blood vessels.