Prescription medication · PDE3 Inhibitor (Antiplatelet)
cilostazol
Also sold as Pletal. Cilostazol treats intermittent claudication.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 5,992
- FDA reportsLightly reported
- 8
- InteractionsFew interactions
- $0.12
- Generic price (NADAC)
What the data shows
cilostazol (Pletal) is a prescription PDE3 Inhibitor (Antiplatelet), reported less often than most tracked drugs (5,992 FDA reports), with 8 documented drug interactions.
Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.
cilostazol (Pletal) is a prescription PDE3 Inhibitor (Antiplatelet). Cilostazol treats intermittent claudication.
Cilostazol is a medicine that helps improve walking distance in people with leg pain due to poor circulation. It works by helping blood flow more easily through your blood vessels.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Generic Price
$0.12/unit
Generic Available
Yes (5 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Cilostazol treats intermittent claudication.
Common side effects
Headache, Diarrhea, Abnormal stools
Key warnings
You should not take cilostazol if you have heart failure.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from cilostazol's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Cilostazol is a phosphodiesterase III (PDE III) inhibitor. It works by relaxing the muscles in your blood vessels. This helps more blood flow to your legs and feet.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 5,992 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for cilostazol, by number of reports
- Diarrhoea
Diarrhoea
302 reports
- Fall
Fall
231 reports
- Pneumonia
Pneumonia
230 reports
- Death
Death
217 reports
- Dyspnoea
Dyspnoea
209 reports
- Nausea
Nausea
207 reports
- Anaemia
Anaemia
191 reports
- Asthenia
Asthenia
185 reports
- Fatigue
Fatigue
182 reports
- Dizziness
Dizziness
181 reports
What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.
Reports over time
Adverse-event reports filed for cilostazol each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.
Where cilostazol sits
cilostazol has more FDA adverse-event reports than 28% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.
Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is cilostazol; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 5,992 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2004–2025.
Total Reports
5,992
Reports Mentioning Death
956
16.0% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
2,791
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DIARRHOEA | 302 |
| 2 | FALL | 231 |
| 3 | PNEUMONIA | 230 |
| 5 | DEATH | 217 |
| 6 | DYSPNOEA | 209 |
| 7 | NAUSEA | 207 |
| 9 | ANAEMIA | 191 |
| 10 | ASTHENIA | 185 |
| 11 | FATIGUE | 182 |
| 12 | DIZZINESS | 181 |
| 13 | VOMITING | 179 |
| 14 | PAIN IN EXTREMITY | 170 |
| 15 | PAIN | 159 |
| 16 | RENAL FAILURE | 159 |
| 17 | HEADACHE | 152 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
You should not take cilostazol if you have heart failure. This medicine can be harmful if you have heart failure.
Known Drug Interactions
Other Drugs Metabolized by CYP3A: Alfentanil Bromocriptine Cilostazol Methylprednisolone Vinblastine Phenobarbital St. John’s Wort Use With Caution There have been spontaneous or published reports of CYP3A based interactions of clarithromycin with alfentanil, methylprednisolone, cilostazol, bromocriptine, vinblastine, phenobarbital, and St.
Mechanism: Clarithromycin blocks a specific protein in your liver that normally breaks down cilostazol.
Inhibitors of CYP2C19 Coadministration with CYP2C19 inhibitors (e.g., omeprazole) increases systemic exposure of cilostazol active metabolites.
Mechanism: Omeprazole blocks a specific protein in the liver that normally breaks down cilostazol. This causes the active parts of the medicine to build up in your body.
Reduce cilostazol tablets dose ( 2.2 , 7.1 ) 7.1 Inhibitors of CYP3A4 or CYP2C19 Inhibitors of CYP3A4 Coadministration of strong (e.g., ketoconazole) and moderate (e.g., erythromycin, diltiazem and grapefruit juice) CYP3A4 inhibitors can increase exposure to cilostazol.
Mechanism: Diltiazem slows down the liver's ability to process cilostazol, which leads to higher amounts of the drug staying in your bloodstream. This increases the risk of side effects from cilostazol.
Reduce cilostazol tablets dose ( 2.2 , 7.1 ) 7.1 Inhibitors of CYP3A4 or CYP2C19 Inhibitors of CYP3A4 Coadministration of strong (e.g., ketoconazole) and moderate (e.g., erythromycin, diltiazem and grapefruit juice) CYP3A4 inhibitors can increase exposure to cilostazol.
Mechanism: Ketoconazole slows down how fast your body breaks down cilostazol. This causes the amount of cilostazol in your blood to increase.
Reduce cilostazol tablets dose ( 2.2 , 7.1 ) 7.1 Inhibitors of CYP3A4 or CYP2C19 Inhibitors of CYP3A4 Coadministration of strong (e.g., ketoconazole) and moderate (e.g., erythromycin, diltiazem and grapefruit juice) CYP3A4 inhibitors can increase exposure to cilostazol.
Mechanism: Erythromycin interferes with the way your body processes cilostazol. This leads to higher levels of cilostazol in your system.
This is a plain-language summary of FDA-label interaction records and does not provide individual medication-combination directions.
Common Questions
Can I take cilostazol with food?
How long does it take for cilostazol to work?
What should I do if I have side effects?
Can I drink grapefruit juice while taking cilostazol?
What if I am taking other medications?
Can cilostazol cause bleeding problems?
What if I need surgery?
Can I drive or operate machinery while taking cilostazol?
What should I do if my leg pain gets worse?
Is cilostazol a blood thinner?
What are the common side effects of cilostazol?
Does cilostazol interact with other medications?
What drug class is cilostazol?
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for cilostazol?
Related Medications in PDE3 Inhibitor (Antiplatelet)
Other drugs grouped near cilostazol - same-class peers and common alternatives.
apixaban
Eliquis
Apixaban (Eliquis) is a medicine that helps prevent blood clots.
Compare with cilostazol →
aspirin
Bayer, Ecotrin
Aspirin is a common medicine used to relieve minor pain.
Compare with cilostazol →
clopidogrel
Plavix
Clopidogrel is a drug that helps to prevent blood clots.
Compare with cilostazol →
dabigatran
Pradaxa
Dabigatran (Pradaxa) is a drug that helps to prevent blood clots from forming.
Compare with cilostazol →
dalteparin
Fragmin
Dalteparin (Fragmin) is a type of blood thinner medicine.
Compare with cilostazol →
Compare beyond drug class
Nationwide peers by FAERS volume & death-report share
Two PlainMeds-derived comparison paths for cilostazol: nearest FDA FAERS report volume and nearest death-report share among drugs with at least 1,000 logged reports, excluding same-class neighbors listed above. Counts reflect reporting volume, not proven individual harm.
Similar FAERS report volume
Nearest drugs by total FAERS reports. This record: 5,992.
Similar death-report share
Nearest drugs by FAERS death-report share. This record: 15.95%.
- bumetanide Δ 0.02 pts · 25,027 reports · Loop Diuretic 15.98%death share
- donepezil Δ 0.05 pts · 35,138 reports · Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitor 16.00%death share
- prednisolone Δ 0.11 pts · 173,227 reports · Corticosteroid 16.07%death share
- magnesium oxide Δ 0.19 pts · 39,831 reports · Mineral Supplement 15.77%death share
Medication Guides
Understanding Drug Interactions
How CYP450 enzymes, inhibitors, and inducers affect your medications
Generic vs Brand Name Drugs
FDA requirements, cost savings, and when the difference matters
Narrow Therapeutic Index Drugs
FDA bioequivalence and label-record context for narrow therapeutic index medicines
Common Drug Interactions
Dangerous medication combinations and how to protect yourself
Save on cilostazol
Compare prices and find discounts at pharmacies near you. Free coupons can save up to 80% on prescriptions.
Disclosure: This link may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. See our terms.
What the FDA Data Shows for cilostazol
The FDA label for cilostazol (sold under brand names such as Pletal) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the PDE3 Inhibitor (Antiplatelet) class. Cilostazol treats intermittent claudication. Official labeling lists 12 commonly reported side effects, including Headache, Diarrhea, Abnormal stools.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 5,992 voluntary reports. The database also lists 8 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated moderate severity. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $0.12.
Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history, and patent information are separate source-record fields. This page is a public FDA/CMS registry and does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. This registry does not provide medication decisions.
Last updated: April 4, 2024
PlainMeds is rendered directly from FDA openFDA/FAERS extracts, DailyMed labels, and CMS drug-pricing files, no number is typed in by an editor. FAERS counts, recalls, shortages, and price figures on this page are queried live from those federal extracts. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15. Primary sources: openFDA / FAERS, DailyMed and CMS Part B ASP.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled and last refreshed May 2026. See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a correction.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book - approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed - NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) - post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm - standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files - federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database - current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages