General Info: Uses and Effects

Adalat Generic (Nifedipine) is an FDA-approved (was approved in 1981) drug that is classified under calcium channel blockers (CCBs). The medicine is prescribed for treating high blood pressure, chest pain (angina), and abnormal heart rhythms like atrial fibrillation. Off-label, it is used for the treatment of anal fissures, Raynaud's phenomenon, and migraine prevention. When taken, Adalat Nifedipine helps relax blood vessels, allowing free flow of blood.

The drug blocks calcium flow into the muscle cells around the coronary arteries responsible for supplying blood into the heart as well as other body arteries. Muscle contraction is caused by calcium inflow, and therefore when it is blocked, the muscles relax, dilating the arteries, allowing more flow of blood into the heart, and eventually prevent angina. With other arteries relaxed, blood pressure is lowered, relieving the heart of more pressure needed to function and pump blood to different parts of the body. With low pressure, the heart's demand for more oxygen is also reduced. Another mechanism is based on the fact that Adalat Nifedipine helps slow the conduction of electrical current in the heart leading to contraction of heart muscles. This way, abnormally fast heartbeats are corrected.

For the best effect, the medication should be taken on a regular basic. Using the drug to treat chest pain attacks is prohibited. In such instances, other alternatives should be used as per the doctor's instructions because there are many long-acting Nifedipine drugs one can use in such circumstances.

Contraindication: Important to Know

Adalat Nifedipine is contraindicated with different conditions and drugs such as P450 because they can significantly reduce the drug's efficacy. Using the medicine in the event of cardiogenic shock is prohibited. The following are the main conditions the medicine is contraindicated with:

• Severe heart failure;
• Heart attack;
• Severe narrowing of the aortic heart valve;
• Acute syndrome of the heart;
• Porphyria;
• Chronic idiopathic constipation;
• Kidney disease due to reduced functioning of the kidney;
• Abnormal low blood pressure.

Please note that the above list is not conclusive. Talk to your pharmacist or physician for a comprehensive list of contraindications. Furthermore, don't take the drug if you are allergic to calcium channel blockers and dihydropyridines (calcium channel blocking agents).

Instructions on Taking

Adalat Nifedipine is to be taken by mouth. Normally, the doctor will instruct that it be taken three times a day, with or without food. However, because of different factors that are unique to every patient, your physician may instruct you otherwise after assessing your condition. It should be swallowed whole; do not chew, break or crush the tablet.

The doctor is at liberty to give a prescription based on health, medical condition, age, and how your body responds to therapy. Your physician is obligated to closely observe your response to treatment and may increase or reduce the dose.

During the course of your treatment, don't take grapefruit juice or eat this fruit, unless the doctor gives you to go ahead. This is because grapefruit can alter some drugs in the bloodstream. Please talk to your physician for more precise guidance on what you need to do.

You should adhere to the doctor's instructions, and take the drug regularly for the best effect. To boost absorption into the bloodstream, it is recommended that Adalat Generic should be taken at the same time of the day. In the event that the symptoms don't improve or worsen after sometime of treatment, don't hesitate to inform your doctor. Alternative medication can be prescribed to manage your condition.

Dosage

Dosage of Adalat Nifedipine can only be determined by your doctor depending on a number of factors, especially the condition being treated. For extended release tablets, your doctor may prescribe an initial oral dose of between 30-60mg daily. This may be adjusted to 90mg daily but a maximum of 120mg per day. The most important thing is stick to what the doctor instructs for the best response to treatment.

Side Effects

Nifedipine, an Adalat's active ingredient, has been associated with various side effects. Some of them are not common, but when they occur, it is recommended that the patient seeks urgent medical attention.

Common side effects:

• Swelling of the body, especially arms, lower legs, feet, and face;
• Breathing difficulties and shortness of breath;
• Coughing;
• Dizziness;
• Muscle cramps;
• Headache;
• Fast and irregular heartbeat;
• Chest tightness;
• Shaking or trembling of feet and hands.

Some less common, but possible side effects include chest congestion, chills, chest pain, blue fingernails and lips, nausea, fever, increased sweating and warmth, pale skin, irregular breathing, reduced urine output, dilated neck veins, extreme fatigue, and coughing. Note that the above list is not exhaustive. During the treatment, you are urged to careful observe your body's reaction, and get in touch with your doctor whenever you feel anything out of the ordinary.

Interaction with Other Drugs

Even though in rare cases, the use of Adalat Nifedipine by patients already taking beta-blockers has resulted in congestive heart failures. During the early stages of treatment, patients already using medications for lowering blood pressure can lead to excessively low blood pressure, a condition known as hypotension. This drug shouldn't be used by children.

Nifedipine has also been found to affect the removal of Digoxin (Lanoxin) by the kidney, raising their levels in the blood, which may lead to digoxin toxicity. It is therefore crucial that you closely monitor Digoxin in the blood to evade chances of toxicity.

The liver's ability to breakdown Tacrolimu (Prograf) can also be interfered with by Adalat Generic. As a result, this may cause increased blood levels of tacrolimus, risking toxicity. Also, affecting in a similar manner is quinidine whose blood levels are reduced by Nifedipine, negatively affecting its effectiveness. On the other hand, quinidine increases the blood levels of Nifedipine, which might cause some side effects.

The liver's ability to breakdown Nifedipine is also affected by Cimetidine (Tagamet), which may increase its blood levels. When using the two drugs at the same time, be cautious. Even though there is no sufficient evidence on the effect of Adalat to pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, the drug should be avoided altogether.

It is recommended that Adalat Nifedipine be used alongside other cardiovascular risk management remedies, such as smoking cessation, regular exercises, limitation of sodium intake, management of diabetes, and antithrombotic therapy.