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Nifedipine

Updated 2 Feb 2023 | Calcium channel blockers

Presentation

Modified release (12 hour) oral formulations of nifedipine.

Drugs List

  • ADIPINE MR 10 10mg modified release tablet
  • ADIPINE MR 20 20mg modified release tablet
  • CORACTEN SR 10mg modified release capsules
  • CORACTEN SR 20mg modified release capsules
  • DEXIPRESS MR 20 20mg modified release tablet
  • nifedipine 10mg 12 hour modified release capsules
  • nifedipine 10mg 12 hour modified release tablets
  • nifedipine 20mg 12 hour modified release capsules
  • nifedipine 20mg 12 hour modified release tablets
  • NIFEDIPRESS MR 10mg modified release tablet
  • NIFEDIPRESS MR 20mg modified release tablet
  • TENSIPINE MR 10mg tablets
  • TENSIPINE MR 20mg tablets
  • VALNI RETARD 20mg tablets
  • Therapeutic Indications

    Uses

    Treatment of all grades of hypertension.
    Prophylaxis of chronic stable angina pectoris.
    Treatment of prinzmetal's angina.

    Not all brands are licensed for all indications.

    Unlicensed Uses

    Treatment of Raynaud's phenomenon.

    Dosage

    Treatment should be tailored to the individual according to seriousness of disease and response.

    Adults

    Hypertension
    Initial dose: 10mg every 12 hours.
    Maintenance dose: 10mg to 40mg, titrated according to response every 12 hours.
    Maximum dose: 80mg daily.

    Angina prophylaxis & Prinzmetal's angina
    Initial dose: 10mg every 12 hours.
    Maintenance dose: 10mg to 40mg, adjusted according to response every 12 hours.
    Maximum dose: 80mg daily.

    Dosage recommended by manufacturers may vary.

    Elderly

    A slight alteration of the pharmacokinetics of nifedipine may be seen in the elderly therefore caution advised. Lower maintenance doses of nifedipine may be required compared to younger patients.

    Patients with Renal Impairment

    Patients with renal impairment should not require dosage adjustment.

    In dialysis patients with malignant hypertension and hypovolaemia, a marked decrease in blood pressure can occur.

    Patients with Hepatic Impairment

    Nifedipine is metabolised primarily in the liver. Patients with hepatic impairment should be carefully monitored and a dose reduction may be necessary.

    Additional Dosage Information

    Prescribers should specify the brand to be prescribed.

    The interval between the recommended individual maximum daily doses of nifedipine should not be less than 4 hours.

    Administration

    For oral administration.
    To be swallowed whole with water, either with or without food. Under no circumstances are they to be broken up, bitten or chewed.

    Contraindications

    Cardiogenic shock
    Severe aortic stenosis
    Unstable angina
    During or within one month of a myocardial infarction
    Children under 2 years old
    Galactosaemia

    Precautions and Warnings

    Prescribe by brand only to ensure consistent bioavailability.

    Not all brands licensed for all indications.

    Children 2-18 years of age (see Dosage - Children ).

    Hepatic Impairment - (see Dosage - Hepatic Impairment ).

    Acute porphyria (see Porphyria ).

    Use with caution in patients with cardiac failure, poor cardiac reserve or significantly impaired left ventricular function. Deterioration of heart failure has been observed.

    The safety of nifedipine in malignant hypertension has not been established.
    In dialysis patients with malignant hypertension and hypovolaemia, a marked decrease in blood pressure can
    occur.

    Cardiac ischaemic pain has been reported in a small proportion of patients shortly after initiating nifedipine therapy. Although a 'steal' effect has not been demonstrated, withdraw treatment if ischaemic pain occurs or existing pain worsens shortly after commencing therapy. Use of nifedipine can lead to increased complaints of angina, if this occurs the physician should be alerted and treatment ceased.

    Hypotensive patients should be treated with caution as there is a risk of further reduction in blood pressure. Extreme caution should be taken in patients with systolic pressure of less than 90mmHg.
    Nifedipine may be used in combination therapy with beta blocking agents or other antihypertensive agents. However the potential for an additive effect must be borne in mind as postural hypotension and/or cardiac failure could result.
    Transient blindness may occur following an excessive fall in blood pressure.

    Diabetic patients may require adjustment of their control.

    Will not prevent rebound effects of cessation of other antihypertensives therefore their withdrawal should be gradual. Sudden withdrawal may be associated with angina.

    Hypersensitivity-type jaundice has been reported.
    Grapefruit products increase the bioavailability of dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers. Patients should be advised to avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice.

    Breastfeeding - (see Lactation )
    Pregnancy (see Pregnancy )

    May inhibit labour.

    In vitro fertilisation treatment: calcium antagonists may adversely affect sperm function and should be considered as a possible cause in men repeatedly unsuccessful in fathering a child via in vitro fertilisation and where no other explanation can be found.

    Not suitable for secondary prevention of myocardial infarction.

    Elderly patients (see Dosage - Elderly ).

    Some formulations contain lactose, use with caution in patients with lactose intolerance or glucose-galactose malabsorption syndrome.

    The ability to drive or operate machinery may be affected by side effects of nifedipine such as transient blindness, dizziness and lethargy.

    Advise patients to moderate alcohol intake during nifedipine therapy as it can increase the likelihood of side effects.

    Advise patient to avoid taking St. John's Wort concurrently with this medication.

    Nifedipine may increase the spectrophotometric values of urinary vanillylmandelic acid falsely. HPLC measurements, however, are not affected.

    Not suitable for treating acute angina attacks.

    Not all available brands are licensed for all age groups.

    Use in Porphyria

    Many nifedipine brand manufacturers consider nifedipine as being porphyrinogenic. Calcium channel blockers are considered unsafe however nifedipine may be used with caution. The Norwegian Porphyria Centre (NAPOS) classifies nifedipine as being 'probably not porphrinogenic'.

    Pregnancy and Lactation

    Pregnancy

    Use with caution in pregnancy and in women who are planning pregnancy. There is limited information to support the use of calcium blockers in human pregnancy. Studies in sheep with IV infusions of nifedipine indicate a progressive decrease in mean maternal arterial blood pressure. The hypotensive effect resulted in a decrease in uterine blood flow and foetal arterial oxygen content. Reproduction studies in rats and rabbits have shown a teratogenic effect resulting in digital anomalies. Other toxicities were noted in embryos and foetuses of mice, rats and rabbits at doses 3.5-42 times the maximum recommended human dose; these include stunted foetuses, rib deformities, cleft palate, embryo and foetal deaths as well as prolonged pregnancy and decreased neonatal survival. Nifedipine administered intravenously in pregnant rhesus monkeys has been associated with foetal hypoxaemia and acidosis (Briggs, 2011).

    In human studies a report of 37 newborns exposed to nifedipine during the first trimester showed two major birth defects (two expected), one of which was a cardiovascular defect (0.5 expected). No abnormalities were observed in five other categories of defects (oral cleft, spina bifida, polydactyly, limb reduction defects and hypospadias). Another human study reported nine hypertensive pregnant women treated in the third trimester with sublingual nifedipine. This showed both maternal arterial blood pressure and uterine artery perfusion pressure significantly lower with nifedipine but no reduction in uteroplacental blood flow detected. Careful monitoring of blood pressure is required when administering nifedipine with IV magnesium sulfate owing to an excessive fall in blood pressure, which could harm the mother and foetus. Nifedipine may inhibit labour. Nifedipine does not appear to pose a major human teratogenic risk (Briggs, 2011).

    Nifedipine has been used for tocolysis and as a antihypertensive agent in pregnant women. Nifedipine is one of the preferred first-line calcium channel blockers for the treatment of hypertension in the second or third trimesters. In the first trimester, calcium antagonists are considered to be second-line therapy. Guidelines published by NICE comment that nifedipine is licensed for the treatment of hypertension and is already used widely in UK obstetric practices, however manufacturers advise that it is contraindicated in pregnancy before week 20 and that it should not be administered during pregnancy or in women who may become pregnant. The guidelines from NICE suggest that informed consent on the use of nifedipine in these situations should be obtained and documented. The guidelines also recommend that nifedipine (oral) is one of the drugs that should be used to treat women with severe hypertension who are in critical care during pregnancy or after birth.

    The use of all medication in pregnancy should be avoided whenever possible; particularly in the first trimester. Non-drug treatments should also be considered. When essential, a medication with the best safety record over time should be chosen, employing the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible time. Polypharmacy should be avoided. Teratogens taken in the pre-embryonic period, often quoted as lasting until 14-17 days post-conception, are believed to have an all-or-nothing effect. Where drugs have a short half-life, and when the date of conception is certain, this may allow women to be reassured where drug exposure has occurred within this time frame. Further advice may be available from the UK National Teratology Information Service (NTIS) and through ToxBase, available via password on the internet ( www.toxbase.org ) or if this is unavailable at the backup site ( www.toxbasebackup.org ).

    Recommended for use in pregnancy, 1st trimester? - as a second-line agent

    Recommended for use in pregnancy, 2nd and 3rd trimester? - is a preferred first-line calcium channel blocker for hypertension.

    Known human teratogen? - No

    Animal data - Nifedipine has been shown to produce embryotoxicity, foetotoxicity and teratogenicity.

    Pregnancy-specific adverse effects on the mother - may inhibit labour. Severe reactions when combined with IV magnesium sulfate.

    Lactation

    Use with caution during breastfeeding

    Nifedipine is excreted in breast milk in small amounts, which are considered too small to be harmful. No adverse effects have been reported among a limited number of infants exposed to nifedipine in breast milk.

    Nifedipine has also been used to treat painful nipple vasospasm in nursing mothers.

    Manufacturers state that nifedipine should not be administered to nursing mothers. However, other organisations considers nifedipine usually compatible with breastfeeding. Guidelines from NICE recommend that women who still need antihypertensive treatment in the postnatal period are told that nifedipine is one of the antihypertensive drugs that has no known side effects on babies receiving breast milk. Schaefer (2007) concluded that nifedipine is one of the calcium antagonists of choice during breastfeeding.

    If necessary breastfeeding may be delayed by 3 to 4 hours to significantly reduce the amount of drug ingested by the infant.

    Neonates, infants born prematurely, those with low birth weight, those with an unstable gastrointestinal function or who have serious illnesses may require special consideration. For any infant, if a drug is prescribed to the nursing mother, it should be at the lowest practical dose and for the shortest time. When drug administration is unavoidable and breastfeeding is to continue, minimisation of exposure of the infant to the drug may sometimes be achieved by timing the maternal doses to just after a feeding episode. Infants exposed to drugs via breast milk should be monitored for unusual signs or symptoms. Interactions between the drug received by the infant from the mother's milk and medication prescribed for the infant should also be considered, for example, when the drug given to the infant may prevent metabolism of the drug received via breast milk.
    Specialist advice is available from the UK Drugs in Lactation Advisory Service at https://www.midlandsmedicines.nhs.uk/content.asp?section=6&subsection=17&pageIdx=1

    Drug excreted in breast milk? - Yes

    Considered suitable or recommended by manufacturer? - No

    Drug substance licensed in infants? - No

    Effects on Ability to Drive and Operate Machinery

    The ability to drive or operate machinery may be affected by side effects of nifedipine such as transient blindness, dizziness and lethargy.

    Advise patients to moderate alcohol intake during nifedipine therapy as it can increase the likelihood of side effects.

    Counselling

    Advise patient that grapefruit products increase bioavailability of dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers and should not be taken whilst receiving treatment with nifedipine.

    Advise patient that the ability to drive or operate machinery may be affected by side effects of nifedipine such as transient blindness, dizziness and lethargy.

    Advise patients to moderate alcohol intake during nifedipine therapy as it can increase the likelihood of side effects.

    Advise patient to avoid taking St. John's Wort concurrently with this medication.

    Side Effects

    Headache
    Flushing
    Dizziness
    Lethargy
    Tachycardia
    Palpitations
    Rash
    Nausea
    Increased frequency of micturition
    Eye pain
    Gingival hyperplasia
    Depression
    Telangiectasia
    Jaundice
    Visual disturbances
    Tremor
    Myalgia
    Urticaria
    Pruritus
    Gynaecomastia in older men
    Hypotension
    Fever
    Paraesthesia
    Dyspepsia
    Mood changes
    Photosensitivity
    Allergic reaction
    Purpura
    Liver function disturbances
    Constipation
    Diarrhoea
    Sweating
    Dysuria
    Epistaxis
    Sleep disturbances
    Dyspnoea
    Nocturia
    Polyuria
    Chills
    Vomiting
    Pain
    Abdominal pain
    Syncope
    Dry mouth
    Flatulence
    Somnolence
    Vertigo
    Dysphagia
    Gastro-intestinal ulceration
    Leucopenia
    Hyperglycaemia
    Muscle cramps
    Pemphigoid reaction
    Blindness (temporary)
    Postural hypotension
    Agranulocytosis
    Oedema
    Myocardial ischaemia
    Cerebral ischaemia
    Cholestasis
    Erythema multiforme
    Exfoliative dermatitis
    Gastro-intestinal bezoars (concretions)
    Intestinal obstruction
    Anorexia
    Migraine
    Nasal congestion
    Anxiety
    Hypersensitivity reactions
    Angioedema
    Impairments of sperm parameters
    Vasodilation
    Peripheral oedema
    Chest pain
    Myocardial infarction
    Gastro-intestinal disturbances
    Aggravation of angina
    Exacerbation of myasthenia gravis
    Erectile dysfunction
    Angina
    Gastroesophageal sphincter insufficiency
    Dysaesthesia
    Hypoaesthesia
    Toxic epidermal necrolysis
    Malaise
    Arthralgia
    Asthenia
    Skin disorder
    Cardiovascular disturbances
    Eructation
    Gingivitis
    Joint disorder
    Hyperaesthesia
    Nervousness
    Weight loss
    Anaphylactic reaction
    Anaphylactoid reaction
    Elevation of liver enzymes
    Pulmonary oedema

    Effects on Laboratory Tests

    Nifedipine may increase the spectrophotometric values of urinary vanillylmandelic acid falsely. HPLC measurements, however, are not affected.

    Overdosage

    It is strongly recommended that the UK National Poisons Information Service be consulted on cases of suspected or actual overdose where there is doubt over the degree of risk or about appropriate management.

    The following number will direct the caller to the relevant local centre (0844) 892 0111

    Information may be obtained if you have access to ToxBase the primary clinical toxicology database of the National Poisons Information Service. This is available via password on the internet ( www.toxbase.org ) or if this is unavailable at the backup site ( www.toxbasebackup.org ).

    Shelf Life and Storage

    Storage conditions vary. Consult product literature for storage information regarding specific brands.

    Further Information

    Last Full Review Date: January 2013.

    Reference Sources

    Drugs During Pregnancy and Lactation: Treatment Options and Risk Assessment, 2nd edition (2007) ed. Schaefer, C., Peters, P. and Miller, R. Elsevier, London.

    Drugs in Pregnancy and Lactation: A Reference Guide to Fetal and Neonatal Risk, 9th edition (2011) ed. Briggs, G., Freeman, R. and Yaffe, S. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia.

    Martindale: The Complete Drug Reference, 37th edition (2011) ed. Sweetman, S. Pharmaceutical Press, London.

    Medications and Mothers' Milk, 14th Edition (2010) Hale,T. Hale Publishing, Amarillo, Texas.

    Summary of Product Characteristics: Adalat Retard 10mg modified-release tablets. Bayer Plc. Revised September 2016.

    Summary of Product Characteristics: Adalat Retard 20mg modified-release tablets. Bayer Plc. Revised September 2016.

    Summary of Product Characteristics: Adipine MR 10mg & 20mg tablets. Chiesi Ltd. Revised May 2007.

    Summary of Product Characteristics: Coracten SR 10mg & 20mg Capsules. UCB Pharma Ltd. Revised April 2009.

    Summary of Product Characteristics: Dexipress MR 20. Dexcel Pharma Ltd. Revised July 2020.

    Summary of Product Characteristics: Tensipine MR 10. Genus Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Revised July 2012.

    Summary of Product Characteristics: Tensipine MR 20. Genus Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Revised July 2012.

    Summary of Product Characteristics: Valni 20 Retard (Nifedipine) & Nifedotard 20 MR. Tillomed Laboratories Ltd. Revised August 2008.

    NAPOS: The Norwegian Porphyria Centre
    Available at: https://www.drugs-porphyria.org/languages/UnitedKingdom/selsearch.php?l=gbr
    Drug: Nifedipine. Last accessed: January 11, 2013

    NICE clinical guideline 107: Hypertension in pregnancy, the management of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy
    Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/live/13098/50418/50418.pdf
    Issue date: August 2010
    Last accessed: January 11, 2013

    NICE Evidence Services Available at: www.nice.org.uk Last accessed: 11 March 2021

    US National Library of Medicine. Toxicology Data Network. Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed).
    Available at: https://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/htmlgen?LACT
    Nifedipine. Last revised: February 02, 2012
    Last accessed: January 11, 2013

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