felodipine vs isradipine
Side-by-side comparison of felodipine and isradipine Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
Plendil
DynaCirc
Felodipine is a drug that lowers your blood pressure. Lowering blood pressure reduces the risk of strokes and heart attacks.
Isradipine is a drug that helps lower high blood pressure. It belongs to a class of drugs called calcium channel blockers.
Felodipine treats high blood pressure (hypertension). Lowering your blood pressure helps prevent strokes and heart attacks. It's important to also manage other risk factors like cholesterol, diabetes, and smoking. You may need more than one medicine to control your blood pressure.
Isradipine capsules are used to treat high blood pressure. You can take it alone or with a thiazide diuretic (water pill). It may take 2 to 4 weeks to see the full effect.
Felodipine is a calcium channel blocker. It works by relaxing and widening your blood vessels. This makes it easier for blood to flow, which lowers blood pressure.
Isradipine blocks calcium from entering certain cells. This action relaxes blood vessels, which lowers blood pressure. Lowering blood pressure helps prevent strokes, heart attacks, and kidney problems.
- • Swelling in your ankles or feet
- • Headache
- • Flushing (redness of face)
- • Feeling tired
- • Headache
- • Dizziness
- • Swelling in ankles or feet
- • Feeling your heart beat rapidly or irregularly
- • Fatigue
- Feeling tired 1,050
- Difficulty breathing 953
- Feeling lightheaded 946
- Loose stools 846
- Feeling sick to your stomach 846
- The medicine is not working 35
- The medicine is interacting with another medicine 31
- Difficulty breathing 31
- High blood pressure 29
- Using the medicine for something it is not approved for 28
If you take certain medicines like ketoconazole, itraconazole, or erythromycin, talk to your doctor. These drugs can greatly increase the amount of felodipine in your blood, leading to unwanted effects. Also, if you take anticonvulsants like phenytoin, carbamazepine, or phenobarbital, felodipine may not work as well.
If you are taking cimetidine, your doctor should watch you closely for side effects when you start isradipine. If you are taking rifampicin, isradipine may not work as well.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if felodipine will harm your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor about breastfeeding while taking felodipine.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if isradipine will harm your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking isradipine while breastfeeding.
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How to Read This felodipine vs isradipine Comparison
felodipine is classified in the Calcium Channel Blocker drug class, while isradipine sits within the Calcium Channel Blocker class. Because both drugs share the same classification, they are often considered interchangeable in theory — but clinical outcomes rarely track that cleanly. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.
Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, felodipine has 4,641 submissions while isradipine has 154. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume — not per-patient risk — so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. No direct interaction between these two drugs is listed in our FDA-derived dataset, though co-prescription still warrants pharmacist review. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between felodipine and isradipine — always consult your physician or pharmacist first.
Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.