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Nifedipine

Medication calcium channel blocker heart & blood pressure
Aka: Adalat
Brands seen in Singapore: Adalat LA, Nifelat, Depin-E Retard, Calcigard Retard, Nifecard XL
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
NHS: high blood pressure, angina and raynaud's
When to take
NHS: 1 to 3 times a day, depending on the form
Take with
Water · NHS: with or without food, but no grapefruit
Pros & cons
Pros
  • NHS: usually 1 to 3 times a day, form-dependent
  • NHS: also prescribed for raynaud's, not just bp/angina
  • NHS: usually fine with or without food
Cons
  • NHS: headaches, flushing and swollen ankles are common
  • NHS: grapefruit raises the chance of side effects
  • NHS: may not suit heart failure or unstable angina
Sources
  1. HSA — Listing of Registered Therapeutic Products (data.gov.sg dataset d_767279312753558cbf19d48344577084), Forensicclassification column; all 5,511 rows cached at /tmp/hsa_all.json and filtered locally (not re-fetched), nifedipine rows, 27 Aug 2026 · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “ADALAT LA 30 SIN07710P · NIFELAT SIN07228P · DEPIN-E RETARD SIN11117P · CALCIGARD RETARD SIN12483P · NIFECARD XL SIN11720P — ATC C08CA05, strengths 5/10/20/30/60 mg; all 11 nifedipine rows read Forensicclassification "Prescription Only"”
  2. NHS medicines A–Z — Nifedipine: what nifedipine is for (reviewed 20 May 2026) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Nifedipine is a medicine that treats high blood pressure, angina and a condition called Raynaud's, which affects blood flow. It's only available with a prescription.”
  3. NHS medicines A–Z — Nifedipine: how to take nifedipine · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Nifedipine usually comes as capsules or tablets that you swallow. You'll usually need to take it 1 to 3 times a day, depending on the type of capsule or tablet you have. You can take nifedipine with our without food.”
  4. NHS medicines A–Z — Nifedipine: side effects · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Common side effects of nifedipine include: headaches; flushing …; generally feeling unwell; finding it difficult to poo (constipation); swollen ankles (oedema)”
  5. NHS medicines A–Z — Nifedipine: who can and cannot take nifedipine · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “nifedipine may not be suitable if you have: … low blood pressure …; a heart condition, such as heart failure; unstable angina … or angina that is getting worse; diabetes; a severe liver or kidney condition”
  6. NHS medicines A–Z — Nifedipine: pregnancy and breastfeeding · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “You can usually take nifedipine if you're breastfeeding … You can usually take nifedipine if you're pregnant.”
  7. NHS medicines A–Z — Nifedipine: taking nifedipine with other medicines · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “other blood pressure medicines; some antibiotics; stomach ulcer medicines, such as cimetidine; medicines for heart conditions, such as digoxin or beta blockers; epilepsy medicines such as carbamazepine; medicines to treat fungal infections”
  8. NHS medicines A–Z — Nifedipine: food, drink and alcohol · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Do not eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice while taking nifedipine because it can increase the chance of side effects.”
  9. US label for nifedipine extended-release tablets (Bryant Ranch Prepack, effective 2026-03-19) via openFDA drug/label.json, Dosage and Administration · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “It is recommended that nifedipine extended-release tablet be administered orally once daily on an empty stomach … The usual maintenance dose is 30 mg to 60 mg once daily. Titration to doses above 90 mg daily is not recommended.”
  10. US label for nifedipine extended-release tablets (Chartwell RX, effective 2025-12-17) via openFDA drug/label.json, Dosage and Administration · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Therapy for either hypertension or angina should be initiated with 30 or 60 mg once daily … Titration to doses above 120 mg are not recommended.”
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Updated 2026-08-29. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.