Nifedipine is used alone or together with other medicines to treat severe chest pain (angina) or high blood pressure (hypertension). High blood pressure adds to the workload of the heart and arteries. If it continues for a long time, the heart and arteries may not function properly.

Why is nifedipine no longer used?

Nifedipine, a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker, was once one of the most widely used medications for hypertension, but safety and tolerability concerns along with the introduction of new classes of antihypertensive medications and an increasing pool of data showing mortality benefit of other classes caused …

Can you lose weight on nifedipine?

Previous studies have reported that nifedipine treatment decreases body weight in obese hypertensive humans15 and rat models. These data suggest that antihypertensive doses of nifedipine alter fat metabolism associated with anti-obesity.

When should you not take nifedipine?

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.

How quickly does nifedipine work?

Response and effectiveness. Nifedipine is quickly absorbed when taken orally and peak blood levels occur in approximately 30 minutes. It is relatively short-acting and needs to be taken three times a day.

What are side effects of nifedipine?

• Bloating or swelling of the face, arms, hands, lower legs, or feet.
• difficult or labored breathing.
• dizziness or lightheadedness.
• fast, irregular, pounding, or racing heartbeat or pulse.
• feeling of warmth.
• headache.
• muscle cramps.
• shakiness in the legs, arms, hands, or feet.

Does nifedipine help Raynaud's?

Calcium channel blockers, such as nifedipine, are confirmed as useful in reducing the frequency, duration, severity of attacks, pain and disability associated with Raynaud’s phenomenon.

Does nifedipine make pee?

Does Nifedipine make you pee? One of the possible side effects of Nifedipine is that you may need to urinate more than usual. Experts suggest that it does not affect the pressure in the bladder or urethra.

How safe is nifedipine?

Nifedipine is generally safe to take for a long time. In fact, it works best when you take it for a long time. What will happen if I stop taking it? Talk to your doctor if you want to stop taking nifedipine.

Can nifedipine cause weight gain?

Weight gain Due to the relaxation effect nifedipine has on the smooth muscle in peripheral blood vessels, nifedipine is also associated with edema (discussed below). The additional fluid retention can cause weight gain, however, this usually resolves with stopping the medication or making dose adjustments.

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Can you exercise on nifedipine?

We conclude that nifedipine significantly improves the exercise tolerance of patients with stable angina pectoris by decreasing peripheral vascular resistance and myocardial oxygen demand.

What is a good substitute for nifedipine?

Nisoldipine appears to be an effective substitute treatment for nifedipine in severely hypertensive patients sensitive or resistant to nifedipine.

How much does nifedipine lower BP?

Continuous hemodynamic monitoring provided further evidence’2 that nifedipine exerts a rapid, profound and persistent antihypertensive action. Mean arterial pressure, in fact, was lowered by 21% of control at 30 minutes (average fall 28 mm Hg) and by 16% at 120 minutes after the drug.

Is nifedipine a muscle relaxer?

Figure 4, A and B shows that nifedipine alone exerted a significant relaxant effect on spontaneous and oxytocin-induced myometrial contractility.

How long can you take nifedipine?

Your doctor will probably start you on a low dose of nifedipine and gradually increase your dose, generally once every 7 to 14 days. If taken regularly, nifedipine controls chest pain, but it does not stop chest pain once it starts. Your doctor may prescribe a different medication to take when you have chest pain.

What are the side effects of nifedipine 20 mg?

Dizziness, flushing, weakness, swelling ankles/feet, constipation, and headache may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly. To reduce dizziness and lightheadedness, get up slowly when rising from a sitting or lying position.

What medications make raynauds worse?

What medications make Raynauds worse? Patients with Raynaud’s should avoid medications that constrict blood vessels, including migraine medications (ergotamine and triptans), over-the-counter cold and allergy medications, diet aids, beta-blockers, and birth control pills.

What does crest syndrome mean?

CREST (calcinosis, Raynaud phenomenon, esophageal dysmotility, sclerodactyly, and telangiectasia) syndrome is a member of the heterogeneous group of sclerodermas, and its name is an acronym for the cardinal clinical features of the syndrome.

What aggravates Raynaud's?

Cold temperatures, smoking, and stress aggravate Raynaud’s phenomenon. You can help reduce the number of attacks and improve your overall health by following these tips from the American College of Rheumatology (ACR). The ACR also advises those with Raynaud’s to pay special attention to their hands and feet.

What food to avoid when taking nifedipine?

Grapefruits and grapefruit juice may increase the effects of nifedipine by increasing the amount of this medicine in your body. You should not eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice while you taking this medicine.

What drugs interact with nifedipine?

Strong CYP3A inducers, such as rifampin, rifabutin, phenobarbital, phenytoin, carbamazepine, and St. John’s Wort reduce the bioavailability and efficacy of nifedipine; therefore nifedipine should not be used in combination with strong CYP3A inducers such as rifampin (See CONTRAINDICATIONS).

Can I take ibuprofen with NIFEdipine?

ibuprofen NIFEdipine The combination may cause your blood pressure to increase. You may need a dose adjustment or your blood pressure checked more often. Also, if you are already taking the combination and stop taking ibuprofen, your blood pressure may decrease.

Does nifedipine cause insomnia?

sleep problems (insomnia), rash or itching, urinating more than usual, or. flushing (warmth/redness/tingly feeling under your skin).

Is nifedipine a water pill?

Our study demonstrates that nifedipine has a clear diuretic and natriuretic effect in healthy volunteers, which is predominantly established by interference with proximal tubular sodium reabsorption.

Does nifedipine cause drowsiness?

Nifedipine oral tablet doesn’t cause drowsiness. However, it may cause other side effects.

Does nifedipine cause liver damage?

Nifedipine therapy is associated with a low rate of serum enzyme elevations and has been linked to several instances of clinically apparent acute liver injury.

Can you take Tylenol with nifedipine?

No interactions were found between nifedipine and Tylenol. This does not necessarily mean no interactions exist. Always consult your healthcare provider.

Which is better amlodipine or nifedipine?

Amlodipine was better tolerated than nifedipine, as shown by the lower incidence of side effects. Therefore amlodipine proved to be an effective and well tolerated drug in the therapy of mild to moderate hypertension.

What is normal blood pressure by age?

AgeSBPDBP21-25120.578.526-30119.576.531-35114.575.536-40120.575.5

Is nifedipine safe for kidneys?

Nifedipine induces a slight increase in metabolic rate in patients with renal failure, but it is not necessary to modify the dose. It is effective in lowering blood pressure, has mild side-effects and may improve renal function in some patients.