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Lercanidipine; Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Interactions

Lercanidipine is an antihypertensive (blood pressure lowering) drug. It belongs to the dihydropyridine class of calcium channel blockers, which work by relaxing and opening the blood vessels allowing the blood to circulate more freely around the body. This lowers the blood pressure and allows the heart to work more efficiently.

Lacidipine is a lipophilic dihydropyridine calcium antagonist with an intrinsically slow onset of activity. Due to its long duration of action, lacidipine does not lead to reflex tachycardia. It displays specificity in the vascular smooth muscle, where it acts as an antihypertensive agent to dilate peripheral arterioles and reduce blood pressure. Compared to other dihydropyridine calcium antagonists, lacidipine exhibits a greater antioxidant activity which may confer potentially beneficial antiatherosclerotic effects. Lacidipine is a highly lipophilic molecule that interacts with the biological membranes. Through radiotracer analysis, it was determined that lacidipine displays a high membrane partition coefficient leading to accumulation of the drug in the membrane and slow rate of membrane washout.

Mechanism of Action of Lercanidipine

By deforming the channel, inhibiting ion-control gating mechanisms, and/or interfering with the release of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum, Lercanidipine inhibits the influx of extracellular calcium across the myocardial and vascular smooth muscle cell membranes The decrease in intracellular calcium inhibits the contractile processes of the myocardial smooth muscle cells, causing dilation of the coronary and systemic arteries, increased oxygen delivery to the myocardial tissue, decreased total peripheral resistance, decreased systemic blood pressure, and decreased afterload.

Indications of Lercanidipine

Contra-Indications of Lercanidipine

The acute syndrome of the heart
Severe narrowing of the aortic heart valve
Severe heart failure
Abnormally low blood pressure
Kidney disease with a reduction in kidney function
Fluid Retention in the Legs, arms or hands
Blood Circulation Failure due to Serious Heart Condition
Chronic idiopathic constipation
Stomach or intestine blockage
Narrowing of the intestines
Decreased motility function of stomach or intestines
Heart attack
Allergies to Calcium Channel Blockers
Calcium Channel Blocking Agents-Dihydropyridines

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Dosage of Lercanidipine

Strengths: 10 mg, 20 mg

Hypertension

10 mg once daily, increased after 2 wk to 20 mg daily if necessary.

Side Effects of Lercanidipine

The most common

a severe headache, rapid heartbeat, stiffness in your neck,
chest pain, fast or slow heart rate;
swelling, rapid weight gain;
Xerostomia (dry mouth)
A headache
Fatigue
Skin reactions
Hypotension
Anxiety
Constipation
Nausea/vomiting
Weight gain/loss
Erectile dysfunction

More common

Abdominal or stomach pain, discomfort, or tenderness
chills or fever
difficulty with moving
a headache, severe and throbbing
joint or back pain
muscle aching or cramping
muscle pains or stiffness
chest pressure or squeezing pain in the chest
discomfort in arms, shoulders, neck or upper back
excessive sweating
feeling of heaviness, pain, warmth and/or swelling in a leg or in the pelvis
sudden tingling or coldness in an arm or leg
sudden slow or difficult speech
sudden drowsiness or need to sleep
fast breathing
sharp pain when taking a deep breath
fast or slow heartbeat
coughing up blood
rust colored urine
decreased amount of urine

Rare

Anxiety
change in vision
chest pain or tightness
confusion
a cough
Agitation
arm, back, or jaw pain
blurred vision
chest pain or discomfort
convulsions
extra heartbeats
fainting
hallucinations
headache
irritability
lightheadedness
mood or mental changes
muscle pain or cramps
muscle spasm or jerking of all extremities
nervousness

Drug Interactions of Lercanidipine

Lercanidipine may interact with following drugs, supplements, & may change the efficacy of drug

alpha blockers (e.g., alfuzosin, doxazosin, tamsulosin)
alpha agonists (e.g., clonidine, methyldopa)
angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs; e.g., candesartan, losartan)
antidiabetes medications (e.g., insulin, metformin, glyburide)
atypical antipsychotics (e.g., clozapine, olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone)
azathioprine
barbiturates (e.g., butalbital, pentobarbital phenobarbital)
beta-adrenergic blockers (e.g., atenolol, propranolol, sotalol)
“azole” antifungals (e.g., itraconazole, ketoconazole, voriconazole)
calcium channel blockers (e.g., amlodipine, diltiazem, nifedipine, verapamil)
canagliflozin
ciprofloxacin
calcium supplements (e.g., calcium carbonate, calcium citrate)
carbamazepine
clopidogrel
cyclosporine
diuretics (water pills; e.g., furosemide, hydrochlorothiazide, triamterene)
duloxetine
“gliptin” diabetes medications (e.g., linagliptin, saxagliptin, sitagliptin)
guanfacine
heparin
levodopa
medications that increase potassium levels (e.g., potassium supplements, spironolactone, amiloride, and salt substitutes containing potassium)
metformin
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs; e.g., ibuprofen, indomethacin, naproxen)
other angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs; e.g., captopril, ramipril)
pentoxifylline
macrolide antibiotics (e.g., clarithromycin, erythromycin)
methylphenidate
monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs; e.g., moclobemide, phenelzine, rasagiline,selegiline, tranylcypromine)
phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (e.g., sildenafil, tadalafil, vardenafil)
pregabalin
sodium phosphates
tizanidine
trimethoprim
valproic acid
warfarin

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Pregnancy Category of Lercanidipine

FDA Pregnancy Category C

Pregnancy

This medication should not be taken by women who are or may become pregnant, as lercanidipine may cause harm to the developing baby if it is taken by the mother during pregnancy. If you become pregnant while taking this medication, contact your doctor immediately.

Lactation

This medication should not be taken by women who are breastfeeding. The safety and effectiveness of using this medication have not been established for children.