Felodipine
Description
Felodipine is composed of felodipine. It is used in the treatment of hypertension (high blood pressure) along with a strict exercise and diet regimen. This medicine works by relaxing your blood vessels, making it easier for your heart to pump blood.
Felodipine may cause side effects like swelling of gums, bloating of your stomach, rapid weight gain etc. Most of these are temporary and resolve on their own. Consult your doctor if these side effects are getting persistent or worse.
Felodipine is usually taken with food to avoid stomach discomfort. Try taking this medicine same time every day to maintain a constant level of medicine in your body. Exercise regularly and eat balanced meals to maximize the benefits of this medicine. Do not stop taking this medicine without consulting with your doctor as your symptoms could come back.
Felodipine is not recommended if you are allergic to it. Inform your doctor about your current medications and medical conditions. This will help your doctor to adjust your dose for avoiding side effects. If you are pregnant or are breastfeeding, consult your doctor before taking this medicine.
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Side effects
Major & minor side effects for Felodipine
- Bloating
- Rapid weight gain
- Tingling of hands or feet
- Chills
- Fever
- Sneezing
- Difficulty in breathing
- Runny nose
- Sore throat
- Cough
- Inflammation of gum
Uses of Felodipine
What is it prescribed for?
- Hypertension
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Concerns
Commonly asked questions
- Onset of actionThe effect of Felodipine can be observed within two to five hours.
- Duration of effectThe effect of Felodipine lasts for an average duration of 24 hours.
- Safe with alcohol?Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.
- Is it habit forming?No habit-forming tendency has been reported for Felodipine.
- Usage in pregnancy?Felodipine is not recommended for use in pregnant women as not enough studies are done to understand its safety and efficacy. Consult with your doctor before using this medicine.
- Usage while breast-feeding?It is not known whether Felodipine passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Inform your doctor if you are breastfeeding a baby before using this medicine.
Allergy
Felodipine is not recommended if you are allergic to it. Seek immediate medical attention if you notice any symptoms such as skin rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, breathing difficulty, etc.
Heart diseases
Felodipine is not recommended for use if you have any heart problems. This includes cardiogenic shock (a condition where your heart can't pump enough blood to your body), heart failure (when your heart fails to pump blood) and cardiac outflow obstruction (reduced pumping of blood due to an obstruction in the blood vessels). Using it while you have heart problems will worsen your condition.
Warnings for special population
Pregnancy
Felodipine is not recommended for use in pregnant women as not enough studies are done to understand its safety and efficacy. Consult with your doctor before using this medicine.
Breast-feeding
It is not known whether Felodipine passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Inform your doctor if you are breastfeeding a baby before using this medicine.
General warnings
Hypotension
Felodipine is not recommended for use if you have hypotension (low blood pressure) as it has the potential to lower your blood pressure even further. Your doctor may regularly monitor your blood pressure to keep your blood pressure from going too low.
Use in children
The safety and efficacy of Felodipine have not been established in children under 18. Hence use it with caution.
Missed Dose
Take the missed dose of Felodipine should be taken as soon as possible. It is advisable to skip the missed dose if it is already time for your next scheduled dose. Do not double the dose to make up for the missed one.
Overdose
Seek emergency medical treatment in case of an overdose of Felodipine.
All drugs interact differently for person to person. You should check all the possible interactions with your doctor before starting any medicine.
Interaction with Alcohol
Description
Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.
Instructions
Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.
Interaction with Medicine
Atenolol
Clozapine
Itraconazole
Ketoconazole
Aspirin
Rifampicin
Dolasetron
Disease interactions
Liver Disease
Felodipine should be used with extreme caution if you have liver problems as this medicine is metabolised in the liver, and if your liver is not working correctly, it might cause a buildup of its metabolites, resulting in toxicity.
Food interactions
Consumption of grapefruit juice is not recommended during treatment with Felodipine due to the increased risk of side effects like dizziness, headache, swelling of hands and feet, fainting, etc.
Lab interactions
Information not available.
Felodipine may be taken with or without food. Do not crush, break or chew the tablet. Avoid taking more or less than the dose prescribed by your doctor.
Avoid abrupt discontinuation of Felodipine without your doctor's consultation as it can affect your blood pressure.
Lifestyle modification, eating a balanced diet, and exercising regularly will help you to have better control over your blood pressure.
Avoid taking grapefruit juice with Felodipine as it can increase the risk of side effects.
Be careful while standing up from a sitting or lying down position as this medicine may sometimes cause a sudden drop in your blood pressure, which can make you dizzy.
Miscelleneous
How it works
Felodipine works by relaxing the blood vessels and reducing the increased heart rate. This allows the blood to flow smoothly and decreases blood pressure.
Legal Status
Classification
Category
Calcium channel blocking agents
Schedule
N/A
Drugs, H., 2021. Felodipine: MedlinePlus Drug Information. [online] Medlineplus.gov. Available at: [Accessed 17 November 2021].
Medicines.org.uk. 2021. Cardioplen XL 10mg Prolonged Release tablets - Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) - (emc). [online] Available at: [Accessed 17 November 2021].
Dailymed.nlm.nih.gov. 2021. FELODIPINE EXTENDED-RELEASE TABLETS, USP. [online] Available at: [Accessed 17 November 2021].
Information on this page was last updated on 19 Jan 2023
Disclaimer
We’ve made all possible efforts to ensure that the information provided here is accurate, up-to-date and complete, however, it should not be treated as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Practo only provides reference source for common information on medicines and does not guarantee its accuracy or exhaustiveness. The absence of a warning for any drug or combination thereof, should not be assumed to indicate that the drug or combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for any given patient. Practo does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information provided above. If you have any doubts about your medication then we strongly recommend that you consult with your doctor, nurse or healthcare provider. See detailed T&C here.