Pentoxifylline
Brand names: Trental
Pentoxifylline is an oral xanthine-derivative haemorheological agent used to improve symptoms of peripheral arterial disease such as 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 improves the flexibility of red blood cells and reduces blood viscosity and platelet aggregation, thereby enhancing microcirculatory blood flow to ischaemic tissue.
Prescribing in practice
- It increases bleeding risk and should be used cautiously with anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents and avoided in active bleeding such as recent cerebral or retinal haemorrhage.
- It is a symptomatic treatment that supplements, but does not replace, exercise therapy and cardiovascular risk-factor control.
- Use caution in significant renal or hepatic impairment and in severe cardiac arrhythmias or hypotension.
Monitoring
Review symptomatic benefit such as walking distance and watch for bleeding, gastrointestinal upset and dizziness.
Counselling the patient
- Take with or after food to reduce stomach upset and swallow modified-release tablets whole.
- Report any unusual bleeding or bruising.
Evidence & guidelines
Used for intermittent claudication on the basis of haemorheological trial data, with modest symptomatic benefit recognised in vascular practice.
Reference: Cochrane review 2012; 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.