What is this drug used for?
• It is used to treat chest pain or pressure.
• Some forms of this drug are approved to treat high blood pressure.
• It may be given to you for other reasons. Talk with the doctor.
Frequently reported side effects of this drug
• Headache
• Flushing
• Heartburn
• Nausea
• Loss of strength and energy
• Anxiety
• Tablet shell in stool
Other side effects of this drug: Talk with your doctor right away if you have any of these signs of:
• Severe dizziness
• Passing out
• Angina
• Abnormal heartbeat
• Mood changes
• Shortness of breath
• Excessive weight gain
• Swelling of arms or legs
• Muscle pain
• Muscle cramps
• Tremors
• Severe abdominal pain
• Severe constipation
• Black, tarry, or bloody stools
• Vomiting blood
• Signs of a significant reaction like wheezing; chest tightness; fever; itching; bad cough; blue skin color; seizures; or swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Note: This is not a comprehensive list of all side effects. Talk to your doctor if you have questions.
Pronunciation
(nye FED i peen)
Medication Safety Issues
Sound-alike/look-alike issues:
NIFEdipine may be confused with niCARdipine, niMODipine, nisoldipine
Procardia XL may be confused with Cartia XT
Geriatric Patients: High-Risk Medication:
Beers Criteria: Nifedipine (immediate release) is identified as a potentially inappropriate medication to be avoided in patients 65 years and older (independent of diagnosis or condition) due to its potential to cause hypotension and risk for precipitating myocardial ischemia (Beers Criteria [AGS 2019]).
Pharmacy Quality Alliance (PQA): Nifedipine (immediate release) is identified as a high-risk medication in patients 65 years and older on the PQA’s Use of High-Risk Medications in the Elderly (HRM) performance measure, a safety measure used by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for Medicare plans (PQA 2017).
International issues:
Depin [India] may be confused with Depen brand name for penicillamine [US]; Depon brand name for acetaminophen [Greece]; Dipen brand name for diltiazem [Greece]
Nipin [Italy and Singapore] may be confused with Nipent brand name for pentostatin [US, Canada, and multiple international markets]
Generic Availability: US
Yes
Storage and Stability
Adalat CC, Afeditab CR, Procardia XL: Store below 30°C (86°F); protect from light and moisture.
Nifedical XL: Store at 25°C (77°F); excursions permitted to 15°C to 30°C (59°F to 86°F); protect from light and moisture.
Immediate release capsules (Procardia): Store at 15°C to 25°C (59°F to 77°F); prevent capsules from freezing; protect from light and moisture.
Adverse Reactions
Cardiovascular: Cardiac failure, flushing (less common with extended release), palpitations, peripheral edema, transient hypotension
Central nervous system: Chills, disturbed sleep, dizziness, equilibrium disturbance, fatigue, headache, jitteriness, mood changes, nervousness, shakiness
Dermatologic: Dermatitis, diaphoresis, pruritus, urticaria
Gastrointestinal: Abdominal cramps, constipation, diarrhea, flatulence, gingival hyperplasia, heartburn, nausea, sore throat
Genitourinary: Sexual difficulty
Neuromuscular & skeletal: Joint stiffness, muscle cramps, tremor, weakness
Ophthalmic: Blurred vision
Respiratory: Chest congestion, cough, dyspnea, nasal congestion, wheezing
Miscellaneous: Fever, inflammation
Rare but important or life-threatening: Acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis, agranulocytosis, alopecia, altered sense of smell, anemia, aplastic anemia, angina pectoris, angioedema, arthritis (with positive ANA), bezoar formation, cardiac arrhythmia, cerebral ischemia, depression, dysgeusia, epistaxis, extrapyramidal reaction, erectile dysfunction, erythema multiforme, erythromelalgia, exfoliative dermatitis, facial edema, gastroesophageal reflux disease, gastrointestinal obstruction, gastrointestinal ulcer, gynecomastia, hematuria, hepatitis (allergic), ischemia, leukopenia, malignant neoplasm of lip (Friedman 2012), memory impairment, migraine, myalgia, myoclonus, nocturia, paranoia, parotitis, periorbital edema, polyuria, purpura, skin photosensitivity, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, syncope, tachycardia, thrombocytopenia, tinnitus, toxic epidermal necrolysis, transient blindness, ventricular arrhythmia
