Side Effects:

Common Headache, Palpitations, Abnormal stool, Diarrhoea, Dizziness, Chest pain, Loss of appetite, Bleeding, Rash.

Expert advice for Pencil Tablet

Take cilostazol tablet 1-2 hours before or after meals. minutes before breakfast and the evening meal.
Do not drive or use machinery that required you to be alert because you may feel sleepy or dizzy while being treated with cilostazol.
Do not take cilostazol, if you have congestive heart failure. Cilostazol can make this condition worse.
It may take up to 12 weeks of using cilostazol before your symptoms improve. For best results, keep using the medication as directed.
Consult your doctor, if your symptoms do not improve after 4 weeks of treatment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Is Pencil useful for treating systemic sclerosis?
Pencil is used as a maintenance therapy for Raynaud's phenomenon in patients with systemic sclerosis. Raynaud's phenomenon is characterized by spasm of blood vessels of extremities causing pale to blue to red sequence of color changes of fingers mainly after exposure to cold. Pencil is helpful in this condition because of its vasodilating properties.

Q. Is Pencil useful for erectile dysfunction?
Pencil is not used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. It is a vasodilator and inhibits platelet aggregation. It is used to treat peripheral vascular disease.

Q. Can Pencil be given in patients with underlying renal function?
Use of Pencil is contraindicated in patients with severe renal disease because its metabolite levels are increased in these patients and can cause harmful effects. It can be used safely in patients with mild to moderate renal disease.

Q. How is Pencil useful in treating peripheral vascular disease?
Peripheral vascular disease is associated with intermittent claudication which causes pain, cramping, numbness, or weakness in the legs while walking. This occurs due to blockage of arteries and insufficient blood flow to legs. Pencil increases blood flow and reduces the symptoms of intermittent claudication by widening the arteries and keeping the blood thin (does not allow platelets to stick together and form clots).

Q. Is it advisable to take Pencil with clarithromycin?
Clarithromycin can increase the level or effect of Pencil by blocking its breakdown (inhibits metabolism). The dose of Pencil may need to be adjusted if you have to take clarithromycin or other similar antibiotics like erythromycin along with.

Q. Is Pencil useful for percutaneous coronary interventions (coronary stenting)?
Pencil, when used with aspirin and clopidogrel, was found to be superior compared to aspirin and clopidogrel dual combination in preventing coronary artery restenosis or in-stent thrombosis in patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention without increasing the risk of bleeding. However, this is not an approved use and these benefits were seen in some clinical studies.

Q. Is Pencil useful for the prevention of stroke?
Pencil can prevent new episodes of stroke without increasing the risk of bleeding in patients who once had an episode of ischaemic stroke. It is also seen to be effective for primary prevention of stroke in patients with peripheral artery disease. However, these are not approved uses and the benefits were seen in some clinical studies.

Q. What is the effect of Pencil on exercise?
Pencil decreases the muscle pain or cramps that occur during exercise in patients with intermittent claudication. Pencil can improve exercise capacity as judged by changes in maximal walking distance and pain-free walking distance.

Q. What are the contraindications to the use of Pencil?
Pencil is contraindicated in patients with blood, and clotting disorders, heart failure or active pathologic bleeding like bleeding peptic ulcer and intracranial bleeding and known or suspected hypersensitivity to Pencil or any of its components.

Q. When to stop Pencil before surgery or regional anesthesia?
Pencil should be stopped at least five days before surgery if the antiplatelet effect is not needed during the surgery. Due to reversible antiplatelet action and short half-life (11-13 h) of Pencil, the risk of surgical bleeding is less and regional anesthesia can be safely administered if it is stopped at least 72 h prior to surgery. However, Pencil should be stopped only after consulting your doctor and the surgeon.

Q. Can I take Pencil with sildenafil?
Pencil can be taken with sildenafil. There are no reported drug interactions or harmful effects when Pencil is taken along with sildenafil.

Q. Why take Pencil on an empty stomach?
Pencil is to be taken 30 minutes before breakfast or evening meal as food increases the absorption of Pencil causing an increased incidence of side-effects.

Q. Can I take Pencil with warfarin?
Pencil, when taken with warfarin, can increase the risk of bleeding. So they should be used very cautiously and a regular monitoring by your doctor is advisable to decrease the risk of bleeding.

Q. Is Pencil useful for varicose veins?
Pencil is not useful for the management of varicose veins. These are enlarged tortuous veins mainly of the lower limbs. These are treated with compression stockings, sclerotherapy (injecting some substances for closing these veins) or some surgical procedures.

Q. Is it beneficial to take Pencil with aspirin?
Pencil, when taken with aspirin, is seen to improve long-term outcomes in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary angioplasty. However, there can be an increased risk of bleeding as both inhibit platelet aggregation and make blood thin. If you are taking Pencil with aspirin, you should be monitored very closely by your doctor.

Q. What was the role of Pencil in restenosis trial?
Pencil for RESTenosis (CREST) clinical trial aimed to evaluate the efficacy of Pencil in inhibiting restenosis after stent implantation. The results showed a significant reduction in the occurrence of restenosis with the use of Pencil over the standard therapy after coronary stenting.

Q. Can I take Pencil with ticagrelor?
Pencil and ticagrelor, when used together, can increase the effects of each other by inhibiting clotting of blood and increasing the risk of bleeding. Avoid taking them together or you should be monitored very closely by your doctor.

Q. Is Pencil useful for the treatment of neuropathy?
Animal studies demonstrate the beneficial role of Pencil for the treatment of neuropathy. However, human studies do not show any beneficial role of Pencil in treating neuropathy.

Q. Is Pencil safe?
Pencil is safe if used at prescribed doses for the prescribed duration as advised by your doctor. However, there are some very common side effects that you can experience at therapeutic doses which include a headache, abnormal stool, and diarrhea.

Q. Can I take Pencil with clopidogrel?
Pencil, when taken with clopidogrel, is seen to improve long-term outcomes in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary angioplasty. However, there can be an increased risk of bleeding as both inhibit platelet aggregation and make blood thin. If you are taking Pencil with clopidogrel, you should be monitored very closely by your doctor.

Q. How is Pencil useful in arterial hypertension?
Pencil is not useful for arterial hypertension. It is used in the management of intermittent claudication associated with peripheral artery disease.

Q. When should I stop taking Pencil?
Do not stop Pencil unless advised by your doctor. Continue to take Pencil even if you feel better. Stop taking Pencil only if you experience easy bruising, bleeding, fever or a sore throat and immediately inform your doctor.

Q. Can I take Pencil with omeprazole?
Omeprazole can increase the level or effect of Pencil by blocking its breakdown (inhibits metabolism). Avoid using them together. An alternative medicine should be preferred.

Q. Can I use Pencil with atorvastatin?
Pencil can be taken with atorvastatin. No harmful effects or drug interactions have been seen or reported when Pencil is taken along with atorvastatin.

Q. Is Pencil useful for aspirin allergy?
Pencil can be used in place of aspirin in patients who have an allergy to a spirin.

Q. Is it advisable to take Pencil with acenocoumarol?
Pencil, when taken with acenocoumarol, can increase the risk of bleeding. So they should be used very cautiously and a regular monitoring by your doctor is advisable to decrease the risk of bleeding.

Q. Is Pencil useful for the treatment of venous insufficiency?
There is no evidence at present which recommends the use of Pencil in the routine therapy of venous insufficiency.

Q. Is Pencil useful in treating diabetes?
Pencil is not useful in lowering the blood sugar levels in patients with diabetes. However, as seen in some clinical studies, it may help in relieving the symptoms of intermittent claudication (pain, cramping, numbness, or weakness in the legs on walking) seen in some patients with diabetes.

Q. Why is Pencil contraindicated in heart failure?
Pencil can increase the patient's heart rate, affect the heart rhythm and there is clinical evidence that it can increase mortality in patients with heart failure. So, Pencil is contraindicated in these patients.

Q. Is Pencil an anticoagulant?
Pencil is not an anticoagulant. It is a vasodilator with an anti-platelet aggregatory effect. It works by preventing platelets (blood cells) from sticking together and widens the blood vessels of the legs. This increases the blood flow in the peripheries.

Q. Is Pencil a statin?
No, Pencil is not a statin. It is a vasodilator and inhibits platelet aggregation, and is useful in the treatment of peripheral vascular disease.

Q. Is Pencil a blood thinner?
No, Pencil is not a blood thinner. It is a vasodilator and inhibits platelet aggregation, and is useful in the treatment of peripheral vascular disease.

Q. Is Pencil a beta blocker?
No, Pencil is not a beta blocker. It is a vasodilator and inhibits platelet aggregation, and is useful in the treatment of peripheral vascular disease.

Q. Is Pencil a better choice for the treatment of intermittent claudication compared to pentoxifylline?
Pencil is seen to be much better than pentoxifylline for increasing walking distances in patients with intermittent claudication but is associated with increased rates of side effects like a headache, palpitations, and diarrhea.

Q. Is Pencil a controlled substance?
Pencil is not a controlled substance. It's a prescription medicine and is available on providing a valid prescription by a doctor.

Q. Is Pencil a narcotic substance?
No, Pencil is not a narcotic substance. It's a prescription medicine and is available on providing a valid prescription by a doctor.

Q. Is Pencil an anticonception medicine?
No, Pencil is not an anticonception medicine. It is a vasodilator and inhibits platelet aggregation. It is used to treat peripheral vascular disease.

Q. Is Pencil an antibiotic?
No, Pencil is not an antibiotic. It is a vasodilator and inhibits platelet aggregation. It is used to treat peripheral vascular disease.