Nimodipine belongs to the class of medications called calcium channel blockers. FDA approved this medicine initially in 1998.

It is used to decrease brain damage caused by a subarachnoid hemorrhage (bleeding in the space surrounding the brain that occurs when a weakened blood vessel in the brain bursts). It works by relaxing blood vessels in the brain.

Your physician or other healthcare professionals will give this injection to you. This injection will be given as a slow injection intravenously (into a vein). Your doctor will decide the dose and frequency of the medicine based on your disease condition, body weight, and other factors. Do not self-administer the medicine. 

The common side effects of nimodipine are decreased heart rate, decreased blood pressure, nausea, and headache. Other serious side effects of this medicine are severe allergic reactions, bruising, and bleeding. 

Do not take nimodipine if you are allergic to nimodipine or any of the other ingredients of this medicine. Do not take this medicine if you have or had a heart attack within the last month before starting the treatment. Do not take this injection if you are suffering from angina and notice increased frequency and severity of attacks. Inform your physician if you have had a head injury recently. 

Tell your physician if you have fluid in the brain or severely raised pressure in your skull, have low blood pressure, have liver disease, have kidney problems, are alcoholic, and are on a controlled salt (sodium) diet. Nimodipine is not indicated for children under the age of 18. Inform your physician if you face any allergic reactions such as swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat, difficulty breathing, rash, itching, nausea, or vomiting after receiving this medicine. 

Store below 25°C. Store in the original package to protect from light. keep the injection away from the reach of children and pets. Do not start the treatment with nimodipine within 4 days of drinking grapefruit juice or eating grapefruit. Do not drink grapefruit juice or eat grapefruit while being treated with nimodipine. This medicine can sometimes affect male fertility. Inform your physician if you and your partner are trying to get pregnant during the treatment. Your doctor will tell you how much medicine to use. Do not use more than directed.

1. Bayer, Electronic Medicines Compendium (EMC), [Revised on Jun 2020] [Accessed on 15th June 2023], https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/files/pil.1366.pdf
2. Arbor Pharmaceuticals, US Food, and Drug Administration, [Revised on 18th April 2013] [Accessed on 15th June 2023], https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2013/203340lbl.pdf
3. Bertram G. Katzung, Vasodilators & the Treatment of Angina Pectoris, Lange’s Basic and Clinical Pharmacology, 14th Edition, 2018, 194-211.
4. P. Langhorne, Stroke disease, Davidson’s Principles and Practice of Medicine, 22nd Edition, 2014, 1231-1247.

The drug information on this page is not a substitute for medical advice. It is meant for educational purposes only. For further details, consult your doctor about your medical condition to know if you can receive this treatment.