Nisoldipine

Nisoldipine is indicated for the treatment of hypertension. It may be used alone or in combination with other antihypertensive agents.

The dosage of Nisoldipine must be adjusted to each patient’s needs. Therapy usually should be initiated with 17 mg orally once daily, then increased by 8.5 mg per week or longer intervals, to attain adequate control of blood pressure. Usual maintenance dosage is 17 to 34 mg once daily.

Blood pressure response increases over the 8.5 - 34 mg daily dose range but adverse event rates also increase. Doses beyond 34 mg once daily are not recommended. Nisoldipine has been used safely with diuretics, ACE inhibitors, and beta-blocking agents. Patients over age 65, or patients with impaired liver function, are expected to develop higher plasma concentrations of nisoldipine.

Their blood pressure should be monitored closely during any dosage adjustment. A starting dose not exceeding 8.5 mg daily is recommended in these patient groups. Nisoldipine tablets should be administered orally once daily. Nisoldipine should be taken on an empty stomach (1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal).

Grapefruit products should be avoided before and after dosing. Nisoldipine is an extended release dosage form and tablets should be swallowed whole, not bitten, divided or crushed.

Increased angina and/or myocardial infarction in patients with coronary artery disease : Rarely, patients, particularly those with severe obstructive coronary artery disease, have developed increased frequency, duration and/or severity of angina, or acute myocardial infarction on starting calcium channel blocker therapy or at the time of dosage increase. The mechanism of this effect has not been established. In controlled studies of Nisoldipine in patients with angina this was seen about 1.5% of the time in patients given nisoldipine, compared with 0.9% in patients given placebo.

Nisoldipine is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers.

Nursing Mothers It is not known whether nisoldipine is excreted in human milk. Because many drugs are excreted in human milk, a decision should be made to discontinue nursing, or to discontinue Nisoldipine, taking into account the importance of the drug to the mother.

More than 6000 patients world-wide have received nisoldipine in clinical trials for the treatment of hypertension, either as the immediate release or the Nisoldipine extended release formulation. Of about 1,500 patients who received Nisoldipine in hypertension studies, about 55% were exposed for at least 2 months and about one third were exposed for over 6 months, the great majority at doses equivalent to 17 mg and above. Nisoldipine is generally well-tolerated.

In the U.S. clinical trials of Nisoldipine in hypertension, 10.9% of the 921 Nisoldipine patients discontinued treatment due to adverse events compared with 2.9% of 280 placebo patients. The frequency of discontinuations due to adverse experiences was related to dose, with a 5.4% and 10.9% discontinuation rate at the lowest and highest daily dose, respectively. The most frequently occurring adverse experiences with Nisoldipine are those related to its vasodilator properties; these are generally mild and only occasionally lead to patient withdrawal from treatment.

The table below, from U.S. placebo-controlled parallel dose response trials of Nisoldipine using doses across the clinical dosage range in patients with hypertension, lists all of the adverse events, regardless of the causal relationship to Nisoldipine, for which the overall incidence on Nisoldipine was both >1% and greater with Nisoldipine than with placebo. Adverse Event Nisoldipine (%) (n=663) Placebo (%) (n=280) Peripheral Edema 22 10 Headache 22 15 Dizziness 5 4 Pharyngitis 5 4 Vasodilation 4 2 Sinusitis 3 2 Palpitation 3 1 Chest Pain 2 1 Nausea 2 1 Rash 2 1 Only peripheral edema and possibly dizziness appear to be dose related. Nisoldipine, dose bioequivalent to: Adverse Event Placebo 8.5 mg 17 mg 25.5 mg 34 mg (Rates in %) N=280 N=30 N=170 N=105 N=139 Peripheral Edema 10 7 15 20 27 Dizziness 4 7 3 3 4 The common adverse events occurred at about the same rate in men as in women, and at a similar rate in patients over age 65 as in those under that age, except that headache was much less common in older patients.

Except for peripheral edema and vasodilation, which were more common in whites, adverse event rates were similar in blacks and whites. The following adverse events occurred in ≤1% of all patients treated for hypertension in U.S. and foreign clinical trials, or with unspecified incidence in other studies. Although a causal relationship of Nisoldipine to these events cannot be established, they are listed to alert the physician to a possible relationship with Nisoldipine treatment.

Body As A Whole : cellulitis, chills, facial edema, fever, flu syndrome, malaise Cardiovascular : atrial fibrillation, cerebrovascular accident, congestive heart failure, first degree AV block, hypertension, hypotension, jugular venous distension, migraine, myocardial infarction, postural hypotension, ventricular extrasystoles, supraventricular tachycardia, syncope, systolic ejection murmur, T wave abnormalities on ECG (flattening, inversion, nonspecific changes), venous insufficiency Digestive : abnormal liver function tests, anorexia, colitis, diarrhea, dry mouth, dyspepsia, dysphagia, flatulence, gastritis, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, gingival hyperplasia, glossitis, hepatomegaly, increased appetite, melena, mouth ulceration Endocrine : diabetes mellitus, thyroiditis Hemic and Lymphatic : anemia, ecchymoses, leukopenia, petechiae Metabolic and Nutritional : gout, hypokalemia, increased serum creatine kinase, increased nonprotein nitrogen, weight gain, weight loss Musculoskeletal : arthralgia, arthritis, leg cramps, myalgia, myasthenia, myositis, tenosynovitis Nervous : abnormal dreams, abnormal thinking and confusion, amnesia, anxiety, ataxia, cerebral ischemia, decreased libido, depression, hypesthesia, hypertonia, insomnia, nervousness, paresthesia, somnolence, tremor, vertigo Respiratory : asthma, dyspnea, end inspiratory wheeze and fine rales, epistaxis, increased cough, laryngitis, pharyngitis, pleural effusion, rhinitis, sinusitis Skin and Appendages : acne, alopecia, dry skin, exfoliative dermatitis, fungal dermatitis, herpes simplex, herpes zoster, maculopapular rash, pruritus, pustular rash, skin discoloration, skin ulcer, sweating, urticaria Special Senses : abnormal vision, amblyopia, blepharitis, conjunctivitis, ear pain, glaucoma, itchy eyes, keratoconjunctivitis, otitis media, retinal detachment, tinnitus, watery eyes, taste disturbance, temporary unilateral loss of vision, vitreous floater Urogenital : dysuria, hematuria, impotence, nocturia, urinary frequency, increased BUN and serum creatinine, vaginal hemorrhage, vaginitis The following postmarketing event has been reported very rarely in patients receiving Nisoldipine: systemic hypersensitivity reaction which may include one or more of the following; angioedema, shortness of breath, tachycardia, chest tightness, hypotension, and rash. A definite causal relationship with Nisoldipine has not been established. An unusual event observed with immediate release nisoldipine but not observed with Nisoldipine was one case of photosensitivity.

Gynecomastia has been associated with the use of calcium channel blockers.