Calnif Retard is a prescription medication used to control hypertension, and to treat angina. Its generic name is Nifedipine. It is in the dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker class. Calnif Retard is administered orally. In addition, sublingual preparations are also available.
Although Calnif Retard is the drug of choice for treating and preventing prinzmetal angina (chest pain due to coronary artery spasm), it is associated with increased mortality with acute myocardial infarctions and unstable angina (acute coronary syndromes). So doctors are using this medication cautiously for patients who had acute coronary syndromes.
This is a delayed release preparation of Nifedepine, therefore it can be taken once daily. Usual dose is 20mg daily.
Cautions in using Calnif Retard
This medication should be discontinued, if ischemic chest pain occurs or existing pain worsens. Doctors use this drug cautiously in patients with poor cardiac reserve, heart failure, severe hypotension, elderly patients, patients with diabetes mellitus, and hepatic impairment. In addition, this drug should not be used for cardiogenic shock, advanced aortic stenosis, porphyria, and myocardial infarctions (Heart attack).
Common side effects of Calnif Retard
Common side effects are gastro intestinal disturbances, hypotension (reduced blood pressure), palpitations, headache, dizziness, lethargy, and lack of energy.
Less commonly tachycardia (increased heart rate), syncope, and nasal congestion are reported. Certain patients can get shortness of breath, anxiety, sleep disturbance, migraine, and pins and needles (parasthesia). Few patients complain of sleep disturbances. Can aggravate or start migraine episodes with this medication. Some patients complain passing increased amount of urine and passing increased amount in night. Few patients complain erectile dysfunction with Calnif Retard . Certain number of patients can have bleeding from the nose, muscle pain, joint swelling, and visual disturbances.
Hypersensitivity reactions can occur with some patients. They are hives, rashes, and itchiness, and yellowish discoloration of the body. Rarely follwoing side effects are reported. They include loss of appetite, swelling of the gums, mood abnormalities, hyperglycemia, and male infertility.
Photosensitivity reactions also reported.
Difficulty in swallowing, intestinal obstruction, and intestinal ulcers has been reported. Increased sizes of the breasts, even in males can occur. Very rarely nifedipine causes agranulocytosis (recution in all blood cells).
Pregnancy
This medication can inhibit labor. So your doctor may not prescribe this medication during the pregnancy.
Breast feeding
Amount in milk is too small to be harmful. But manufactures are advising doctors to avoid using this medication , unless indicated.
Drug interactions of Calnif Retard
Patients should avoid taking grape fruit juice while taking this medication. Grapefruit juice can increase plasma concentration of Calnif Retard . In addition, anti tuberculosis medication, Rifampicin reduces plasma concentration of this drug. Calnif Retard can cause severe drop in the blood pressure, if co administered with beta blockers such as Tenormin.
Side effects can be reduced, if taken wholly with full glass of water without crushing or breaking the capsules.
Sources
AHFS Drug Information
British National Formulary www.bnf.org
Although Calnif Retard is the drug of choice for treating and preventing prinzmetal angina (chest pain due to coronary artery spasm), it is associated with increased mortality with acute myocardial infarctions and unstable angina (acute coronary syndromes). So doctors are using this medication cautiously for patients who had acute coronary syndromes.
This is a delayed release preparation of Nifedepine, therefore it can be taken once daily. Usual dose is 20mg daily.
Cautions in using Calnif Retard
This medication should be discontinued, if ischemic chest pain occurs or existing pain worsens. Doctors use this drug cautiously in patients with poor cardiac reserve, heart failure, severe hypotension, elderly patients, patients with diabetes mellitus, and hepatic impairment. In addition, this drug should not be used for cardiogenic shock, advanced aortic stenosis, porphyria, and myocardial infarctions (Heart attack).
Common side effects of Calnif Retard
Common side effects are gastro intestinal disturbances, hypotension (reduced blood pressure), palpitations, headache, dizziness, lethargy, and lack of energy.
Less commonly tachycardia (increased heart rate), syncope, and nasal congestion are reported. Certain patients can get shortness of breath, anxiety, sleep disturbance, migraine, and pins and needles (parasthesia). Few patients complain of sleep disturbances. Can aggravate or start migraine episodes with this medication. Some patients complain passing increased amount of urine and passing increased amount in night. Few patients complain erectile dysfunction with Calnif Retard . Certain number of patients can have bleeding from the nose, muscle pain, joint swelling, and visual disturbances.
Hypersensitivity reactions can occur with some patients. They are hives, rashes, and itchiness, and yellowish discoloration of the body. Rarely follwoing side effects are reported. They include loss of appetite, swelling of the gums, mood abnormalities, hyperglycemia, and male infertility.
Photosensitivity reactions also reported.
Difficulty in swallowing, intestinal obstruction, and intestinal ulcers has been reported. Increased sizes of the breasts, even in males can occur. Very rarely nifedipine causes agranulocytosis (recution in all blood cells).
Pregnancy
This medication can inhibit labor. So your doctor may not prescribe this medication during the pregnancy.
Breast feeding
Amount in milk is too small to be harmful. But manufactures are advising doctors to avoid using this medication , unless indicated.
Drug interactions of Calnif Retard
Patients should avoid taking grape fruit juice while taking this medication. Grapefruit juice can increase plasma concentration of Calnif Retard . In addition, anti tuberculosis medication, Rifampicin reduces plasma concentration of this drug. Calnif Retard can cause severe drop in the blood pressure, if co administered with beta blockers such as Tenormin.
Side effects can be reduced, if taken wholly with full glass of water without crushing or breaking the capsules.
Sources
AHFS Drug Information
British National Formulary www.bnf.org
Another great drug information source that you might want to consider is the Mobile Drug Guide: http://mdg.usgovxml.com.
ReplyDeleteThe Mobile Drug Guide provides the ability to search for information about drugs in the nation's prescription formulary based on the drug's name, active ingredients, NDC or, in the case of a pill, its physical characteristics. The information provided includes clinical trials, drug-drug interactions, recalls, high resolution images (when available), etc.
The Mobile Drug Guide is a free mobile web app that runs in the browsers of smartphones, tablets and desktops.