Hi folks, does the brand of nifedipine matter? I see on some NHS prescribing guidelines that the same brand should be supplied if possible, eg Adapine, corectan, but I'm not sure if that applies to Ryenaud's people.
I have been prescribed nifedipine MR 20 by my consultant for winter. The GP specified the Adapine brand, which wasn't available at my pharmacy, so I got a random generic MR 20 type. Does anyone find it's an issue? thanks in advance!
I don’t take nifedipine now but when I did some years ago the slow release one was key as I recall. It was called Adalat I think as the fast release one made me faint with low BP. I think I’d start by finding out if the alternative brand you’ve been given slow or fast release. If it’s for seasonal use only then you could perhaps just wait until the slow release brand your GP specified becomes available?
Like any drug the active ingredient, in this case Nifedipine, is what matters, the brand name is really irrelevant. Bit like buying paracetamol or ibuprofen. Some brands may have differing ingredients that may affect tolerances or actions though. For Raynauds slow release formula’s are required so it has a sustained slow action that lasts for hours. I initially was on Adalat retard but that formula was withdrawn so I was put on slow release Coracten and there was no difference in how it worked for me.
thanks for your reply. Yes this time I have slow realease, a couple of years ago my GP gave me the standard "instant" which led to a lot of see-sawing flush and freeze which was horrible. i didnt take it for long.
I had 5mg 3 simes a day immediate release adalat from feb 2016
aug 2019 Coracten Slow release 10mg once per day (Bayer stopped making Adalat imediate release)
Feb 2024 a generice Nifedipine 5MG immediate release available now so went back to 3 X 5g.
I feel the 3 X 5mg IR worked better that the Coracten SR.
With both 5mg X3 IR and Coracten 10MG X1 SR My fingers would be cold but not white.
Nifedipine is a drug (one of a very few) where the brand matters, every formulation has a different bioavailability and so different effects / side effects.
It is one of a handful of drugs that the NHS recognises must be dispensed as prescribed, which shows importance as NHS only cares about cost not patient care
When I was on it I tolerated adalat LA very well but due to a supply issue was given coracten XL instead - Both same dose, both long acting.
With coracten I was so ill I couldn't go to work for several days so stopped taking it as Raynaud's pain was better than how coracten made me feel.
As the issue persisted for long time I stopped nifedipine and switched to a combo of amlodipine and losartan K which gives me "good enough" control of both rays and BP with minimal ankle swelling and brown staining unlike nifedipine in which both swelling and staining were bad
hat do you mean staining? Also I have a problem with left ankle and foot swelling - only lesft. Was foot swelling your problem
hi there amd21. Thanks, and Sorry for the late reply, somehow I missed your post. How horrible to have such a bad reaction to the coracten, it sounds awful. What you say is very interesting, as my regular chemist would only dispense adalat, as per the prescription - but they couldn't supply it. Another chemist in town had no worries about giving me a different brand, so I was confused. I've yet to take the nifedipine - thankfully the cold weather is not with us yet! best wishes.
. Slow release is better it seems, so I am hoping for winter without constant blistering chilblains. Good luck to you post-op, I hope you make a good recovery. 
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