Procardia

Procardia is used in adults to treat high blood pressure or angina.

Procardia capsules should not be used to treat high blood pressure.

Procardia may also be used for other reasons not mentioned in this medication guide.

Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose. Use the medicine exactly as directed.

Swallow the tablet or capsule whole and do not crush, chew, or break it.

Your dose needs may change if you switch to a different brand, strength, or form of this medicine. Avoid medication errors by using only the medicine your doctor prescribes.

Your blood pressure will need to be checked often and you may need other medical tests.

If you have high blood pressure, keep using this medicine even if you feel well. High blood pressure often has no symptoms.

If you need surgery, tell the surgeon ahead of time that you are taking Procardia. You may need to stop taking the medicine at least 36 hours before surgery.

Some tablets are made with a shell that is not absorbed or melted in the body. Part of a tablet shell may appear in your stool but this will not make the medicine less effective.

Store at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light.

You may not be able to use Procardia if your heart cannot pump blood properly.

You should not take Procardia if you are allergic to it. You may not be able to use this medicine if your heart cannot pump blood properly.

Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had:

• a heart attack;
• very low blood pressure;
• severe narrowing of the aortic valve in your heart (aortic stenosis);
• congestive heart failure;
• diabetes;
• kidney disease; or
• cirrhosis or other liver disease.

Older adults may be more sensitive to the effects of this medication.

It is not known if Procardia will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

Ask a doctor if it is safe to breastfeed while using Procardia.

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction (hives, difficulty breathing, swelling in your face or throat) or a severe skin reaction (fever, sore throat, burning eyes, skin pain, red or purple skin rash with blistering and peeling).

Procardia may cause serious side effects. Call your doctor immediately if you have:

• worsening chest pain;
• pounding heartbeats or fluttering in your chest;
• feeling light-headed, as if you might pass out;
• swelling in your hands or lower legs; or
• upper stomach pain, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

You may experience more severe or more frequent episodes of angina when you first start taking Procardia or whenever your dose is changed.

Common side effects of Procardia may include:

• swelling;
• flushing (sudden warmth, redness, or tingling feeling);
• headache, dizziness;
• low blood pressure;
• nausea, constipation; or
• feeling weak or tired.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Take the medicine as soon as you can, but skip the missed dose if it is nearly time for your next dose. Do not take two doses at once.

Seek emergency medical help or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. Symptoms of an overdose may include irregular heartbeats, severe dizziness, or fainting.

Grapefruit may interact with Procardia and cause side effects. Avoid consuming grapefruit products.

Avoid standing up too quickly from a sitting or lying position, or you may feel dizzy. Get up slowly and steady yourself to prevent a fall.

If you have been taking a beta-blocker medication (like atenolol, carvedilol, metoprolol, propranolol, sotalol, and others), you should not stop taking it suddenly. Talk to your doctor about how to gradually lower your dose. Stopping a beta-blocker too quickly can lead to serious heart issues that Procardia will not prevent.

Inform your doctor about all your other medications, especially other heart or blood pressure medicines.

Sometimes it is not safe to take certain medicines together. Some drugs can change the levels of other drugs in your blood, which may increase side effects or reduce how well the medicines work.

Many drugs can affect Procardia. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible interactions are mentioned here. Tell your doctor about all other medicines you are taking.