Nifedipine is utilised to lower blood pressure and manage angina (chest pain). The drug nifedipine belongs to a group of drugs known as calcium-channel blockers. By allowing the blood arteries to relax, it decreases blood pressure and lessens the workload on the heart’s pumping action. By boosting the heart’s blood and oxygen supply, it reduces chest pain.

High blood pressure is a common illness that, if left untreated, can harm the kidneys, brain, heart, blood vessels, and other organs. Heart disease, a heart attack, heart failure, a stroke, renal failure, eyesight loss, and other issues may result from damage to these organs. Making lifestyle modifications will help you control your blood pressure in addition to taking medication. These adjustments include quitting smoking, drinking alcohol in moderation, eating a diet low in fat and salt, keeping a healthy weight, and exercising for at least 30 minutes most days.

Both oral extended-release (long-acting) capsules and tablets of nifedipine are available. Typically, three to four times a day are taken for the capsule. A single daily dose of the extended-release tablet should be taken on an empty stomach, either one hour before or two hours after a meal. Take nifedipine at roughly the same time(s) every day to help you remember to take it. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any instructions on your prescription label that you do not understand, and carefully follow their instructions. Exactly as prescribed, take nifedipine. Never take it in quantities or frequencies other than those recommended by your doctor.

Avoid crushing, chewing, or splitting the extended-release pills; instead, swallow them whole.

Once every 7 to 14 days, your doctor will likely put you on a low dose of nifedipine and gradually increase it.

Nifedipine reduces chest discomfort when taken frequently, however it does not halt chest pain once it has begun. When you experience chest pain, your doctor might advise you to take a different drug.

Nifedipine regulates angina (chest discomfort) and high blood pressure but does not treat either condition. Nifedipine should still be taken even if you feel fine. Without consulting your doctor, do not discontinue taking nifedipine. Your dose will likely be gradually reduced by your doctor.

Raynaud’s syndrome and preterm labour are two other conditions that nifedipine may be used to treat. Discuss the potential dangers of using this medicine for your illness with your doctor.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details if you’re interested in using this drug for any other conditions.

Before taking nifedipine,

• If you have an allergy to nifedipine, any other drugs, or any of the substances in nifedipine, let your doctor and pharmacist know right away. Request a list of the components from your pharmacist.
• Inform your doctor and pharmacist about any additional prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, or dietary supplements you are currently taking or intend to take. Incorporate any of the following: beta blockers like atenolol (Tenormin), labetalol (Trandate), and metoprolol; acarbose (Precose); anticoagulants (‘blood thinners’) like warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven); antifungals like fluconazole (Diflucan), itraconazole (Onmel, Sporanox), and ketoconazole (Nizoral); and (Lopressor, Toprol XL, in Dutoprol), timolol, digoxin (Lanoxin), propranolol (Inderal, Innopran, in Inderide), and nadolol; diltiazem (Cardizem); doxazosin (Cardura); erythromycin (E.E.S., E-Mycin, Erythrocin); cimetidine (Tagamet); digoxin (Inderal, Innopran, flecainide (Tambocor), fentanyl (Actiq, Duragesic, Fentora), HIV protease inhibitors such amprenavir (Agenerase), atazanavir (Reyataz), delavirdine (Rescriptor), fosamprenavir (Lexiva), and indinavir (Crixivan), metformin (Glucophage); nefazodone; phenobarbital; phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek); quinidine (in Nuedexta); quinupristin and dalfopristin (Synercid); and rifampin (Rifadin, in Rifamate, in Rifater, Rimactane); rifapentine (Priftin), tacrolimus (Astagraf SL, Prograf), valproic acid (Depakene), and verapamil (Calan, Covera, Verelan, in Tarka). Your doctor might need to adjust the dosage of your drugs or keep a close eye on you for side effects.
• Please let your doctor know if you are taking any herbal supplements, especially St. John’s wort.
• Inform your doctor if you have or have had had renal, liver, or heart illness, as well as any other ailment that causes food to pass through your digestive system more slowly. Additionally, let your doctor know if you’ve recently suffered from a myocardial infarction (MI).
• Inform your doctor if you are expecting, intend to get pregnant, or are nursing a baby. Call your doctor if you become pregnant while taking nifedipine.
• If you are 65 years of age or older, discuss the safe use of nifedipine capsules with your doctor. Nifedipine capsules are typically not recommended for older adults since they are less safe than alternative drugs that can be used to treat the same issue.
• You should let your doctor or dentist know if you are taking nifedipine if you are undergoing surgery, including dental surgery.
• Consult your doctor about whether drinking alcohol is safe while taking nifedipine. The negative effects of nifedipine can be made worse by alcohol.

Avoid eating or drinking grapefruit three days before and while taking nifedipine.

If your doctor advises a low-salt or low-sodium diet, strictly follow the instructions.

If you miss a dosage, take it as soon as you recall. If the next dose is soon due, skip the missed one and carry on with your regular dosing plan. To make up for a missing dose, do not take a second one.

Side effects are possible with nifedipine. If any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away, let your doctor know right once:

• Headache
• Nausea
• Unsteadiness or faintness
• Flushing
• Heartburn
• Rapid heart rate
• Muscle pain
• Constipation
• Cough
• Reduced sexual capacity

Some adverse effects can be very harmful. Get emergency medical care if you encounter any of the following symptoms, or call your doctor right away:

• Swelling of the lower legs, hands, arms, feet, ankles, or face, eyes, lips, and tongue
• Breathing or swallowing challenges
• Fainting
• Rash
• The skin or eyes turning yellow
• Chest discomfort frequency or intensity increasing (angina)

You or your doctor can submit a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting programme online or by phone if you have a serious side event (1-800-332-1088).

Keep this medication tightly closed in the original container and out of the reach of children. Maintain it at normal temperature, shield it from light, and keep it free from dampness and excessive heat (not in the bathroom).

As many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and are simple for young children to open, it is crucial to keep all medications out of sight and out of reach of children. Always lock safety caps and promptly stash medication up and away from young children where it is out of their sight and reach to prevent poisoning. http://www.upandaway.org

Unused prescriptions must be disposed of carefully to prevent pets, kids, and other people from ingesting them. You should not, however, dispose of this medication in the toilet. Instead, utilising a medicine take-back programme is the easiest approach to get rid of your medication. To find out about take-back programmes in your area, speak with your pharmacist or the garbage/recycling department in your city. If you do not have access to a take-back programme, see the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medicines website at http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p for additional information.

Call the poison control hotline at 1-800-222-1222 in the event of an overdose. Additionally, information can be found online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. Call 911 right once if the person has collapsed, experienced a seizure, is having difficulty breathing, or cannot be roused.

Overdose symptoms could include:

• Dizziness
• Rapid heart rate
• Flushing
• Nervousness
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Hands, foot, ankles, or lower legs swelling
• Blurred vision
• Fainting

Keep all of your appointments with your physician and the lab. You should routinely check your blood pressure to see how nifedipine is working for you.

You might see anything that resembles a tablet in your stool if you’re taking certain extended-release pills (Afeditab CR, Procardia XL). The fact that the tablet is empty does not imply that you did not take the whole prescribed amount of medication.

No one else should take your medication. Any queries you may have regarding medication refills should be directed to your pharmacist.

You should keep a written record of every medication you take, including any over-the-counter (OTC) items, prescription drugs, and dietary supplements like vitamins and minerals. This list should be brought with you whenever you see a doctor or are admitted to the hospital. You should always have this information with you in case of emergencies.