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"   What is it used for?  Angina pectoris Mild to moderate high blood pressure with no known cause (essential hypertension)    How does it work? This medicine contains the active ingredient nisoldipine, which is a type of medicine called a calcium channel blocker. This type of medicine acts on the heart and blood vessels. Nisoldipine works by slowing the movement of calcium through the muscle cells that are found in the walls of blood vessels. It does this by blocking &amp;#039;calcium channels&amp;#039; in these muscle cells. Calcium is needed by muscle cells in order for them to contract, so by depriving them of calcium, nisoldipine causes the muscle cells to relax.  Nisoldipine acts specifically on the muscle cells in the walls of arteries, causing them to relax. This allows the arteries in the body to widen, an effect that has two main uses.  The relaxing and widening of the small arteries in the body decreases the resistance that the heart has to push against in order to pump the blood around the body. This reduces the pressure within the blood vessels. Nisoldipine can therefore be used to treat high blood pressure.  The widening effect on the small arteries and the arteries in the heart also improves the blood and therefore oxygen supply to the heart. This feature means nisoldipine can be used to treat angina. The chest pain of angina is caused by insufficient oxygen supply to the heart. As nisoldipine improves this oxygen supply, and also reduces the effort the heart has to make to pump blood, it is used to prevent angina attacks.    Warning!  This medicine should ideally be taken in the morning, before breakfast, as food can impair its absorption from the gut. The tablets should be swallowed whole, not chewed.  Unless your doctor or pharmacist tells you otherwise, you should avoid drinking grapefruit juice while taking this medicine, as it may affect the level of this medicine in your blood. Dizziness and weariness may occasionally occur during treatment with blood pressure lowering medicines. If you are affected, caution is required when driving or operating machinery.     Use with caution in  Heart failure Low blood pressure (hypotension)    Not to be used in  Children under 12 years of age Failure of the heart to maintain adequate circulation of blood (cardiogenic shock) Angina not well controlled by medical treatment (unstable angina) People who have had a heart attack within the last week Obstruction of blood flow out of the heart, eg due to narrowing of the aorta (aortic stenosis)  Decreased liver function Pregnancy Breastfeeding  This medicine should not be used if you are allergic to one or any of its ingredients. Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have previously experienced such an allergy.   If you feel you have experienced an allergic reaction, stop using this medicine and inform your doctor or pharmacist immediately.   Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Certain medicines should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. However, other medicines may be safely used in pregnancy or breastfeeding providing the benefits to the mother outweigh the risks to the unborn baby. Always inform your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, before using any medicine.  The safety of this medicine in pregnancy has not been established. It should not be used during pregnancy. Seek medical advice from your doctor. This medicine may pass into breast milk. It should not be used by breastfeeding mothers. Seek medical advice from your doctor.     Label warnings  Take this medication half to one hour before food. This medication is to be swallowed whole, not chewed.    Side effects Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.  Leg and ankle swelling (peripheral oedema) Headache Increased blood flow to the skin on the face (facial flushing) Faster than normal heart beat (tachycardia) Awareness of your heart beat (heart palpitations) Dizziness or loss of balance Weakness Chest pain Shortness of breath Disturbances of the gut such as diarrhoea, constipation, nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain Skin reactions such as rash and itch Pins and needles Low blood pressure Increased need to pass urine Pain in the muscles (myalgia) Nervousness Tremor Visual disturbances  The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the drug&amp;#039;s manufacturer.   For more information about any other possible risks associated with this medicine, please read the information provided with the medicine or consult your doctor or pharmacist.   How can this medicine affect other medicines? It is important to tell your doctor or pharmacist what medicines you are already taking, including those bought without a prescription and herbal medicines, before you start treatment with this medicine. Similarly, check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any new medicines while taking this one, to ensure that the combination is safe.  This medicine should not be taken by people taking any of the following medicines:  ketoconazole itraconazole fluconazole rifampicin phenytoin.  If nisoldipine is taken in combination with other medicines that are used to lower blood pressure, for example beta-blockers, alpha-blockers, ACE inhibitors, diuretics, there will be an enhanced blood pressure lowering effect. This may also occur if nisoldipine is taken with medicines that can reduce blood pressure as a side effect, for example antipsychotic medicines. The drop in blood pressure may sometimes cause dizziness or lightheadedness, particularly when moving from a lying or sitting position to sitting or standing. This is more likely when you first start taking this medicine. If affected you should sit or lie down until the symptoms pass. Consult your doctor if dizziness persists, as your medicine doses may need adjusting.    Other medicines containing the same active ingredient There are currently no other medicines available in the UK that contain nisoldipine as the active ingredient. Last updated 21.01.2005 "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/heart-and-blood/a7610/syscor-mr-discontinued-in-the-uk-october-2008/>