Isradipine

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What is the most important information I should know about isradipine?

You should not take this medication if you are allergic to isradipine.

Before taking isradipine, tell your doctor if you have kidney or liver disease, congestive heart failure, or a narrowing or blockage in your digestive tract.

Do not crush, chew, or break an extended-release tablet. Swallow the pill whole. Breaking the pill may cause too much of the drug to be released at one time.

Isradipine can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.

Some tablet forms of isradipine are made with a shell that is not absorbed or melted in the body. Therefore, you may see what looks like part of a tablet in your stool. This is a normal side effect of isradipine and will not make the medication less effective.

Keep using this medicine as directed, even if you feel well. High blood pressure often has no symptoms, so you may not know when your blood pressure is high. You may need to use blood pressure medication for the rest of your life.

To be sure this medication is helping your condition, your blood pressure will need to be checked on a regular basis. Do not miss any scheduled appointments.

Warning

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children. Never share your medicines with others and only use this medication for the condition prescribed.

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What is isradipine?

Isradipine is in a group of drugs called calcium channel blockers. It works by relaxing the muscles of your heart and blood vessels.

Isradipine is used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). It is sometimes given with other blood pressure medications.

Isradipine may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.

Precautions

You should not take this medication if you are allergic to isradipine.

Before taking isradipine, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have:

kidney disease;
liver disease;
congestive heart failure; or
a narrowing or blockage in your digestive tract.

If you have any of these conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take isradipine.

FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.

Isradipine 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.

Isradipine can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.

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.

Instructions

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.

Overdose symptoms may include fast heart rate, sluggish feeling, or feeling like you might pass out.

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, wait until then to take the medicine and skip the missed dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

Side Effects

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

feeling like you might pass out;
feeling short of breath, even with mild exertion;
swelling in your hands and feet;
fast or pounding heartbeats; or
chest pain.

Less serious side effects may include:

dizziness;
warmth, redness, or tingly feeling under your skin;
headache;
weakness, tired feeling;
nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, upset stomach; or
skin rash or itching.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Interactions

Before taking isradipine, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:

cimetidine (Tagamet, Tagamet HB);
fentanyl (Duragesic, Ionsys, Actiq); or
rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane, Rifater).

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with isradipine. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.