About riociguat
Soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator
Used for
- Pulmonary arterial hypertension in adults
- Persistent or recurrent chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension after surgery, or inoperable disease
Usual adult dose
Usually starts at 1 mg three times daily; increase by 0.5 mg three times daily every two weeks if tolerated, up to 2.5 mg three times daily.
Common side effects
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Low blood pressure
- Indigestion, nausea, or vomiting
Important warnings
- Can cause serious harm to an unborn baby; pregnancy must be avoided during treatment.
- Do not use with nitrates, nitric oxide donors, or PDE-5 inhibitors such as sildenafil.
- May cause low blood pressure or fainting; use caution with dehydration or blood-pressure-lowering medicines.
- Not recommended in severe liver impairment or severe kidney impairment requiring dialysis.
Pregnancy
Contraindicated; can cause fetal harm. Pregnancy testing and effective contraception are required for people who could become pregnant.
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is not recommended during treatment; whether riociguat passes into human milk is unknown.
Interactions
- Nitrates, nitric oxide donors, and PDE-5 inhibitors can cause dangerous blood-pressure drops.
- Strong CYP and P-glycoprotein/BCRP inhibitors, such as ketoconazole, may increase riociguat levels.
- Smoking can lower riociguat levels; stopping smoking may increase them.
- Antacids containing aluminum or magnesium can reduce absorption; separate doses by one hour.
AI-generated from general medical knowledge, not from this product's official leaflet. It may be incomplete or out of date. Not medical advice — ask a pharmacist or doctor before making any decision.