An individual patient is always advised to consult their own physician.
Nifedipine is a calcium channel blocker.
It is used in various situations to block the contraction of smooth muscle. It is commonly used to treat blood pressure, angina pectoris, Raynaud's Disease and esophageal spasm. Common side effects are swollen feet, constipation, and low blood pressure. Effects on pregnancy have only been studied in rats- where it is classified a Class C agent. It was shown to cause defects in doses 30 times human doses and had effects on growth at levels of 3-10 times human dosage.