A 59-year-old man ingested 900 mg of nifedipine. Profound hypotension, sinus and atrioventricular node dysfunction, and hyperglycemia resulted. The patient's condition responded favorably to aggressive treatment with intravenous fluids, calcium, and dopamine. Similar effects and response to therapy have been reported in 17 cases of verapamil overdose and are briefly summarized. The effects of nifedipine overdose are discussed, and preliminary recommendations about its management are offered. With increasing use of nifedipine and other calcium channel blockers, more incidents of overdose can be expected.
This work was supported in part by a grant from McNeil Consumer Products Company, Fort Washington, Pennsylvania (HL10342) and the Edward L. Trudeau Scholar Award.
