Drug interactions
Nifedipine + Nitroglycerin sublingual
Severity: Moderate
Nifedipine and Nitroglycerin sublingual: 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
Both agents lower blood pressure through vasodilation, so combining them can cause additive hypotension, dizziness and orthostatic symptoms. This combination is used therapeutically in angina but the effect can be exaggerated in some patients.
What this interaction means in plain words
Nifedipine and Nitroglycerin sublingual 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 through calcium channel blockade (nifedipine) and nitric oxide-mediated smooth muscle relaxation (nitroglycerin).
What to do
Advise patients to sit when taking sublingual nitroglycerin and to rise slowly. Monitor blood pressure and adjust doses if symptomatic hypotension occurs.
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 Nifedipine
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Nifedipine with Nitroglycerin sublingual?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Nifedipine and Nitroglycerin sublingual 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. Both agents lower blood pressure through vasodilation, so combining them can cause additive hypotension, dizziness and orthostatic symptoms. This combination is used therapeutically in angina but the effect can be exaggerated in some patients.
How serious is the interaction between Nifedipine and Nitroglycerin sublingual?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Advise patients to sit when taking sublingual nitroglycerin and to rise slowly. Monitor blood pressure and adjust doses if symptomatic hypotension occurs.
What other medicines interact with Nifedipine?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Nifedipine with, for example, Amifostine, Amlodipine-benazepril, Apalutamide. The full list is on the Nifedipine page.
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