Adalat Indications
Adalat, which contains Nifedipine, is a medication used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure) and angina (chest pain). Adalat belongs to a group of drugs called calcium channel blockers. Adalat relaxes (widens) your blood vessels (veins and arteries), making it easier for the heart to pump and reducing its workload.
INSTRUCTIONS
Follow the instructions given by your doctor while taking Adalat.
- Do not take Adalat in larger or smaller amounts or for a longer duration than prescribed.
- Your doctor may occasionally change your dosage to make sure you get the best results.
- Adalat should be taken on an empty stomach. Do not crush, chew, or break a tablet, swallow it whole. Breaking the pill may cause the release of too much of the drug at one time.
- Even if you feel fine, do not stop taking Adalat abruptly. Sudden cessation of the medication may worsen your condition. High blood pressure usually has no symptoms, and you may require blood pressure medication for the rest of your life.
- Your blood pressure will need to be checked regularly, and you may need other blood tests at your doctor's office. Schedule visits with your doctor regularly.
- If you miss a dose of Adalat, take it as soon as possible. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not take two doses at once.
Consult your healthcare provider if you have any questions about the usage of Adalat.
STORAGE
Adalat should be stored at room temperature, between 59 and 86 degrees F (15 and 30 degrees C), away from heat, moisture, and light. Do not store it in the bathroom. Keep Adalat out of reach of children and pets.
MORE INFO:
Active Ingredient: Nifedipine
Do NOT use Adalat if:
- you are allergic to any ingredient in Adalat.
Some medical conditions may interact with Adalat. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have any medical conditions, especially if any of the following apply to you:
- if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding
- if you are taking any prescription or nonprescription medicine, herbal preparation, or dietary supplement
- if you have allergies to medicines, foods, or other substances
- if you have kidney or liver disease (especially cirrhosis), coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, or digestive problems
- if you have recently had or will be having surgery, or if you have recently stopped taking a beta-blocker (eg, propranolol).
Some medicines may interact with Adalat. Tell your health care provider if you are taking any other medicines, especially any of the following:
- 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), or 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 Adalat. Tell your doctor about all medications you use.
Important safety information:
- Adalat may cause dizziness or lightheadedness. These effects may be worse if you take it with alcohol or certain medicines. Use Adalat with caution. Do not drive or perform other possibly unsafe tasks until you know how you react to it.
- Proper dental care is important while you are taking Adalat. Brush and floss your teeth and visit the dentist regularly.
- Use Adalat with caution in the elderly.
- Adalat should not be used in children; safety and effectiveness in children have not been confirmed.
- Pregnancy and breast-feeding: If you become pregnant, contact your doctor. You will need to discuss the benefits and risks of using Adalat while you are pregnant. It is not known if Adalat is found in breast milk. If you are or will be breast-feeding while you use Adalat, check with your doctor. Discuss any possible risks to your baby.
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction to Adalat: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect while using Adalat 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 all side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, contact your health care provider.
Written: Laura Jenkins
Reviewed: Cristina Matera, MD