Naftidrofuryl oxalate
Brand names: Praxilene
Naftidrofuryl oxalate is an oral vasoactive agent used to relieve symptoms in peripheral arterial disease, improving walking distance in intermittent claudication.
ClinCalc Pro is rebuilding its dose data from primary open sources — the manufacturer SmPC (eMC), the WHO Model Formulary and other official references — under clinician review. This drug's structured dose is not yet published here. Confirm all doses against the product SmPC and your local formulary before prescribing.
Clinical monograph
How it works
It acts as a 5-HT2 receptor antagonist, which is thought to reduce vasoconstriction and improve oxygen utilisation and microcirculatory flow in ischaemic tissue.
Prescribing in practice
- Capsules should be swallowed whole with plenty of fluid, as inadequate intake or chewing has been linked to oesophageal irritation and rare oxalate-related stones.
- It is a symptomatic treatment for intermittent claudication and does not replace exercise therapy and cardiovascular risk-factor management.
- Review the response after a defined trial period and stop if there is no worthwhile improvement in walking distance.
Monitoring
Assess symptomatic benefit such as claudication distance after an adequate trial and review for gastrointestinal tolerability.
Counselling the patient
- Swallow the capsules whole with a full glass of water and do not chew them.
- Keep up regular walking exercise, which is central to managing claudication.
Evidence & guidelines
NICE recommends naftidrofuryl oxalate as an option for intermittent claudication where exercise has not helped sufficiently and surgery is not being considered.
Reference: NICE TA223/CG147; Drug verified in RxNorm (NLM); confirm dosing against the manufacturer SPC (eMC). Verify against your local formulary and current prescribing references before prescribing. Monograph status: clinician-reviewed (2026-07-04).
Related
Curated clinical cross-links plus same-class fallbacks.