Drug interactions
Nicardipine + Phenoxybenzamine
Severity: Moderate
Nicardipine and Phenoxybenzamine: moderate interaction.
Last updated
For healthcare professionals — reference only. This page is a brief summary, not medical advice and not a substitute for official labeling or clinical judgement. Always verify before prescribing or dispensing.
Summary
Phenoxybenzamine causes irreversible alpha-adrenergic blockade and vasodilation, and nicardipine adds further vasodilation. This can cause marked hypotension, particularly orthostatic, and reflex tachycardia. The combination is sometimes used deliberately in pheochromocytoma.
What this interaction means in plain words
Nicardipine and Phenoxybenzamine can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken.
Why it happens
Additive vasodilation from alpha-adrenergic blockade and calcium channel blockade.
What to do
Monitor supine and standing blood pressure and heart rate, and introduce nicardipine at a low dose. Counsel patients about orthostatic dizziness.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Should I take them at different times of day?
- Does the dose of either medicine need to change?
- Is there anything I should avoid, such as alcohol or certain foods, while on both?
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Other interactions of Nicardipine
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Nicardipine with Phenoxybenzamine?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Nicardipine and Phenoxybenzamine can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken. Phenoxybenzamine causes irreversible alpha-adrenergic blockade and vasodilation, and nicardipine adds further vasodilation. This can cause marked hypotension, particularly orthostatic, and reflex tachycardia. The combination is sometimes used deliberately in pheochromocytoma.
How serious is the interaction between Nicardipine and Phenoxybenzamine?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Monitor supine and standing blood pressure and heart rate, and introduce nicardipine at a low dose. Counsel patients about orthostatic dizziness.
What other medicines interact with Nicardipine?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Nicardipine with, for example, Amifostine, Amlodipine-olmesartan-hydrochlorothiazide, Betrixaban. The full list is on the Nicardipine page.
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