Nisoldipine
Nisoldipine is an extended-release calcium channel blocker used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension), alone or with other blood pressure medicines.
🧬 Where this information comes from Click to expand
The clinical label records used on this page are FDA-filed Structured Product Labeling (SPL) retrieved through openFDA. We identified 3 clinical label sets within the page’s selected clinical scope after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching. Forms, routes, brands, labelers, strengths, and NDC product-record counts are built separately from matching FDA National Drug Code Directory records. The linked DailyMed document is a representative official source for verification, not the page’s only clinical source. View the linked label on DailyMed →
Nisoldipine (Sular) is a once-daily calcium channel blocker for high blood pressure that keeps calcium out of the muscle in small artery walls so they relax and widen; it is a less commonly prescribed relative of amlodipine, on the market since the mid-1990s and available as a generic. Most people handle it well, and the side effects they notice are usually ankle or foot swelling, headache, flushing or dizziness. Report chest pain (angina) right away if it is new, comes more often or lasts longer after starting it or a dose increase, since people with severely blocked heart arteries have rarely had worse angina or even a heart attack at these times.
Clinical pearls
- Take it on an empty stomach, one hour before or two hours after eating, because high-fat meals change how much gets absorbed.
- Avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice before and after your dose, since they can push nisoldipine levels much higher.
- Swallow the extended-release tablet whole, because biting, splitting or crushing it destroys the slow, all-day release.
- Phenytoin, a seizure medicine, can drop nisoldipine to undetectable levels, so the two should not be combined.
Patient information guide A plain-language walkthrough of Nisoldipine, written from its FDA label.
What Nisoldipine is used for
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Nisoldipine is used for one condition across the supported products.
- Sular (oral extended-release tablet): treatment of hypertension (high blood pressure), alone or with other blood pressure medicines.
- Nisoldipine extended-release tablets (oral): treatment of hypertension, alone or with other blood pressure medicines.
How Nisoldipine works
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Nisoldipine belongs to the dihydropyridine class of calcium channel blockers. It blocks calcium from entering muscle cells in blood vessel walls. This relaxes and widens the small arteries and lowers resistance to blood flow.
It acts more strongly on blood vessels than on the heart muscle. Most of its blood pressure effect comes from lowering that resistance. It also has a mild diuretic (water-losing) effect.
Nisoldipine dosage
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Nisoldipine extended-release tablets, including Sular, are taken by mouth once a day. Your prescriber starts you low and raises the dose gradually to control your blood pressure.
- Take it on an empty stomach, 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal.
- Swallow the tablet whole. Do not bite, divide or crush it.
- Avoid grapefruit products before and after your dose.
- It has been used safely with diuretics, ACE inhibitors and beta-blockers.
Follow your prescriber and pharmacy label for your exact dose and what to do about a missed dose.
Dosing details from the FDA-approved label
From the Nisoldipine prescribing information (“Dosage and Administration”). Doses are set by your prescriber for your product, condition, kidney function and age — never change a dose on your own.
- Hypertension (general adult dosing)
- Initiate with 17 mg orally once daily, then increase 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
- Maximum: Doses beyond 34 mg once daily are not recommended
- Take on an empty stomach (1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal); avoid grapefruit products before and after dosing; swallow whole, not bitten, divided or crushed
- Patients over age 65 or with impaired liver function
- Starting dose not exceeding 8.5 mg daily
- Maximum: Doses beyond 34 mg once daily are not recommended
- Expected to develop higher plasma concentrations of nisoldipine; monitor blood pressure closely during any dosage adjustment
Read the label’s full dosing text
DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION The dosage of nisoldipine extended-release tablets 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 to 34 mg daily dose range but adverse event rates also increase. Doses beyond 34 mg once daily are not recommended. Nisoldipine extended-release tablets have 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 extended-release tablets should be administered orally once daily. Nisoldipine extended-release tablets 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 extended-release tablets are an extended release dosage form and tablets should be swallowed whole, not bitten, divided or crushed.
Read the full Dosage and Administration section on DailyMed →
Nisoldipine side effects
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Most side effects are related to the way nisoldipine widens blood vessels, and they are usually mild.
Common side effects
- Swelling in the legs, ankles or feet (peripheral edema)
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Sore throat (pharyngitis)
- Flushing or vasodilation (widened blood vessels)
- Sinus irritation (sinusitis)
- Palpitations (feeling your heartbeat)
- Nausea
When to get medical help
- Call your doctor if chest pain (angina) starts, gets worse or happens more often, especially after starting nisoldipine or a dose increase.
- Get emergency help for signs of a heart attack.
- Get emergency help for signs of a serious allergic reaction, such as swelling of the face or throat, trouble breathing, chest tightness or a widespread rash.
- Tell your doctor if you notice worsening heart failure symptoms, fainting or a very fast or irregular heartbeat.
About 10.9% of people in U.S. trials stopped nisoldipine because of side effects, compared with 2.9% on placebo. Get help right away for worsening chest pain, signs of a heart attack, or an allergic reaction with swelling, trouble breathing or a rash.
Nisoldipine warnings and precautions
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Worsening angina or heart attack: Rarely, people with severe coronary artery disease have had more angina or a heart attack when starting a calcium channel blocker or raising the dose. Report new or worsening chest pain promptly.
- Use calcium channel blockers with caution if you have heart failure.
- Older adults and people with liver problems have higher drug levels and need closer blood pressure monitoring.
- Rare allergic reactions, including angioedema (swelling), have been reported.
Nisoldipine interactions
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Several foods and drugs change how much nisoldipine gets into your blood.
- Grapefruit juice: can raise levels roughly 3-fold or more, so avoid it.
- Phenytoin: can drop nisoldipine to undetectable levels, so another blood pressure medicine should be considered.
- CYP3A4 inhibitors and inducers: change how the body breaks down nisoldipine, so they should generally be avoided.
- Cimetidine: raises nisoldipine levels by about 30 to 45%.
- Atenolol: blood pressure effect tended to be greater.
- Quinidine: lowers nisoldipine exposure by about 26%.
- No significant interactions were found with warfarin or digoxin.
Interactions listed in the FDA-approved label
From the Nisoldipine prescribing information (“Drug Interactions”): what the manufacturer studied or reported to the FDA.
- Cimetidine: A 30 to 45% increase in AUC and Cmax of nisoldipine was observed with cimetidine 400 mg twice daily.
- Ranitidine: Ranitidine 150 mg twice daily did not interact significantly with nisoldipine (AUC was decreased by 15 to 20%); no pharmacodynamic effects of either histamine H2 receptor antagonist were observed.
- CYP3A4 inhibitors and inducers: Nisoldipine is a substrate of CYP3A4. Coadministration with any known inducer or inhibitor of CYP3A4 should be avoided in general.
- Phenytoin: Coadministration with a dose bioequivalent to 34 mg nisoldipine extended-release tablets in epileptic patients lowered nisoldipine plasma concentrations to undetectable levels. Avoid coadministration and consider alternative antihypertensive therapy.
- Beta-blockers (atenolol, propranolol): Pharmacokinetic interactions were variable and not significant; propranolol attenuated the heart rate increase following immediate release nisoldipine, and the blood pressure effect of nisoldipine tended to be greater in patients on atenolol than in patients on no other antihypertensive therapy.
- Quinidine: Quinidine at 648 mg bid decreased the bioavailability (AUC) of nisoldipine by 26%, but not the peak concentration; immediate release nisoldipine increased plasma quinidine concentrations by about 20% without ECG changes, and clinical significance is not known.
- Warfarin: No significant interactions were found between nisoldipine and warfarin.
- Digoxin: No significant interactions were found between nisoldipine and digoxin.
Read the label’s full interactions text
Drug Interactions A 30 to 45% increase in AUC and C max of nisoldipine was observed with concomitant administration of cimetidine 400 mg twice daily. Ranitidine 150 mg twice daily did not interact significantly with nisoldipine (AUC was decreased by 15 to 20%). No pharmacodynamic effects of either histamine H2 receptor antagonist were observed. CYP3A4 inhibitors and inducers Nisoldipine is substrate of CYP3A4 and coadministration of nisoldipine extended-release tablets with any known inducer or inhibitor of CYP3A4 should be avoided in general. Coadministration of phenytoin with a dose bioequivalent to 34 mg nisoldipine extended-release tablets in epileptic patients lowered the nisoldipine plasma concentrations to undetectable levels. Coadministration of nisoldipine extended-release tablets with phenytoin should be avoided and alternative antihypertensive therapy should be considered. Pharmacokinetic interactions between nisoldipine and beta-blockers (atenolol, propranolol) were variable and not significant. Propranolol attenuated the heart rate increase following administration of immediate release nisoldipine. The blood pressure effect of nisoldipine extended-release tablets tended to be greater in patients on atenolol than in patients on no other antihypertensive therapy. Quinidine at 648 mg bid decreased the bioavailability (AUC) of nisoldipine by 26%, but not the peak concentration. Immediate release nisoldipine increased plasma quinidine concentrations by about 20%. This interaction was not accompanied by ECG changes and its clinical significance is not known. No significant interactions were found between nisoldipine and warfarin or digoxin.
Not a complete list. The label covers the interactions the manufacturer studied or reported, and our own interaction database does not cover every medicine either. Bring your full medication list, including vitamins and herbal products, to your pharmacist.
Before taking Nisoldipine
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- Do not take it if you are allergic to dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers.
- Tell your prescriber about coronary artery disease, angina or heart failure.
- Adults over 65 usually start at a lower dose and get closer monitoring.
- If you have liver disease or cirrhosis, you will be given lower starting and maintenance doses.
- Mild to moderate kidney impairment generally doesn't require a dose adjustment.
- Tell your prescriber about all your medicines, especially phenytoin.
Nisoldipine overdose
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There is no experience with nisoldipine overdose. With similar drugs, the main concern is very low blood pressure, which needs active heart and breathing support in a medical setting. Dialysis is unlikely to help, but plasmapheresis may. Seek emergency help or call poison control if you take too much.
What Nisoldipine does in the body
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A dose of nisoldipine lowers vascular resistance and blood pressure, with a brief rise in heart rate. That rise is greater with immediate-release forms. With ongoing use, the lower resistance is sustained. The blood pressure effect is dose-related and is bigger when blood pressure starts out higher.
It doesn't appear to weaken the heart's pumping in a significant way. It also has no clinically important effect on heart rate.
How your body processes Nisoldipine
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Nisoldipine is well absorbed, but only about 5% reaches the bloodstream unchanged because much of it is broken down in the gut wall. A high-fat meal raises peak levels by up to 245%, which is why it's taken on an empty stomach. Peak levels come about 9 hours after a dose, and the half-life is roughly 14 hours.
The liver heavily metabolizes it, likely through CYP enzymes. It is then cleared mostly in urine as metabolites, with only traces of unchanged drug.
How to store Nisoldipine
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Protect from light and moisture. Store at 20° to 25°C (68° to 77°F); excursions permitted to 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F) . Dispense in a tight, light-resistant container as defined in the USP with a child-resistant closure.
Written from the FDA-approved label with AI and reviewed by our pharmacy team. How we use AI →
Supplements & herbs that interact with Nisoldipine
232 supplements and herbal products have documented interactions with Nisoldipine in the licensed clinical database we use. Most are manageable — but your pharmacist should know about everything you take, including vitamins and herbals.
- Major · 7
- Moderate · 183
- Minor · 42
Educational information from a licensed clinical database (Natural Medicines) — see our data sources & update cadence. Not medical advice: an interaction being documented does not mean it will happen to you; do not start or stop medications or supplements without professional guidance.
Nutrient depletion considerations
Nisoldipine has been associated with lower levels of 2 nutrients in the clinical literature. This does not mean a deficiency will occur — it means these may be worth discussing with your pharmacist or healthcare provider, especially with long-term use.
Educational information from a licensed clinical database (Natural Medicines) — not medical advice. Do not start or stop medications or supplements without professional guidance.
Nisoldipine: pharmacist answers to common questions
Quick, plain-English answers to the questions patients ask most about Nisoldipine — the kind of thing our pharmacy team would talk through with you at the counter.
What is nisoldipine for?
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How should I take it?
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Can I have grapefruit juice with it?
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What side effects should I expect?
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When should I call my doctor right away?
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Do my other medicines matter?
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Is Nisoldipine available over the counter?
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When was Nisoldipine first available?
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Who makes Nisoldipine?
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Answers drafted from the FDA-approved label with AI and reviewed by our pharmacy team. How we use AI →
More about Nisoldipine on HelloPharmacist
Nisoldipine forms and strengths (how it comes)
Nisoldipine is available in 1 form. Different forms and brands can have different approved uses, doses, schedules, and directions. Follow the instructions for your exact product, and do not switch forms without guidance from your prescriber or pharmacist.
Extended-release tablet
How this form is used
- Sular is indicated for hypertension, alone or with other blood pressure medicines.
- Nisoldipine extended-release tablets are indicated for hypertension, alone or with other blood pressure medicines.
- Sular is taken by mouth once daily on an empty stomach, 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal.
- Sular tablets should be swallowed whole, not bitten, divided or crushed.
- Nisoldipine extended-release tablets are taken by mouth once daily on an empty stomach.
- Nisoldipine extended-release tablets should be swallowed whole, and grapefruit products should be avoided.
Nisoldipine on the U.S. market: products, makers and brands
How Nisoldipine appears in the FDA’s National Drug Code Directory — including its dosage forms, strengths, brand names, manufacturers, and FDA-listed product records. These are directory records, not sales or prescription volume.
3 companies list 8 Nisoldipine product records with the FDA, mostly as extended-release tablet; the earliest marketing or approval year on record is 1995. Brand names on the directory include Sular; the rest are generics.
Also listed with the FDA, not a patient dose form: Powder (2) — bulk drug substance sold to compounders/manufacturers and multi-item kits. These aren’t counted in the dose-form total above.
Share of FDA-listed product records by manufacturer — FDA National Drug Code Directory. Record counts are not sales or prescription volume.
Compare Nisoldipine products
A representative set of FDA-listed product records for Nisoldipine — across manufacturers, strengths, and dosage forms, grouped by form with each product’s manufacturer and how the FDA approved it. The same medicine may be made and packaged by different companies, so a single drug can have many directory entries. (It’s also why a refill can look different — a new shape, color, or box — even though it contains the same medication.)
| Strength | Route | Manufacturer / Labeler | Category ⓘ | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 💊Extended-release tablet | ||||
| 8.5 mg | Oral | Covis Pharma US, Inc | NDA | View NDC → |
| 17 mg | Oral | Covis Pharma US, Inc | NDA | View NDC → |
| 34 mg | Oral | Covis Pharma US, Inc | NDA | View NDC → |
| 8.5 mg | Oral | Heritage Pharmaceuticals Inc. d/b/a Avet Pharmaceuticals Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 17 mg | Oral | Heritage Pharmaceuticals Inc. d/b/a Avet Pharmaceuticals Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 8.5 mg | Oral | Prasco Laboratories | NDA AUTHORIZED GENERIC | View NDC → |
| 17 mg | Oral | Prasco Laboratories | NDA AUTHORIZED GENERIC | View NDC → |
| 34 mg | Oral | Prasco Laboratories | NDA AUTHORIZED GENERIC | View NDC → |
Showing 8 of 8 products — FDA National Drug Code Directory. See every product, package size and price: browse all 8 Nisoldipine NDCs →
Nisoldipine side effects reported to the FDA (FAERS)
After a medicine reaches the market, patients, doctors and drugmakers can send the FDA reports of problems they think may be linked to it. Here’s what’s been reported for Nisoldipine — a signal of what to watch for, not proof the drug caused it.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). These are voluntary reports — they don’t prove the drug caused the effect, and counts reflect how often something was reported, not how often it actually happens. Reports also often name the very problem the medicine is taken for — a common reason to file one is that the drug didn’t help — so for a pain reliever you may see “pain” high on the list; that points to why the report was filed, not to the drug causing the symptom. This counts every report that lists Nisoldipine in any role, so the total runs higher than the FDA’s official dashboard, which counts only cases where the drug is the suspect. For the authoritative figures, see the FDA FAERS Public Dashboard. Always talk to your pharmacist or doctor.
Nisoldipine FDA approval history
How Nisoldipine went from FDA review to the pharmacy shelf — the key milestones in its regulatory journey.
Source: Drugs@FDA.
Nisoldipine recall history
A recall is when a specific batch of a medicine is pulled from the market — usually a manufacturing issue, not a problem with the drug itself. Class I is most serious, Class III least.
The FDA’s enforcement reports list no Nisoldipine recalls since July 2021.
✅No Nisoldipine recalls on record since July 2021Source: FDA enforcement (recall) reports, via openFDA; our copy was last updated Sep 24, 2026.
RxNorm Concept Web — From Ingredient to Every Form and Strength
This page starts with one ingredient concept (IN). The branches below show its dose-form concepts (SCDF), then the available clinical drug and strength concepts (SCD). Combination products remain separate concepts with their own pages.
RxCUI 7435 1 dose form · 8 strengths
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Dose form (SCDF) Extended Release Oral Tablet RxCUI 373094In current FDA listingsClinical drug / strength (SCD) 24 HR nisoldipine 10 MGRxCUI 31198324 HR nisoldipine 17 MGRxCUI 76351924 HR nisoldipine 20 MGRxCUI 31198424 HR nisoldipine 25.5 MGRxCUI 76357424 HR nisoldipine 30 MGRxCUI 31198524 HR nisoldipine 34 MGRxCUI 76358924 HR nisoldipine 40 MGRxCUI 36034424 HR nisoldipine 8.5 MGRxCUI 790489
Look up RxCUI 7435 in the RxCUI Atlas →
RxNorm is the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s normalized drug vocabulary. Its concept hierarchy can include forms that are not currently marketed; the status on each branch compares that concept with current FDA listings. RxCUIs identify vocabulary concepts, not individual packages or manufacturers.
Nisoldipine supply and shortage status
Whether Nisoldipine is in short supply in the U.S. right now, plus any shortage history the FDA has on record. A shortage usually reflects a manufacturing or demand issue — not a safety problem with the drug.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Drug Shortages database.
💵 What Nisoldipine costs pharmacies (NADAC benchmark)
The national average invoice price pharmacies pay for the drug itself, from CMS's NADAC survey (data as of Sep 30, 2026). This is a supply-cost benchmark — not a retail price and not what you'd pay at the counter.
| Form | Strength | Pharmacy acquisition benchmark | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tablet, Film Coated, Extended Release · Oral | 8.5 mg | $3.56 per tablet | NDC details & price history |
| Tablet, Film Coated, Extended Release · Oral | 17 mg | $4.66 per tablet | NDC details & price history |
| Tablet, Film Coated, Extended Release · Oral | 34 mg | $5.24 per tablet | NDC details & price history |
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC), a survey of retail pharmacy invoice prices. Benchmarks shown are the range across package sizes of a representative product for each form and strength — other manufacturers' products may differ.
Nisoldipine brand names
Nisoldipine is sold under one brand name in the FDA directory — Sular. A brand and its generic contain the same active ingredient; the brand name belongs to one company's product.
Who makes Nisoldipine: manufacturers and labelers
3 companies list Nisoldipine products with the FDA. By number of product records, the largest are Covis Pharma US, Inc, Prasco Laboratories, Heritage Pharmaceuticals Inc. d/b/a Avet Pharmaceuticals Inc.. Labelers include manufacturers and repackagers; the product in your bottle depends on which one your pharmacy stocks.
Nisoldipine drug class (RxNorm)
Nisoldipine belongs to the Dihydropyridine Calcium Channel Blocker class.
Classified by RxNorm RxClass — the U.S. National Library of Medicine's standardized drug-classification service (Established Pharmacologic Class from the FDA, the ATC drug family from the WHO, and mechanism of action). Reference only, not medical advice.
Sources for this Nisoldipine page
Core label, product, RxNorm, safety, and utilization data on this page come from the sources identified below. AI-written, editorial, and licensed sections are labeled separately.
How this page is built
HelloPharmacist combines public FDA and NLM records and does not author the underlying clinical facts. The plain-language sections are written with AI from the FDA-approved label text and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Covis Pharma US, Inc is the representative DailyMed label linked for verification and dates. This is general education, not medical advice: always talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own medicines. How we build and review drug pages →