Pentoxifylline, Oral

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KEY POINTS

• This medicine is taken by mouth to help your blood flow more easily. Take it exactly as directed.
• This medicine may cause unwanted side effects. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that are serious, continue, or get worse.
• Tell all healthcare providers who treat you about all the prescription medicines, nonprescription medicines, supplements, natural remedies, and vitamins that you take.

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What are other names for this medicine?

Type of medicine: blood flow enhancer

Generic and brand names: pentoxifylline, oral

What is this medicine used for?

This medicine is taken by mouth to improve your circulation by making your blood less thick. This helps the blood to flow more easily.

This medicine may be used to treat other conditions as determined by your healthcare provider.

What should my healthcare provider know before I take this medicine?

Before taking this medicine, tell your healthcare provider if you have ever had:

• An allergic reaction to any medicine or to caffeine
• An ulcer
• A bleeding disorder, or bleeding problems in the brain or eye
• High blood pressure
• Kidney or liver disease

Also, tell your healthcare provider if you have recently had any type of surgery.

Females of childbearing age: Tell your healthcare provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Do not breast-feed while taking this medicine without your healthcare provider's approval.

How do I take it?

Check the label on the medicine for directions about your specific dose. Do not stop taking the medicine suddenly. Talk with your healthcare provider first.

Check with your healthcare provider before using this medicine in children under age 18.

Take this medicine with food. Do not break, crush, or chew tablets. Swallow them whole.

What if I miss a dose?

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember unless it is almost time for the next scheduled dose. In that case, skip the missed dose and take the next one as directed. Do not take double doses. If you are not sure of what to do if you miss a dose, or if you miss more than one dose, contact your healthcare provider.

What if I overdose?

If you or anyone else has intentionally taken too much of this medicine, call 911 or go to the emergency room right away. If you pass out, have seizures, weakness or confusion, or have trouble breathing, call 911. If you think that you or anyone else may have taken too much of this medicine, call the poison control center. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. The poison control center number is 800-222-1222.

Symptoms of an acute overdose may include: nausea, vomiting, fever, seizures, restlessness, lightheadedness, fainting, flushing, fast or irregular heartbeat, extreme drowsiness, coma.

What should I watch out for?

You may feel dizzy or faint when you get up quickly after sitting or lying down. Getting up slowly may help. Also, drinking alcohol may make it worse. Do not drink alcohol unless your healthcare provider approves. If you feel dizzy or faint while you are standing, lie down for a while and then get up slowly. Do not drive or operate machinery unless you are fully alert.

If you need emergency care, surgery, lab tests, or dental work, tell the healthcare provider or dentist you are taking this medicine.

What are the possible side effects?

Along with its needed effects, your medicine may cause some unwanted side effects. Some side effects may be very serious. Some side effects may go away as your body adjusts to the medicine. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that continue or get worse.

Life-threatening (Report these to your healthcare provider right away. If you cannot reach your healthcare provider right away, get emergency medical care or call 911 for help.): Allergic reaction (hives; itching; rash; trouble breathing; tightness in your chest; swelling of your lips, tongue, and throat).

Serious (Report these to your healthcare provider right away.): Chest pain, seizures, unusual tiredness or weakness, blurred vision, fast or irregular heartbeat, severe dizziness or fainting, unusual bruising or bleeding, swollen feet or ankles.

Other: Flushing, nausea, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, loss of appetite, stomach pain, gas, bloating, mild dizziness, drowsiness, dry mouth, change in sense of taste.

What products might interact with this medicine?

When you take this medicine with other medicines, it can change the way this or any of the other medicines work. Nonprescription medicines, vitamins, natural remedies, and certain foods may also interact. Using these products together might cause harmful side effects. Talk to your healthcare provider if you are taking:

• Alpha blockers such as alfuzosin (Uroxatral), doxazosin (Cardura), prazosin (Minipress), silodosin (Rapaflo), and terazosin
• Anagrelide (Agrylin)
• Antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin (Cipro) and ofloxacin
• Antidepressants such as duloxetine (Cymbalta), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), nefazodone, sertraline (Zoloft), and venlafaxine (Effexor)
• Aspirin and medicines that contain aspirin
• Beta blockers such as acebutolol (Sectral), atenolol (Tenormin), bisoprolol (Zebeta), carvedilol (Coreg), labetalol (Trandate), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol), nadolol (Corgard), nebivolol (Bystolic), pindolol, and sotalol (Betapace, Sorine)
• Blood pressure medicines such as hydralazine, methyldopa, minoxidil, and reserpine
• Calcium channel blockers such as amlodipine (Norvasc), amlodipine/atorvastatin (Caduet), diltiazem (Cardizem, Cartia, Tiazac), felodipine, isradipine (DynaCirc), nicardipine (Cardene), nifedipine (Adalat CC, Procardia), nisoldipine (Sular), and verapamil (Calan, Covera, Verelan)
• Cimetidine (Tagamet)
• Medicines to treat or prevent blood clots such as apixaban (Eliquis), cilostazol (Pletal), clopidogrel (Plavix), dabigatran (Pradaxa), dalteparin (Fragmin), dipyridamole (Persantine), dipyridamole/aspirin (Aggrenox), enoxaparin (Lovenox), fondaparinux (Arixtra), heparin, lepirudin (Refludan), prasugrel (Effient), rivaroxaban (Xarelto), vorapaxar (Zontivity), and warfarin (Coumadin)
• Methoxsalen (8-MOP, Oxsoralen Ultra, Uvadex)
• Natural remedies such as garlic, ginger, ginkgo, and horse chestnut
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs) such as celecoxib (Celebrex), diclofenac (Cambia, Voltaren, Zipsor), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), indomethacin (Indocin), ketoprofen, ketorolac, nabumetone (Relafen), naproxen (Aleve, Anaprox, Naprelan), oxaprozin (Daypro), piroxicam (Feldene), and sulindac (Clinoril)
• Primaquine
• Theophylline
• Tizanidine (Zanaflex)

If you are not sure if your medicines might interact, ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider. Keep a list of all your medicines with you. List all the prescription medicines, nonprescription medicines, supplements, natural remedies, and vitamins that you take. Be sure that you tell all healthcare providers who treat you about all the products you are taking.

How should I store this medicine?

Store this medicine at room temperature. Keep the container tightly closed. Protect it from heat, high humidity, and bright light.

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This advisory includes selected information only and may not include all side effects of this medicine or interactions with other medicines. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for more information or if you have any questions.

Ask your pharmacist for the best way to dispose of outdated medicine or medicine you have not used. Do not throw medicine in the trash.

Keep all medicines out of the reach of children.

Do not share medicines with other people.