Adalat.
 Adalat is used to treat angina due to coronary heart disease. Adalat is also used to treat hypertension. Note that Adalat should not be used for the relief of sudden attacks of angina.
  Adalat contains the active substance nifedipine. This medication belongs to a group of medicines called calcium channel blockers which inhibit the movement of calcium into cells within the heart and vessels, without changing the levels of calcium in the blood. Calcium is an important component for contraction of muscle cells within the body. Adalat acts specifically on cells within blood vessels to stop them from contracting, in order to dilate blood vessels. This lowers the tension in the walls causing a lowering in blood pressure. This is the main mechanism that Adalat treats hypertension.
 In addition, Adalat dilates blood vessels supplying the heart so the heart muscle gets more oxygen. Dilation of all peripheral vessels also reduces the load on the heart to pump against the resistant vessels. (Think of how much harder you would have to pump to water through a tight hose compared to a wider one!) This is how it is thought to relieve angina. Remember that this is a disease caused by insufficient oxygen reaching the heart muscle to meet its demands.
 Adalat comes as pink-grey coloured round tablets that should be swallowed whole with water. They can be taken with or without food. Two doses are currenly available namely Adalat 10 and Adalat 20, containing 10mg and 20 mg of the active component nifedipine, respectively. Your doctor will decide the appropriate dose of Adalat for your condition but the usual dosage is 10-20mg twice daily. These doses should be taken 12 hours apart (that is one dose early in the morning and the next prior to going to bed). If necessary your doctor may increase your dose to 40 mg twice daily. The maximum dose of 80 mg (daily) should not be exceeded. You should always take Adalat as prescribed by your doctor.
 If you are taking other blood pressure lowering medications or if you have liver dysfunction, a lower dose of Adalat may be prescribed. In these cases your response will be closely monitored. You should continue taking Adalat for as long as your doctor recommends. Do not cease Adalat suddenly because you may experience adverse effects. If the medication needs to be ceased your doctor will tell you how to titrate your doses down slowly.