What is the most important information I should know about nisoldipine?

You should not use this medication if you are allergic to nisoldipine, or to similar medications such as amlodipine (Norvasc), felodipine (Plendil), nicardipine (Cardene), nifedipine (Procardia, Adalat), or nimodipine (Nimotop).

Before using nisoldipine, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, or liver disease.

Take nisoldipine on an empty stomach, at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal. Avoid eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice when you take nisoldipine.

Call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as swelling in your legs or ankles, chest pain, fast or pounding heartbeats, or if you feel like you might pass out.

Keep using this medicine as directed, even if you feel well. High blood pressure often has no symptoms, so you may not know when your blood pressure is high. You may need to use blood pressure medication for the rest of your life.

There are many other medicines that can interact with nisoldipine. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor. Keep a list with you of all the medicines you use and show this list to any doctor or other healthcare provider who treats you.

What is nisoldipine?

Nisoldipine is in a group of drugs called calcium channel blockers. Nisoldipine relaxes (widens) blood vessels and improves blood flow.

Nisoldipine is used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension).

Nisoldipine may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking nisoldipine?

You should not use this medication if you are allergic to nisoldipine, or to similar medications such as amlodipine (Norvasc), felodipine (Plendil), nicardipine (Cardene), nifedipine (Procardia, Adalat), or nimodipine (Nimotop).

Before using nisoldipine, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have:

• coronary artery disease;
• congestive heart failure; or
• liver disease.

If you have any of these conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take this medication.

FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether nisoldipine is harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.

It is not known if nisoldipine passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing infant. Do not take nisoldipine without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How should I take nisoldipine?

Take nisoldipine exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take it in larger doses or for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

Take nisoldipine on an empty stomach, at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal.

Do not crush, chew, or break an extended-release tablet. Swallow the pill whole. Breaking the pill may cause too much of the drug to be released at one time.

To be sure this medication is helping your condition, your blood pressure will need to be tested on a regular basis. Do not miss any scheduled visits to your doctor.

Keep using this medicine as directed, even if you feel well. High blood pressure often has no symptoms, so you may not know when your blood pressure is high. You may need to use blood pressure medication for the rest of your life.

Store nisoldipine at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.

Overdose symptoms may include dizziness or fainting.

What should I avoid while taking nisoldipine?

Avoid eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice when you take nisoldipine.

What are the possible side effects of nisoldipine?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:

• swelling in your legs or ankles;
• chest pain;
• fast or pounding heartbeats; or
• feeling like you might pass out.

Less serious side effects may include:

• dizziness;
• warmth, redness, or tingly feeling under your skin;
• headache;
• nausea;
• stuffy nose, sore throat; or
• mild skin rash.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect.

What other drugs will affect nisoldipine?

Tell your doctor about all other medications you use, especially:

• other blood pressure medications;
• armodafanil (Nuvigil) or modafanil (Progivil);
• cimetidine (Tagamet);
• conivaptan (Vaprisol);
• dexamethasone (Decadron, Hexadrol);
• an antibiotic such as clarithromycin (Biaxin), clotrimazole (Mycelex Troche), erythromycin (E.E.S., EryPed, Ery-Tab, Erythrocin), griseofulvin (Fulvicin, Grifulvin, Grisactin), itraconazole (Sporanox), ketoconazole (Nizoral), telithromycin (Ketek), troleandomycin (Tao), or voriconazole (Vfend);
• rifabutin (Mycobutin), rifampin (Rifadin, Rifater, Rifamate), or rifapentine (Priftin);
• St. John's wort;
• an antidepressant such as nefazodone, paroxetine (Paxil), or sertraline (Zoloft);
• a barbiturate such as amobarbital (Amytal), butabarbital (Butisol), mephobarbital (Mebaral), secobarbital (Seconal), or phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton);
• HIV medication such as atazanavir (Reyataz), delavirdine (Rescriptor), efavirenz (Sustiva), etravirine (Intelence), indinavir (Crixivan), nelfinavir (Viracept), nevirapine (Viramune), ritonavir (Norvir, Kaletra), or saquinavir (Invirase); or
• seizure medication such as carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol), felbamate (Felbatol), oxcarbazepine (Trileptal), or phenytoin (Dilantin), or primidone (Mysoline).

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with nisoldipine. Tell your doctor about all your prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor. Keep a list with you of all the medicines you use and show this list to any doctor or other healthcare provider who treats you.

Where can I get more information?

Your pharmacist can provide more information about nisoldipine.

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the condition prescribed.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

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