Cilostazol treats the symptoms of intermittent claudication like leg pain when walking. Intermittent claudication causes muscle pain when you’re active but the pain stops when you’re at rest. This medication works by improving your blood flow, which can help you walk longer distances without pain. The brand name of this medication is Pletal®.
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CILOSTAZOL (sil OH sta zol) is used to treat the symptoms of intermittent claudication. This condition causes pain in the legs during walking, and goes away with rest. By improving blood flow, this medicine helps people with this condition walk longer distances without pain.
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This medicine may be used for other purposes; ask your health care provider or pharmacist if you have questions.
COMMON BRAND NAME(S): Pletal
They need to know if you have any of the following conditions:
Take this medication by mouth with a full glass of water. Take it as directed on the prescription label at the same time every day.
Take it on an empty stomach, at least 30 minutes before or 2 hours after food.
Talk to your care team about the use of this medication in children. Special care may be needed.
Overdosage: If you think you have taken too much of this medicine contact a poison control center or emergency room at once.
NOTE: This medicine is only for you. Do not share this medicine with others.
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you can. If it is almost time for your next dose, take only that dose. Do not take double or extra doses.
Do not take this medication with any of the following:
This medication may also interact with the following:
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This list may not describe all possible interactions. Give your health care provider a list of all the medicines, herbs, non-prescription drugs, or dietary supplements you use. Also tell them if you smoke, drink alcohol, or use illegal drugs. Some items may interact with your medicine.
Visit your care team for regular checks on your progress. It may take 2 to 4 weeks for your condition to start to get better once you begin taking this medication. In some people, it can take as long as 3 months for the condition to get better.
This medication may affect your coordination, reaction time, or judgment. Do not drive or operate machinery until you know how this medication affects you. Sit up or stand slowly to reduce the risk of dizzy or fainting spells. Drinking alcohol with this medication can increase the risk of these side effects.
If you smoke, tell your care team if you notice this medication is not working well for you. Talk to your care team if you decide to stop smoking.
If you are going to need surgery, an MRI, CT, or other procedure, tell your care team that you are using this medication. You may need to stop taking this medication before the procedure.
Side effects that you should report to your doctor or health care professional as soon as possible:
Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report to your doctor or health care professional if they continue or are bothersome):
This list may not describe all possible side effects. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Keep out of the reach of children and pets.
Store at room temperature between 15 and 30 degrees C (59 and 86 degrees F).
Get rid of any unused medication after the expiration date.
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To get rid of medications that are no longer needed or have expired:
NOTE: This sheet is a summary. It may not cover all possible information. If you have questions about this medicine, talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or health care provider.
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Note: Introduction and Additional Common Questions written and medically approved by Cleveland Clinic professionals.