Side Effects:

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

Expert advice for Stozic 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 Stozic useful for treating systemic sclerosis?
Stozic 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. Stozic is helpful in this condition because of its vasodilating properties.

Q. Is Stozic useful for erectile dysfunction?
Stozic 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 Stozic be given in patients with underlying renal function?
Use of Stozic 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 Stozic 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. Stozic 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 Stozic with clarithromycin?
Clarithromycin can increase the level or effect of Stozic by blocking its breakdown (inhibits metabolism). The dose of Stozic may need to be adjusted if you have to take clarithromycin or other similar antibiotics like erythromycin along with.

Q. Is Stozic useful for percutaneous coronary interventions (coronary stenting)?
Stozic, 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 Stozic useful for the prevention of stroke?
Stozic 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 Stozic on exercise?
Stozic decreases the muscle pain or cramps that occur during exercise in patients with intermittent claudication. Stozic 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 Stozic?
Stozic 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 Stozic or any of its components.

Q. When to stop Stozic before surgery or regional anesthesia?
Stozic 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 Stozic, 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, Stozic should be stopped only after consulting your doctor and the surgeon.

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

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

Q. Can I take Stozic with warfarin?
Stozic, 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 Stozic useful for varicose veins?
Stozic 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 Stozic with aspirin?
Stozic, 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 Stozic with aspirin, you should be monitored very closely by your doctor.

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

Q. Can I take Stozic with ticagrelor?
Stozic 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 Stozic useful for the treatment of neuropathy?
Animal studies demonstrate the beneficial role of Stozic for the treatment of neuropathy. However, human studies do not show any beneficial role of Stozic in treating neuropathy.

Q. Is Stozic safe?
Stozic 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 Stozic with clopidogrel?
Stozic, 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 Stozic with clopidogrel, you should be monitored very closely by your doctor.

Q. How is Stozic useful in arterial hypertension?
Stozic 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 Stozic?
Do not stop Stozic unless advised by your doctor. Continue to take Stozic even if you feel better. Stop taking Stozic only if you experience easy bruising, bleeding, fever or a sore throat and immediately inform your doctor.

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

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

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

Q. Is it advisable to take Stozic with acenocoumarol?
Stozic, 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 Stozic useful for the treatment of venous insufficiency?
There is no evidence at present which recommends the use of Stozic in the routine therapy of venous insufficiency.

Q. Is Stozic useful in treating diabetes?
Stozic 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 Stozic contraindicated in heart failure?
Stozic 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, Stozic is contraindicated in these patients.

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

Q. Is Stozic a blood thinner?
No, Stozic 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 Stozic a beta blocker?
No, Stozic 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 Stozic a better choice for the treatment of intermittent claudication compared to pentoxifylline?
Stozic 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 Stozic a controlled substance?
Stozic is not a controlled substance. It's a prescription medicine and is available on providing a valid prescription by a doctor.

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

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

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