Phentolamine (By injection)
fen-TOL-a-meen
Prevents and controls high blood pressure during surgery. Prevents and treats skin injury caused by norepinephrine injection. Used during a medical procedure to diagnose pheochromocytoma (an adrenal gland tumor).
Drug classes
Antidote, Antihypertensive, Diagnostic Agent, Pheochromocytoma (About this – PubMed Health)
Uses
Uses of This Medicine
Phentolamine given by injection causes blood vessels to expand, thereby increasing blood flow. When injected into the penis (intracavernosal), it increases blood flow to the penis, which results in an erection.
This medicine should not be used as a sexual aid by men who do not have erectile dysfunction. If the medicine is not used properly, permanent damage to the penis and loss of the ability to have erections could result.
Phentolamine may also be used to reverse the effects of an anesthetic medicine in soft tissues, such as the lips and tongue. It may be used to help quickly restore normal sensation and function in patients who have received local dental anesthesia .
Phentolamine is available only with your doctor’s prescription.
Once a medicine has been approved for marketing for a certain use, experience may show that it is also useful for other medical problems. Although this use is not included in product labeling, phentolamine is used in certain patients with the following medical conditions:
Low doses of a three-drug combination of phentolamine, papaverine, and alprostadil as an injection may be used to treat erectile dysfunction.
Other uses (PubMed Health)
How To Use
Injectable
This medicine is given through a needle placed in one of your veins or as a shot into your muscle. This medicine may also be injected in your mouth after a dental procedure.
A dentist, nurse, or other trained health professional will give you this medicine.
Drugs and Foods to Avoid
Ask your doctor or pharmacist before using any other medicine, including over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products.
Some medicines can affect how phentolamine works. Tell your doctor if you are using any of the following:
Guanethidine Reserpine Digitalis Insulin Antidepressants Blood pressure medicineTell your doctor if you use anything else that makes you sleepy. Some examples are allergy medicine, narcotic pain medicine, and alcohol.
When Not To Use
This medicine is not right for everyone. You should not receive it if you had an allergic reaction to phentolamine, or if you have low blood pressure, heart disease, angina (chest pain), or a history of heart attack.
Warnings
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you have heart rhythm problems, kidney disease, a sulfite sensitivity, gastritis, or a peptic ulcer.
This medicine may make you dizzy or drowsy. Do not drive, use machines, or do anything that could be dangerous until you know how this medicine affects you.
Possible side effects
Summary More details
Call your doctor right away if you notice any of these side effects:
Allergic reaction: Itching or hives, swelling in your face or hands, swelling or tingling in your mouth or throat, chest tightness, trouble breathing
Chest pain that may spread to your arms, jaw, back, or neck, trouble breathing, nausea, unusual sweating
Fast or uneven heartbeat
Lightheadedness or fainting
Numbness or weakness in your arm or leg, or on one side of your body
Sudden or severe headache, problems with vision, speech, or walking
If you notice these less serious side effects, talk with your doctor:
Stuffy nose
Warmth or redness in your face, neck, arms, or upper chest
If you notice other side effects that you think are caused by this medicine, tell your doctor.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
More side effects of this drug
Brand names include
OraVerse, Regitine
There may be other brand names for this medicine.