Ranolazine (Ranexa) Tips from Pharmacists

• Do not chew, crush, or swallow ranolazine extended-release tablets.

• Ranolazine can cause dizziness, lightheadedness, and blurred vision. Be careful while driving and operating machinery until you know how it affects you.

• Avoid drinking grapefruit juice or eating grapefruit while on ranolazine. Doing so can raise the levels of this drug in your body and put you at risk of severe side effects.

• Do not take ranolazine to treat an angina attack that has already started. Your doctor will prescribe other medicines, such as nitroglycerin sublingual (Nitrostat), for this purpose.