Adalat

How does it work?

• In high blood pressure, nifedipine works by widening the blood vessels. This creates less resistance to the blood flow, and results in lower blood pressure, which in turn reduces the strain on your heart.
• In angina, nifedipine works by opening up the arteries supplying the heart muscle and this allows more blood and oxygen to reach the muscle, decreasing the chances of angina occurring when extra strain is placed upon the heart.

When and how do I take it?

The capsules should be swallowed whole with a little liquid, independently of meals. You should not take your capsule(s) with grapefruit juice.

• If you suffer from a liver disorder, your doctor may want to start your treatment on a low dose and increase it with careful monitoring of your blood pressure or angina.
• It is possible that you may have to take these capsules indefinitely. You may want to discuss this with your doctor.
• If you are elderly, lower doses of this medicine may be prescribed by your doctor.
• This medicine is not recommended for use in children.

What’s the dose?

Take the capsules as prescribed by your doctor. Usually this will be one capsule taken every 8 hours, but your doctor may decrease or increase this dose depending on how well your condition is being controlled. The maximum dose you should take is four capsules (20 mg) every 8 hours. Patients taking 20 mg unit doses of immediate release formulations should allow an interval of at least 2 hours between doses

Could it interact with other tablets?

Before taking Adalat 5 mg, tell your doctor if you are taking any other medicines, whether bought or prescribed, since some medicines can interfere with your treatment. In particular, tell your doctor if you are taking:

• other drugs to treat high blood pressure
• cimetidine, to treat stomach ulcers
• the medicines digoxin, quinidine or beta-blockers, which are used to treat heart conditions
• the antibiotics rifampicin and combination treatment quinupristin/dalfopristin
• the anti-epileptic drug phenytoin
• cisapride, a drug used to treat reduced movements of the gullet and stomach
• drugs that are known to either inhibit or induce the cytochrome P450 3A4 enzyme system.

The effect of the following drugs on Adalat 5 mg is uncertain. Therefore, as an additional precaution, please tell your doctor if you are taking:

• the antibiotic, erythromycin, or the anti-fungals, ketoconazole, itraconazole or fluconazole
• the HIV protease inhibitors indinavir, nelfinavir, ritonavir, saquinavir or amprenavir
• the antidepressant drugs fluoxetine and nefazodone
• tacrolimus, an immunosuppressant used to prevent the rejection of transplant organs
• carbamazepine and valproic acid, which are both used for the treatment of epilepsy
• the barbiturate phenobarbital, used primarily to treat insomnia and anxiety.

The following drugs do not interact with Adalat 5 mg:

• ajmaline
• aspirin
• benazepril
• candesartan cilexetil
• debrisoquine
• doxazosin
• irbesartan
• omeprazole
• orlistat
• pantoprazole
• ranitidine
• rosiglitazone
• talinolol and triamterene hydrochlorothiazide.

Herbal products should also only be taken after talking with your doctor.

What are the possible risks or side-effects?

As with all medicines, Adalat 5 mg can occasionally cause side-effects in some people.

The most commonly reported (occurring in less than 1 per 10 patients, but in more than 1 per 100) are:

• headache
• general swelling and swelling of the ankles and legs
• flushing
• constipation
• a general feeling of being unwell.

Other less commonly reported side-effects (occurring in less than 1 per 100 patients, but in more than 1 per 1,000) are:

• mild to moderate allergic reactions
• other allergic reactions causing swelling under the skin (possibly severe and including swelling of the larynx, that may result in a life-threatening outcome)
• pain particularly in the stomach area (abdomen)
• unspecific pain
• chills
• a low blood pressure when rising to the standing position

Can I drink alcohol while taking it?

This medicine may interact with alcohol.

What if I’m pregnant/breastfeeding?

Adalat cannot be used during pregnancy or while breast feeding.

If you have any more questions please ask your Pharmacist.

Remember to keep all medicines out of reach of children
Please Note: We have made every effort to ensure that the content of this information sheet is correct at time of publish, but remember that information about drugs may change. This sheet does not list all the uses and side-effects associated with this drug. For full details please see the drug information leaflet which comes with your medicine. Your doctor will assess your medical circumstances and draw your attention to any information or side-effects which may be relevant in your particular case.
 

References:

http://www.medicinenet.com/nifedipine/article.htm

http://www.drugs.com/adalat.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adalat

http://www.rxlist.com/adalat-drug.htm