A circulation medicine for peripheral arterial disease
Pentoxifylline
A medicine that aims to improve blood flow in peripheral arterial disease, taken with food and used cautiously where there is bleeding risk.
What is Pentoxifylline?
Pentoxifylline is used to improve blood flow in peripheral arterial disease, where narrowed arteries reduce the circulation to the legs and cause cramping pain on walking. It works partly by making red blood cells more flexible and the blood less sticky so it flows more easily through narrowed vessels. It is taken with food to reduce stomach upset, and is used with caution in people who have a higher risk of bleeding. In the UK it is known by the brand Trental.
Education and reference only. This is a plain-language guide to Pentoxifylline — it deliberately contains no doses. Doses depend on the person, the brand and the reason for treatment, and belong with your prescriber. Always check the BNF, the product labelling (SmPC) and follow medical advice.
What it is
Pentoxifylline is a medicine used to help blood flow in peripheral arterial disease, a condition where furring and narrowing of the arteries reduces the circulation to the legs. This can cause the cramping leg pain on walking known as intermittent claudication. It is taken as a tablet, usually one that releases slowly through the day, and is used alongside lifestyle measures such as a walking programme and stopping smoking.
How it works
Pentoxifylline is thought to improve the flow of blood through narrowed vessels mainly by making red blood cells more flexible so they pass more easily through small vessels, and by making the blood a little less sticky. The aim is to get more oxygen-rich blood to the leg muscles during walking, which may ease the cramping pain. It does not widen the arteries in a major way or reverse the underlying disease, so it is used alongside lifestyle measures.
Company & origin
Originated / developed by: Sanofi.
A medicine used to improve blood flow in peripheral arterial disease, which causes leg pain on walking from poor circulation.
Practical use
How to take Pentoxifylline
General, dose-free guidance — always follow your prescriber's and the leaflet's specific instructions.
- Take the tablets with or just after food to reduce stomach upset.
- Swallow slow-release tablets whole, without crushing or chewing them.
- Tell your prescriber if you have a higher risk of bleeding or take blood-thinning medicines.
- Get up slowly if you feel dizzy, as it can lower blood pressure in some people.
- Keep up a regular walking programme and stop smoking, as these are central to treatment.
Weighing it up
Advantages & disadvantages of Pentoxifylline
Advantages
- Aims to improve blood flow through narrowed vessels in peripheral arterial disease.
- Taken as a tablet alongside lifestyle measures.
- May help ease the cramping leg pain that comes on with walking.
Disadvantages
- Used with caution in people who have a higher risk of bleeding.
- Can cause tummy upset, dizziness or a drop in blood pressure.
- Does not reverse the underlying narrowing of the arteries.
Practical use
Good to know
Pentoxifylline is usually taken with food, which helps reduce the tummy upset that can occur, and slow-release tablets should be swallowed whole rather than crushed. Because it can make the blood a little less sticky, it is used with caution in people who have a higher risk of bleeding, who have had a recent bleed, or who take blood-thinning medicines, so tell your prescriber about these. It can also lower blood pressure and cause dizziness in some people. As with other circulation treatments, it works alongside a regular walking programme and stopping smoking, and the benefit is usually reviewed after a trial period.
Who should not take it / use with caution
- It is avoided in people with recent bleeding, such as a bleed in the brain or the eye.
- It is used with caution in those at higher risk of bleeding or with very low blood pressure.
- Anyone who has had an allergic reaction to it or related medicines should not take it.
Monitoring
- Reviewing after a trial period whether it is helping your walking distance.
- Watching for any signs of bleeding and for dizziness or low blood pressure.
- Reviewing overall circulation and heart-risk care.
Side effects
- Tummy upset, nausea, indigestion or diarrhoea, often eased by taking it with food.
- Dizziness, flushing, headache or a drop in blood pressure.
- Increased risk of bruising or bleeding, and rarely more serious bleeding.
Key interactions
- Care is needed with blood-thinning or antiplatelet medicines because of the added bleeding risk.
- It can add to the blood-pressure-lowering effect of other medicines, increasing dizziness.
- Some medicines that affect the liver can change its levels, so tell your prescriber what you take.
Available as: Tablets, usually slow-release, taken by mouth.
Answers
Pentoxifylline: frequently asked questions
What is pentoxifylline used for?
It is used to improve blood flow in peripheral arterial disease, where narrowed leg arteries reduce circulation and cause cramping leg pain on walking.
Should I take it with food?
Yes, it is usually taken with or just after food, which helps reduce the tummy upset it can cause.
Can I take it if I am on blood thinners?
It is used with caution in people who take blood-thinning medicines or who have a higher risk of bleeding, so tell your prescriber before starting.
Can I crush the tablets?
No. Slow-release tablets should be swallowed whole, without crushing or chewing, so they release steadily through the day.
Does it cure the artery narrowing?
No. It aims to improve blood flow and ease symptoms, but it does not reverse the underlying narrowing, so it is used alongside walking exercise and stopping smoking.
Authoritative sources
- BNF
- NICE CKS
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