Fenoldopam

Fenoldopam is a prescription medication used for the treatment of severe/malignant hypertension and hypertensive emergencies.

• Fenoldopam is available under the following different brand names: Corlopam

Common side effects of Fenoldopam include:

• lightheadedness,
• headache,
• nausea, and
• flushing (sudden warmth, redness, or tingly feeling)

Serious side effects of Fenoldopam include:

• hives,
• difficulty breathing,
• swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat,
• fast heartbeats,
• lightheadedness,
• vision changes,
• severe headache,
• swelling,
• rapid weight gain,
• shortness of breath,
• pounding in the neck or ears,
• leg cramps,
• constipation,
• irregular heartbeats,
• fluttering in your chest,
• increased thirst or urination,
• numbness or tingling,
• muscle weakness, and
• limp feeling

Rare side effects of Fenoldopam include:

• none

Seek medical care or call 911 at once if you have the following serious side effects:

• Severe headache, confusion, slurred speech, arm or leg weakness, trouble walking, loss of coordination, feeling unsteady, very stiff muscles, high fever, profuse sweating, or tremors;
• Serious eye symptoms such as sudden vision loss, blurred vision, tunnel vision, eye pain or swelling, or seeing halos around lights;
• Serious heart symptoms include fast, irregular, or pounding heartbeats; fluttering in the chest; shortness of breath; sudden dizziness, lightheadedness, or passing out. 

This is not a complete list of side effects and other serious side effects or health problems that may occur because of the use of this drug. Call your doctor for medical advice about serious side effects or adverse reactions. You may report side effects or health problems to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Adult and pediatric dosage

Injectable solution

• 10 mg/mL

Severe/Malignant Hypertension, Hypertensive Emergencies

Adult dosage

• Initiate dosing at 0.01 to 0.3 mcg/kg/min by continuous IV infusion  
• Titrate by 0.05-0.1 mcg/kg/min every 15 mins or longer until target blood pressure is reached; up to 1.6 mcg/kg/min used in clinical trials; may continue maintenance infusion for up to 48 hours

Pediatric dosage

• Initial 0.2 mcg/kg/min continuous IV infusion pump for less than 4 hours  
• Titrate  every 20-30min up to 0.3-0.5 mcg/kg/min; not to exceed 0.8 mcg/kg/min

Dosage Considerations – Should be Given as Follows: 

• See “Dosages”

If your medical doctor is using this medicine to treat your pain, your doctor or pharmacist may already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for them. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with your doctor, health care provider, or pharmacist first.

• Fenoldopam has severe interactions with no other drugs.
• Fenoldopam has serious interactions with the following drugs:
  • amisulpride
  • lofexidine
  • metoclopramide intranasal
  • ozanimod
• Fenoldopam has moderate interactions with at least 14 other drugs.
• Fenoldopam has minor interactions with at least 25 other drugs.

This information does not contain all possible interactions or adverse effects. Visit the RxList Drug Interaction Checker for any drug interactions. Therefore, before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist about all your products. Keep a list of all your medications with you and share this information with your doctor and pharmacist. Check with your healthcare professional or doctor for additional medical advice, or if you have health questions or concerns.

Contraindications

• Hypersensitivity to fenoldopam and sulfite

Effects of drug abuse

• None

Short-Term Effects

• See “What Are Side Effects Associated with Using Fenoldopam?”

Long-Term Effects

• See “What Are Side Effects Associated with Using Fenoldopam?”

Cautions

• Causes dose-related tachycardia, particularly with infusion rates above 0.1 mcg/kg/min
• Monitor potassium levels
• Increased intraocular pressure in patients with glaucoma or intraocular hypertension
• Contains sodium metabisulfite, a sulfite that may cause allergic-type reactions including anaphylactic symptoms in susceptible patients

Pregnancy and Lactation

• There are insufficient data regarding use in pregnancy to evaluate for a drug-associated risk of major birth defects, miscarriage or adverse maternal or fetal outcomes
• Severe hypertension can result in maternal stroke, pulmonary edema, myocardial ischemia or death of the mother or fetus
• Lactation
  • There are no data on the presence of the drug in human milk, its effects on the breastfed child, or milk production; the drug is present in rat milk; when a drug is present in animal milk, the drug will likely be present in human milk
  • Because of the potential for severe adverse reactions in a breastfed infant, advise women not to breastfeed during treatment