Prescription medication · Late Sodium Current Inhibitor (Antianginal)
ranolazine
Also sold as Ranexa. Ranolazine is used to treat chronic angina, which is chest pain that keeps coming back.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 10,014
- FDA reportsLightly reported
- 31
- InteractionsSeveral interactions
- 1
- Recall record
What the data shows
ranolazine (Ranexa) is a prescription Late Sodium Current Inhibitor (Antianginal), reported less often than most tracked drugs (10,014 FDA reports), with 31 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.
ranolazine (Ranexa) is a prescription Late Sodium Current Inhibitor (Antianginal). Ranolazine is used to treat chronic angina, which is chest pain that keeps coming back.
Ranolazine extended-release tablets help treat chronic angina (chest pain). It can be used with other heart medicines.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Generic Price
$0.30/unit
Generic Available
Yes (15 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Ranolazine is used to treat chronic angina, which is chest pain that keeps coming back.
Common side effects
Dizziness, Headache, Constipation
Key warnings
Ranolazine can cause changes in your heart's electrical activity (QT prolongation).
The sections below are summarized in plain English from ranolazine's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Ranolazine works by affecting the sodium channels in your heart cells. This helps to improve blood flow to your heart. It reduces the amount of calcium in your heart, which can help prevent angina.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 10,014 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for ranolazine, by number of reports
- Death
Death
816 reports
- Myocardial Infarction
Myocardial Infarction
640 reports
- Chest Pain
Chest Pain
605 reports
- Angina Pectoris
Angina Pectoris
594 reports
- Stent Placement
Stent Placement
582 reports
- Dyspnoea
Dyspnoea
419 reports
- Dizziness
Dizziness
409 reports
- Fall
Fall
368 reports
- Cerebrovascular Accident
Cerebrovascular Accident
355 reports
- Cardiac Disorder 298
Cardiac Disorder
298 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 ranolazine 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 ranolazine sits
ranolazine has more FDA adverse-event reports than 39% 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 ranolazine; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 10,014 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2005–2025.
Total Reports
10,014
Reports Mentioning Death
1,295
12.9% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
4,313
Top Indication
Angina Pectoris
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DEATH | 816 |
| 2 | MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION | 640 |
| 3 | CHEST PAIN | 605 |
| 4 | ANGINA PECTORIS | 594 |
| 5 | STENT PLACEMENT | 582 |
| 6 | DYSPNOEA | 419 |
| 7 | DIZZINESS | 409 |
| 8 | FALL | 368 |
| 9 | CEREBROVASCULAR ACCIDENT | 355 |
| 10 | CARDIAC DISORDER | 298 |
| 11 | MALAISE | 278 |
| 13 | DIABETES MELLITUS | 259 |
| 14 | NAUSEA | 253 |
| 15 | DRUG INTERACTION | 248 |
| 16 | FATIGUE | 246 |
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
Ranolazine can cause changes in your heart's electrical activity (QT prolongation). If you have kidney problems, your doctor should check your kidney function. If you develop kidney failure, stop taking ranolazine.
Known Drug Interactions
( 7.2 ) 7.1 Effects of Other Drugs on Ranolazine Strong CYP3A Inhibitors Do not use ranolazine with strong CYP3A inhibitors, including ketoconazole, itraconazole, clarithromycin, nefazodone, nelfinavir, ritonavir, indinavir, and saquinavir [see Contraindications (4) , Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ].
Mechanism: Ketoconazole stops the body from breaking down ranolazine, which can cause the drug to build up to unsafe levels in your blood.
CYP3A Inducers Do not use ranolazine with CYP3A inducers such as rifampin, rifabutin, rifapentine, phenobarbital, phenytoin, carbamazepine, and St.
Mechanism: Carbamazepine makes your body get rid of ranolazine too quickly, which prevents the medicine from working as it should.
( 7.2 ) 7.1 Effects of Other Drugs on Ranolazine Strong CYP3A Inhibitors Do not use ranolazine with strong CYP3A inhibitors, including ketoconazole, itraconazole, clarithromycin, nefazodone, nelfinavir, ritonavir, indinavir, and saquinavir [see Contraindications (4) , Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ].
Mechanism: Clarithromycin blocks the enzyme that normally clears ranolazine from your system, leading to a dangerous buildup of the medication.
CYP3A Inducers Do not use ranolazine with CYP3A inducers such as rifampin, rifabutin, rifapentine, phenobarbital, phenytoin, carbamazepine, and St.
Mechanism: Rifampin speeds up the liver enzymes that break down ranolazine, which can make the ranolazine stop working.
CYP3A Inducers Do not use ranolazine with CYP3A inducers such as rifampin, rifabutin, rifapentine, phenobarbital, phenytoin, carbamazepine, and St.
Mechanism: Phenytoin makes your body clear ranolazine much faster than it should, which lowers the drug's effectiveness.
This is a plain-language summary of FDA-label interaction records and does not provide individual medication-combination directions.
Common Questions
Can I crush the tablet?
What should I do if I feel dizzy?
Can I drink grapefruit juice while taking this medicine?
What if I have kidney problems?
Can I take this with my other heart medications?
What if I forget to take my medicine?
Are there any foods I should avoid?
How long will I need to take this medication?
Can this medication cure my angina?
What if I experience chest pain while taking this medication?
What are the common side effects of ranolazine?
Does ranolazine interact with other medications?
What drug class is ranolazine?
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for ranolazine?
Has ranolazine been recalled?
Active Recalls
CGMP Deviations
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA
Related Medications in Late Sodium Current Inhibitor (Antianginal)
Other drugs grouped near ranolazine - same-class peers and common alternatives.
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amiodarone
Cordarone, Pacerone
Amiodarone (Pacerone) is a medicine used to treat life-threatening, irregular heartbeats.
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atropine
AtroPen
Atropine is a medicine that can temporarily block severe effects on your body.
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bumetanide
Bumex
Bumetanide is a water pill (diuretic).
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carvedilol
Coreg
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Compare beyond drug class
Nationwide peers by FAERS volume & death-report share
Two PlainMeds-derived comparison paths for ranolazine: 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: 10,014.
Similar death-report share
Nearest drugs by FAERS death-report share. This record: 12.93%.
- trimethoprim Δ 0.00 pts · 11,380 reports · Dihydrofolate Reductase Inhibitor 12.93%death share
- ondansetron Δ 0.06 pts · 103,354 reports · 5-HT3 Receptor Antagonist (Antiemetic) 12.99%death share
- candesartan Δ 0.06 pts · 33,477 reports · Angiotensin II Receptor Blocker (ARB) 12.87%death share
- hydrocortisone Δ 0.10 pts · 84,725 reports · Corticosteroid 12.83%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
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What the FDA Data Shows for ranolazine
The FDA label for ranolazine (sold under brand names such as Ranexa) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Late Sodium Current Inhibitor (Antianginal) class. Ranolazine is used to treat chronic angina, which is chest pain that keeps coming back. Official labeling lists 4 commonly reported side effects, including Dizziness, Headache, Constipation.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 10,014 voluntary reports. The database also lists 31 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated major severity. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $0.30.
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 (currently 1 recall record on file), 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: January 29, 2026
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 from the source snapshot dated . See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a data issue.
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