Peripheral artery-based disorder or disease (in short, PAD) shows up when your blood vessels shrink. However, this condition does not involve constriction of arteries that supply blood to your cerebral system or cardiac system. This disease may instead occur in any other blood vessels; often, these may show up in your limbs – especially, legs. You need to know that this is different from peripheral veinous disorder; here, veins carrying blood back to heart are blocked. Pentoxifylline is a widely used medication for treating PAD. But what are pentoxifylline side effects? It is worth your time to know more.
Periphery arterial disease (PAD) is essentially a vascular condition. It mostly occurs in your legs than hands. Hence, a commonly observed sign is painful legs syndrome while you are walking. You may need to rest for a while. You are also likely to experience a few other discomforts such as blue tint on skin, ulceration of skin, abnormal growth of hair on the affected limb. A few people may also witness death of tissues; these complications can lead to amputations or incidence of stroke. In this light, it is essential to know that more than 50% of patients living with PAD may have it without any signs.
Smoking of tobacco products remains as one of the biggest risk factors for PAD. Others in the list are hypertension, onset of diabetes, high level of cholesterol in bloodstream, renal dysfunction, etc. People aged above 40 years are at added risk. Also, if you have experienced prior spells of angina or pain in chest region, you need to consult with your doctor without much delay.
In this milieu, what is pentoxifylline?
This medication is a derivative of xanthine. It is commonly administered for the treatment of muscular pains among individuals living with peripheral arterial diseases. You have some glad news here: this med is available as a generic offering in several parts of the world. This med is mainly taken to manage cramping of muscles, pains, weakness of limbs i.e., hands and legs – these are the typical signs of PAD.
Key ingredients of pentoxifylline helps improve flow of blood. It further enables better supply of oxygen to organs as well as tissues. However, pentoxifylline does not offer a complete cure to conditions like PAD; instead, it helps in the case management of such blood flow-related conditions.
Pentoxifylline
Pentoxifylline long term side effects
This derivative of xanthine may lead to a few side effects. Most commonly encountered adverse effects include discharge of lose stool, flatulence, abdominal discomforts like nausea along with vomiting, feeling dizzy, drowsiness, migraines, etc.
Ensure to stay away from this drug if you have a recent bleed in your cerebral system. Moreover, those who have an internal bleeding in their retina must refrain from taking this drug. Owing to these risks, you need to inform the treating physician of all your ailments.
In some cases, use of pentoxifylline can cause very adverse side effects. If you notice formation of hives, inflammation of facial organs, breathing difficulties, etc. talk to your doctor immediately. On a related note, if you have prior allergies or hypersensitivity to derivatives of xanthine, your caregiving team must be made aware of it.
Upon sensing severe spells of panting, you are advised to call 911 as quickly as possible. Users of pentoxifylline in US can also seek help from the helpdesk of the food and drug administration (FDA). It is a useful thing to know that the FDA has its own helplines to support users of drugs the agency clears.
Users of pentoxifylline in Canada must reach out to Health Canada or visit a poison management center operating closer to where you live. Above all, in order to have a better idea about pentoxifylline side effects, it is a good practice to talk to your caregiver before using this xanthine derivative.
Disclaimer
Information provided here are only of supplementary nature. Information shared here does not substitute a qualified doctor’s advice. This website is not suggesting intake of this drug as safe or appropriate. Hence it is advised to talk to your doctor before consuming this med or any other drug.
Education: Master’s in Nursing (MSN) from Johns Hopkins University. Experience: 7 years writing for online health portals and nursing journals, specializing in patient education and chronic illness management.
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