Procardia XL and Weight Gain

Weight gain is a rare side effect that is documented in less than 1 percent of people taking Procardia XL. Therefore, if you are taking Procardia XL and weight gain becomes a problem, talk to your healthcare provider. He or she may recommend eating heart-healthy foods, exercising more, and limiting your intake of alcohol. If these suggestions don't work, your doctor may recommend a medication other than Procardia XL.

 

Procardia XL and Weight Gain: An Overview

There are a number of possible side effects with Procardia XL® (nifedipine). Weight gain does appear to be one of them. This data comes from clinical trials in which the side effects of Procardia XL were extensively studied and documented.
 

Side Effects and Clinical Trials

Before medicines are approved, they must go through several clinical studies where thousands of people are given a particular medicine and are then compared to a group of people not given the medicine. In these studies, the side effects are always carefully documented. As a result, it is possible to see what side effects occur, how often they appear, and how they compare to the group not taking the medicine. Side effects are then usually separated into those that occur in more than 1 percent of people (frequent side effects) and those that occur in less than 1 percent of people (rare side effects).
 
In these studies, weight gain was reported as a rare side effect of Procardia XL, occurring in less than 1 percent of people.
 

Procardia XL and Weight Gain: Suggestions

If you are noticing weight gain while taking Procardia XL, talk to your healthcare provider.
 He or she will do a physical exam to look for other causes of weight gain, such as certain types of medical conditions. If the weight gain remains unexplained, your healthcare provider may give you some suggestions, such as eating heart-healthy foods, exercising more, and limiting your intake of alcohol. If the weight gain continues, he or she may recommend other lifestyle changes or suggest switching to another angina or blood pressure medication.
 
(Click BMI Calculator to see if your weight is within a healthy range.)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;