What is Procardia (Nif Edipine)?

Nifedipine is in a group of drugs called calcium channel blockers. It works by relaxing the muscles of your heart and blood vessels.
Nifedipine is used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure) and angina (chest pain).
Nifedipine may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What is the most important information I should know about Procardia (Nif Edipine)?

You should not use nifedipine if you are allergic to it.
Before taking nifedipine, tell your doctor if you have kidney or liver disease (especially cirrhosis), coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, or digestive problems.
If you need surgery, tell the surgeon ahead of time that you are using nifedipine. You may need to stop using the medicine for a short time.
Many drugs can interact with nifedipine. Tell your doctor about all other medications you use.
Do not stop taking nifedipine without first talking to your doctor, even if you feel fine. Stopping suddenly may make your condition worse. High blood pressure often has no symptoms. You may need to use blood pressure medication for the rest of your life.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking Procardia (Nif Edipine)?

You should not use nifedipine if you are allergic to it.
If you have any of these other conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests:

• kidney disease
• liver disease (especially cirrhosis)
• coronary artery disease
• congestive heart failure; or
• digestive problems

FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether nifedipine will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using this medication..
Nifedipine can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Procardia Side Effects

What are the possible side effects of Procardia (Nif Edipine)?
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:
* worsening angina
* feeling like you might pass out
* feeling short of breath, swelling in your hands or feet
* fast or pounding heartbeats
* numbness or tingly feeling
* jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes); or
* chest pain or heavy feeling, pain spreading to the arm or shoulder, nausea, sweating, general ill feeling
Less serious side effects may include:
* headache, dizziness
* drowsiness, tired feeling
* nausea, constipation, diarrhea, stomach pain
* sleep problems (insomnia)
* mild rash or itching
* joint pain, leg cramps
* warmth, redness, or tingly feeling under your skin; or
* urinating more than usual
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Procardia Interactions

What other drugs affect Procardia (Nif Edipine)?

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

• acarbose (Precose)
• cimetidine (Tagamet)
• fentanyl (Actiq, Duragesic, Fentora) or other narcotic pain medications
• digoxin (Lanoxin)
• nefazodone
• St. John’s wort
• rifabutin (Mycobutin), rifampin (Rifadin, Rifater, Rifamate) or rifapentine (Priftin)
• a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin)
• an antibiotic such as clarithromycin (Biaxin), dalfopristin/quinupristin (Synercid), or erythromycin (E.E.S., EryPed, Ery-Tab, Erythrocin)
• antifungal medication such as fluconazole (Diflucan), itraconazole (Sporanox), or ketoconazole (Nizoral)
• a beta-blocker such as atenolol (Tenormin, Tenoretic), carvedilol (Coreg), labetalol (Normodyne, Trandate), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol), nadolol (Corgard), propranolol (Inderal, InnoPran), sotalol (Betapace), timolol (Blocadren), and others
• a heart rhythm medication such as quinidine (Quin-G) or flecaininde (Tambocor)
• HIV/AIDS medicine such as atazanavir (Reyataz), delavirdine (Rescriptor), fosamprenavir (Lexiva), indinavir (Crixivan), nelfinavir (Viracept), ritonavir (Norvir, Kaletra, or saquinavir (Invirase)
• medicines used to prevent organ transplant rejection, such as sirolimus (Rapamune) or tacrolimus (Prograf)
• other heart or blood pressure medications such as benazepril (Lotensin), diltiazem (Cartia, Cardizem), doxazosin (Cardura), or verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan); or
• seizure medication such as carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol), phenobarbital (Solfoton), or phenytoin (Dilantin)

This list is not complete and other drugs may interact with nifedipine. Tell your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal products. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.

What should I avoid while taking Procardia (Nif Edipine)?

Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with nifedipine and lead to potentially dangerous effects. Discuss the use of grapefruit products with your doctor. Do not increase or decrease the amount of grapefruit products in your diet without first talking to your doctor.
Avoid getting up too fast from a sitting or lying position, or you may feel dizzy. Get up slowly and steady yourself to prevent a fall.
Drinking alcohol can lower your blood pressure further and may increase certain side effects of nifedipine.

Procardia Dosage

How should I take Procardia (Nif Edipine)?
Take exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Do not take in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended. Follow the directions on your prescription label.
Your doctor may occasionally change your dose to make sure you get the best results.
Take the Adalat CC tablet on an empty stomach.
Do not crush, chew, or break an extended-release tablet. Swallow it whole. Breaking the pill may cause too much of the drug to be released at one time.
Some tablet forms of nifedipine are made with a shell that is not absorbed or melted in the body. Part of the tablet shell may appear in your stool. This is a normal side effect of nifedipine and will not make the medication less effective.
Call your doctor if you have ongoing vomiting or diarrhea, or if you are sweating more than usual. These conditions can lead to severely low blood pressure.
If you need surgery, tell the surgeon ahead of time that you are using nifedipine. You may need to stop using the medicine for a short time.
Do not stop taking nifedipine without first talking to your doctor, even if you feel fine. Stopping suddenly may make your condition worse. High blood pressure often has no symptoms. You may need to use blood pressure medication for the rest of your life.
Your blood pressure will need to be checked often and you may need other blood tests at your doctor’s office. Visit your doctor regularly.
Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.
What happens if I overdose on Procardia (Nif Edipine)?
Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.
Overdose symptoms may include severe dizziness, pounding heartbeats, nausea, vomiting, and feeling like you might pass out.
What happens if I miss a dose of Procardia (Nif Edipine)?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
Sourced from everydayhealth.com