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Nifedipine is in a group of drugs called calcium channel blockers. It works by relaxing the muscles of your heart and blood vessels.
Nifedipine is used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure) and angina (chest pain).
Nifedipine may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.
You should not use nifedipine if you have severe coronary artery disease, or if you have had a heart attack within the past 2 weeks.
Before taking nifedipine, tell your doctor if you have kidney or liver disease, a blockage in your digestive tract (stomach or intestines), a history of stomach surgery, coronary artery disease, underactive thyroid, diabetes, or congestive heart failure.
If you need surgery, tell the surgeon ahead of time that you are using nifedipine. You may need to stop using the medicine for a short time.
Do not stop taking nifedipine without first talking to your doctor, even if you feel fine. Stopping suddenly may make your condition worse. High blood pressure often has no symptoms. You may need to use blood pressure medication for the rest of your life.
You should not use this medicine if you are allergic to nifedipine, if you have severe coronary artery disease, or if you have had a heart attack within the past 2 weeks.
To make sure nifedipine is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:
severe COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease);
kidney disease;
congestive heart failure; or
if you take other medications, especially an antibiotic or antifungal medicine, an antidepressant, heart or blood pressure medicine, or drugs to treat HIV/AIDS or hepatitis C.
It is not known whether nifedipine will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using this medication.
Nifedipine can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
The nifedipine extended-release tablet may contain lactose. Talk to your doctor before using this form of nifedipine if you have galactose intolerance, or severe problems with lactose (milk sugar).
Take nifedipine exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow all directions on your prescription label. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose to make sure you get the best results. Do not take this medicine in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended.
You may need to take an extended-release tablet on an empty stomach. Follow the directions on your medicine label about taking this medication with or without food.
Do not crush, chew, or break a nifedipine extended-release tablet. Swallow it whole.
Your blood pressure will need to be checked often and you may need other blood tests at your doctor's office.
Some tablet forms of nifedipine are made with a shell that is not absorbed or melted in the body. Part of the tablet shell may appear in your stool. This is a normal side effect of nifedipine and will not make the medication less effective.
If you need surgery, tell the surgeon ahead of time that you are using nifedipine. You may need to stop using the medicine at least 36 hours before surgery.
You may have very low blood pressure while taking this medication. Call your doctor if you are sick with vomiting or diarrhea, or if you are sweating more than usual.
If you are also taking a beta-blocker (atenolol, carvedilol, labetalol, metoprolol, nadolol, nebivolol, propranolol, sotalol, and others) you should not stop using the beta-blocker suddenly or you could have serious heart problems that will not be prevented by nifedipine. Follow your doctor's instructions about tapering your beta-blocker dose.
You should not stop using nifedipine suddenly. Stopping suddenly may make your condition worse.
If you are being treated for high blood pressure, keep using this medication even if you feel well. High blood pressure often has no symptoms. You may need to use blood pressure medication for the rest of your life.
Store at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light.
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.
Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with nifedipine and lead to unwanted side effects. Discuss the use of grapefruit products with your doctor.
Avoid getting up too fast from a sitting or lying position, or you may feel dizzy. Get up slowly and steady yourself to prevent a fall.
Get emergency medical help if you have any signs of an allergic reaction to nifedipine: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Call your doctor at once if you have:
worsening angina;
a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out;
pounding heartbeats or fluttering in your chest;
chest pain or heavy feeling, pain spreading to the jaw or shoulder, nausea, sweating, general ill feeling;
swelling in your ankles or feet; or
upper stomach pain, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).
Common nifedipine side effects may include:
mild dizziness;
flushing (warmth, redness, or tingly feeling);
weakness, headache, mood changes;
heartburn, nausea;
tremors, muscle cramps; or
cough, wheezing, sore throat, stuffy nose.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Other drugs may interact with nifedipine, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Tell each of your health care providers about all medicines you use now and any medicine you start or stop using.
Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use nifedipine only for the indication prescribed.
Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.
Medically reviewed by USARx EDITORIAL TEAM Last updated on 1/1/2020.
Source: Drugs.com Nifedipine (www.drugs.com/nifedipine.html).
Commonly reported side effects of nifedipine include: dizziness, peripheral edema, lower extremity edema, flushing, and flushing sensation. Other side effects include: acute myocardial infarction, muscle cramps, tremor, cough, dyspnea, hypotension, and wheezing. See below for a comprehensive list of adverse effects.
Applies to nifedipine: oral capsule liquid filled, oral tablet extended release
Along with its needed effects, nifedipine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur while taking nifedipine:
More common
Less common
Rare
Some side effects of nifedipine may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
More common
Less common
Rare
Applies to nifedipine: compounding powder, oral capsule, oral tablet extended release
The most commonly reported side effects included dizziness, giddiness, and lightheadedness.
Syncope typically occurred with initial doses and/or dose titrations.
Very common (10% or more): Dizziness (up to 27%), giddiness (up to 27%), lightheadedness (up to 27%), headache (up to 23%)
Common (1% to 10%): Tremor
Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Migraine, syncope, vertigo
Rare (0.01% to 0.1%): Paresthesia, dysesthesia
Frequency not reported: Ataxia, cerebral ischemia, balance difficulty, hypertonia, hypoesthesia, shakiness, somnolence
Postmarketing reports: Taste perversion
Very common (10% or more): Heat sensation (up to 25%), weakness (up to 12%)
Common (1% to 10%): Asthenia, fatigue, feeling unwell
Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Chills, malaise, pain, unspecific pain
Frequency not reported: Abnormal lab test, fever, inflammation, jitteriness, tinnitus
Very common (10% or more): Flushing (up to 25%)
Common (1% to 10%): Congestive heart failure, edema/peripheral edema, myocardial infarction, palpitations, transient hypotension, vasodilation
Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Angina pectoris/chest pain (excluding unstable), erythromelalgia, hypotension, postural hypotension, syncope, tachycardia
Rare (0.01% to 0.1%): Cardiovascular disorder, substernal chest pain
Frequency not reported: Arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation, bradycardia, cardiac arrest, conduction disturbances, extrasystole, hot flashes, increased angina, myocardial ischemia, nonspecific chest pain, phlebitis, ventricular arrhythmias
Very common (10% or more): Heartburn (up to 11%), nausea (up to 11%)
Common (1% to 10%): Constipation, cramps, diarrhea, flatulence
Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Abdominal/gastrointestinal (GI) pain, dyspepsia, dry mouth, gum hyperplasia
Rare (0.01% to 0.1%): Gingival hyperplasia
Frequency not reported: Bezoar, dysphagia, eructation, esophagitis, gastroesophageal reflux, gastroesophageal sphincter insufficiency, GI bleeding, GI disorder, GI hemorrhage, GI irritation, GI obstruction, GI ulceration, gum disorder, gum hemorrhage, melena, tablet adherence to GI wall, vomiting
Common (1% to 10%): Dyspnea, chest congestion, cough, nasal congestion, shortness of breath, sore throat, wheezing
Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Larynx edema, nosebleed
Frequency not reported: Epistaxis, increased cough, pharyngitis, pulmonary edema, rales, respiratory disorder, rhinitis, rigors, sinusitis, stridor, upper respiratory tract infection
Common (1% to 10%): Mood changes, nervousness
Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Anxiety reactions, insomnia, sleep disorders
Frequency not reported: Anxiety, confusion, decreased libido, depression, paroniria/paranoid syndrome, sleep disturbances
Common (1% to 10%): Muscle cramps
Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Joint pain
Frequency not reported: Arthralgia, arthritis with antinuclear antibody positive tests, back pain, joint disorder, joint stiffness, leg cramps, leg pain, myalgia, myasthenia, neck pain, worsening of myasthenia gravis
Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Dysuria, erectile dysfunction, polyuria
Frequency not reported: Breast engorgement, breast pain, hematuria, impotence, nocturia, pelvic pain, sexual difficulties, urinary frequency, urogenital disorder
Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Allergic reaction, allergic edema, angioedema/oropharyngeal edema
Frequency not reported: Anaphylactic/anaphylactoid reaction, systemic allergic reactions
Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Erythema, face edema
Rare (0.01% to 0.1%): Pruritus, rash, urticaria
Frequency not reported: Cellulitis, cutaneous angiectases, dermatitis, exfoliative dermatitis, palpable purpura, pemphigoid reaction, petechial rash, photosensitivity allergic reaction, sweating/increased sweating, telangiectasia, toxic epidermal necrolysis
Postmarketing reports: Acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis, alopecia, bullous skin adverse events, erythema multiforme, Stevens-Johnson syndrome
Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Abnormal liver function tests, transient liver enzyme increase
Frequency not reported: Allergic hepatitis, gamma glutamyltransferase increased, intra-hepatic cholestasis, jaundice
Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Visual disturbances
Frequency not reported: Abnormal lacrimation, abnormal vision, amblyopia, blurred vision, conjunctivitis, diplopia, eye disorder, eye hemorrhage, eye pain, periorbital edema, transient blindness (at Cmax), transient unilateral vision loss
Frequency not reported: Anemia, agranulocytosis, eosinophilia, leukopenia, lymphadenopathy, purpura, thrombocytopenia
Frequency not reported: Gout, hyperglycemia, weight gain/loss
Frequency not reported: Kidney calculus
Frequency not reported: Gynecomastia
Medically reviewed by USARx EDITORIAL TEAM Last updated on 1/1/2020.
Source: Drugs.com Nifedipine (www.drugs.com/nifedipine.html).
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