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Pentoxifylline
Pronounced: pen-tox-I-fi-leen
Other Name(s): Trental
Pentoxifylline is a medication that reduces the viscosity or "stickiness" of your blood, allowing it to flow more freely. It helps relieve the painful leg cramps caused by "intermittent claudication," a condition that results when hardening of the arteries reduces the leg muscles' blood supply.
Some doctors also prescribe Pentoxifylline for dementia, strokes, circulatory and nerve problems caused by diabetes, and Raynaud's syndrome (a disorder of the blood vessels in which exposure to cold causes the fingers and toes to turn white). The drug is also used to treat impotence and to increase sperm motility in infertile men.
ADULTS
The usual dosage of Pentoxifylline in controlled-release tablets is one 400-milligram tablet 3 times a day with meals.
While the effect of Pentoxifylline may be seen within 2 to 4 weeks, it is recommended that treatment be continued for at least 8 weeks.
Any stomach or central nervous system (affecting the brain and spinal cord) side effects are related to the dose. If any of these side effects occur, the dosage should be lowered to 400mg twice a day, for a total of 800 milligrams a day. If side effects persist at this lower dosage, your doctor may consider stopping this drug.
CHILDREN
The safety and effectiveness of this drug in children have not been established. |
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