What is the most important information I should know about nimodipine?
Before taking nimodipine, tell your doctor if you have liver disease, low blood pressure,
high blood pressure (hypertension) for which you take medicine, or a history of heart problems
such as a slow heart rate, congestive heart failure, or heart attack.
Nimodipine gel capsules are to be taken by mouth only. The medicine in the capsule
should never be placed into a needle and syringe and injected into a vein. If the person taking
nimodipine cannot swallow the capsule, use a needle to make a hole in each end of the capsule,
and squeeze the medicine out into an oral syringe. The syringe can then be used to give the
medicine through a nasogastric (through the nose and into the stomach) tube.
If you are able to swallow capsules, take nimodipine on an empty stomach, one hour
before or two hours after meals.
Avoid
drinking alcohol while you are taking nimodipine. Alcohol and nimodipine
may cause low blood pressure,
drowsiness, or
dizziness.
Do not stop taking nimodipine without first talking to your doctor, even if you begin
to feel better. If you stop taking the medication, your condition could become worse.
What is nimodipine?
Nimodipine is in a group of drugs called calcium channel blockers. Nimodipine relaxes
(widens) blood vessels and improves blood flow.
Nimodipine is used to prevent brain damage caused by reduced blood flow to the brain
resulting from aneurysm (AN-yor-iz-m), a dilated or ruptured blood vessel in the brain.
Nimodipine may also be used for purposes other than those listed here.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking nimodipine?
Before taking nimodipine, tell your doctor if you have:
-
liver disease;
-
low blood pressure;
-
high blood pressure for which you take medication; or
-
a history of heart problems such as a slow heart rate,
congestive heart failure, or heart attack.
If you have any of these conditions, you may not be able to use
nimodipine, or you may need a dosage adjustment or special tests during treatment.
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.
It is not known if nimodipine passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing
infant. Do not take nimodipine without telling your doctor if you are
breast-feeding a baby.
If you are over 65 years of age, you may be more likely to have side effects from
nimodipine. Your doctor may prescribe a lower dose of this medication.
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