How It Works
Combined with standard treatment with compression stockings, oral pentoxifylline is used to improve venous skin ulcer healing. Pentoxifylline reduces the viscosity or "stickiness" of your blood, improving blood circulation. Pentoxifylline also reduces inflammation in the body, which may help ulcers heal as well.
Why It Is Used
Large venous skin ulcers are often resistant to healing. Pentoxifylline may speed healing in these ulcers when used with compression stockings.1
How Well It Works
Pentoxifylline has been proven to accelerate and improve venous skin ulcer healing when taken in a high dose of 800 mg, 3 times a day. A lower dose of 400 mg has not proven to be effective.2
Side Effects
Minor gastrointestinal side effects can result form pentoxifylline use, including:
- Slight nausea.
- Indigestion.
- Diarrhea.
On rare occasions, chest pain, dizziness, and headache have been reported as side effects of pentoxifylline.
Pentoxifylline extended-release tablets (400 mg each) are less likely than the immediate-release capsules to cause side effects.
See Drug Reference for a full list of side effects. (Drug Reference is not available in all systems.)
What To Think About
Pentoxifylline is considered to be a safe medicine, with no severe side effects. Future research is expected to focus on using pentoxifylline for venous skin ulcer prevention.
Reasons not to take high doses of pentoxifylline
The high doses that have been used to successfully treat venous skin ulcers are not safe for people with poor kidney function. If you have poor kidney function, pentoxifylline can build up to toxic levels in your body.
Pentoxifylline is not safe for people with recent bleeding problems, particularly stroke caused by sudden bleeding or bleeding at the retina, part of the eye.
If you have had past problems with pentoxifylline, caffeine, or a similar medicine (such as theophylline or theobromine), this medicine is not a safe treatment option for you.
Complete the new medication information form (PDF)
(What is a PDF document?) to help you understand this medication.
References
Citations
Phillips TJ, et al. (2000). Prognostic indicators in venous ulcers. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 43(4): 627–630.
Falanga V, et al. (1999). Systemic treatment of venous leg ulcers with high doses of pentoxifylline: Efficacy in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Wound Repair and Regeneration, 7(4): 208–213.
Credits
| Author | Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS |
| Editor | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman, MATC |
| Associate Editor | Terrina Vail |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Randall D. Burr, MD - Dermatology |
| Last Updated | September 17, 2007 |
