Cilostazol
Cilostazol is a twice-daily tablet for intermittent claudication, the leg pain that comes on with walking; Pletal is sold here in 50mg and 100mg strengths.
What cilostazol is used for
Cilostazol is an oral tablet for intermittent claudication — the cramping ache in the calves, thighs or buttocks that starts when you walk and fades after a few minutes' rest. The cause is narrowed leg arteries: fatty deposits have built up inside the vessel walls, so the muscles get less blood than they need once you start moving. Cilostazol widens those arteries a little and makes platelets — the small cells that clump together to form clots — less sticky, so blood reaches working muscle more easily. Over weeks, many people find they can walk further before the ache begins. It works best alongside the things that make the biggest difference: a regular walking routine, not smoking, and control of blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes where those are issues.
Taking the tablets
One tablet twice a day, morning and evening, is the standard schedule. Each dose goes down on an empty stomach — around half an hour before breakfast and half an hour before your evening meal. Food, and especially a fatty meal, speeds absorption and tends to make the headache and flushing worse. Pletal is sold as 50mg and 100mg tablets; both contain cilostazol as the only active ingredient, and the higher strength is the usual one, with 50mg twice daily used when the body clears the medicine more slowly. Swallow with water. If you forget a tablet, don't take two at once to catch up. Keep the pack somewhere dry and out of direct sun.
Pletal 50mg and 100mg
This page is about one medicine: Pletal, the branded cilostazol tablet, in 50mg and 100mg. Both strengths contain the same active ingredient, so the choice comes down to strength and pack size. Cilostazol sits in the Heart and Blood Pressure range alongside medicines for high blood pressure and raised cholesterol, which often go hand in hand with the circulation problems cilostazol is used for.
Side effects and interactions
Headache is the effect people notice most, followed by diarrhoea or looser stools, dizziness and palpitations. A fast or irregular heartbeat, chest pain, unusual bruising or bleeding, or a rash with swelling of the face or trouble breathing need urgent treatment.
Grapefruit juice slows the enzyme that clears cilostazol and pushes blood levels up, and some antifungals, the antibiotic erythromycin and omeprazole do the same; when one of those is taken as well, the lower 50mg strength twice a day is used. Blood thinners such as warfarin, and antiplatelet medicines including aspirin and clopidogrel, add to the bleeding risk. Cilostazol is not used at all in heart failure, whatever its severity.
Sources
- Cilostazol: MedlinePlus Drug Information — MedlinePlus / U.S. National Library of Medicine
- Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) - NHS — NHS
Where can I buy Cilostazol in Hong Kong?
Cilostazol can be ordered online with delivery to Hong Kong. The range includes generic Pletal, also sold as Cilostazol tablets, in 50mg and 100mg. An order can be cancelled within 24 hours if it has not been dispatched, and support answers 24/7 in English and Cantonese.
How much do Cilostazol products cost in Hong Kong?
The cilostazol product has its own price per pack, shown on its page in HKD or your selected currency; larger packs usually cost less per unit.
Do I need a prescription to order Cilostazol?
PockDose does not ask you to upload a prescription when you order cilostazol. See the ordering FAQ for details.
What are the brand names for cilostazol?
Pletal is a brand name of cilostazol. Here, cilostazol can be bought online as generic Pletal. These are generics, not the original brand.
How long does cilostazol take to work?
Not in one dose. Walking distance usually improves gradually over several weeks of steady twice-daily dosing, and it drops back again if you stop taking the tablets. Give it that time before judging whether it is helping.
Can I drink grapefruit juice while taking cilostazol?
It is best not to. Grapefruit and grapefruit juice block one of the liver enzymes that clears cilostazol, so more of the medicine stays in your blood and side effects such as headache and dizziness become more likely. Leave grapefruit out of your diet while you take these tablets.
What is the difference between Pletal and cilostazol?
Pletal is the brand name; cilostazol is the active ingredient inside it. Pletal 50mg and 100mg are the tablets sold here, so the strength on the box is the main choice to make.
Can I take cilostazol with aspirin or a blood thinner?
Cilostazol already makes platelets less likely to clump, so adding aspirin, clopidogrel, warfarin or a similar medicine raises the chance of bruising and bleeding. The combination is used, but the bleeding risk is higher than with cilostazol on its own.
Does cilostazol help the leg pain that happens at rest?
No. It is for the ache that comes on with walking and eases when you stop. Pain that continues while you are sitting or lying down, especially with pale or cold feet or a sore that will not heal, points to severely restricted blood flow and a more serious problem.