Patient leaflet - Loniten 5 mg tablets
1. What LONITEN is and what it is used for
This medicine contains minoxidil, which is one of a group of medicines called ‘vasodilators’. It can be used to treat very high blood pressure (hypertension), and works by relaxing blood vessels so that blood passes through them more easily. This helps to lower blood pressure.
You must talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you do not feel better or if you feel worse.
2. What you need to know before you take LONITEN ❀ Do not take LONITEN:
If you are allergic to minoxidil or
any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6).
If your high blood pressure is
caused by hormones from a tumour (phaeochromocytoma), usually near the kidneys.
❀ Warnings and precautions Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before using LONITEN:
If you are pregnant or trying to
become pregnant.
If you have heart failure (you may feel
breathless, wheezy or tired and your ankles may swell up);
- If you have ever had a heart attack. LONITEN tablets encourage salt and water to remain in your body. Too much salt and water in the body can make you feel breathless, wheezy, sick and tired, and can stop LONITEN working properly. LONITEN also makes your heart beat faster.
To avoid these problems, your doctor will prescribe two other medicines for you to take with LONITEN. One will be Package leaflet: Information for the patient
LONITEN® 2.5 mg, 5 mg and 10 mg Tablets
Minoxidil
PCR-750-21186 750-21186
750-21186 GLUE
GLUE
NO COPY FPO 128 - 10 MIL
FPO 128 - 10 MIL
❀ Pregnancy and breast-feeding If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine. LONITEN passes into breast milk and is not recommended if you are breast-feeding unless your doctor thinks it is necessary.
❀ Driving and using machines LONITEN tablets may make you feel faint or dizzy, particularly when you first start treatment or your dose is increased. If affected do not drive or operate machines.
❀ LONITEN contains lactose This medicine contains lactose (a type of sugar). If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking this medicinal product.
3. How to take LONITEN
Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
Swallow LONITEN tablets whole with water.
The 2.5 mg and 10 mg tablets can be divided into equal doses.
The score line is not intended for breaking the 5 mg tablet into equal doses.
Adults and children over the age of 12
Your doctor might change your daily dose gradually to get the best results. There should be at least three days between each change of dose. Don’t wait until your tablets are finished before seeing your doctor.
The usual starting dose of LONITEN for adults and children aged over 12 years is 5 mg each day. The dose can be increased to 20 mg and then 40 mg as single or divided doses if required for optimum blood pressure control. It is unusual to need more than 50 mg a day in adults and children aged over 12 years. In very rare instances your doctor can decide to use up to a maximum of 100 mg.
Elderly
For adults over 65, the usual starting dose is 2.5 mg each day.
Use in children 12 years and under
For children of 12 and under, the dose depends on their weight but they should not be given more than 1 mg per kilogram of body weight each day. The starting dose is normally 0.2 mg each day for each kilogram of their weight. During treatment with minoxidil the child should be under specialist supervision. The daily dose of minoxidil will be determined by the specialist and it may be adjusted according to the child’s needs. During treatment the child will be additionally treated
with other medicines as decided by the specialist to prevent rapid heart beat and accumulation of fluid in the body. You should contact the doctor if the child has any of the following: a very rapid heart beat, rapid breathing, swelling of the legs, rapid weight gain, and reduced urine. While on treatment with minoxidil the child will need to be regularly seen by the doctor.
Patients on dialysis
If you are on dialysis you may need a lower dose, even though dialysis can remove LONITEN from your blood. Do not take your tablets in the two hours before your dialysis session. Take them after the dialysis, or more than two hours before.
Rapid reduction of blood pressure
LONITEN may also be given to you in hospital to reduce your blood pressure very quickly. It would be given by a doctor or nurse under strictly monitored conditions at increasing doses of 5 mg every six hours until your blood pressure is normal.
If you take more LONITEN than you should
Taking too many tablets may make you unwell. If you take too many tablets, tell your doctor straight away. If you feel faint or dizzy, or your skin gets unusually cold and pale, you may need to go to hospital.
If you forget to take a dose of LONITEN
Do not worry. If you forget to take a tablet, miss out the forgotten dose completely and take the next dose at the normal time. Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose. If you stop taking LONITEN
Do not stop taking your medicine or alter the dose you are currently taking without seeing your doctor first. LONITEN helps to control your blood pressure.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
4. Possible side effects
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects although not everybody gets them.
The following events have been reported in patients with high blood pressure being treated with LONITEN: Contact your doctor immediately if any of the following occur.
You may feel faint or dizzy, especially
when you stand up.
Your body could hold on to more
water than normal: you may notice that your ankles get puffy, or your rings get tight, or you put on weight.
You may find that you get more
wheezy, breathless and tired, especially if you already have a weak heart.
You may notice angina (usually pains
in your chest) for the first time, or if you have angina already it could get worse.
Other side effects LONITEN may cause are:
Very common: may affect more than 1 in 10 people
Increased heart rate, inflammation of the lining that surrounds the heart, abnormal electrocardiogram (ECG), increased hair growth, hair colour changes.
Common: may affect up to 1 in 10 people
Accumulation of fluid around the heart, compression of the heart due to a build up of fluid, fluid retention, gastrointestinal disorder.
Uncommon may affect up to 1 in 100 people
Accumulation of fluid between the layers of tissue that line the lungs and chest cavity, breast tenderness.
Rare: may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people
Decrease in white blood cells, reduction in blood platelets, which increases risk of bleeding or bruising, serious illness with blistering of the skin, mouth, eyes and genitals (Stevens-Johnson syndrome), inflammation and blistering of the skin, rash.
Not known: frequency cannot be estimated from the available data
Chest pains (angina), swelling of the ankles, feet or fingers associated with or independent of weight gain, reduced kidney function resulting in increased creatinine and urea levels in your blood, extensive peeling and detachment of the skin on much of the body surface (Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis).
Reporting of side effects
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App store. By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
5. How to store LONITEN
Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the carton after EXP. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
Blisters:
Store below 25˚C.
Store in the original package in order to protect from moisture.
Bottles:
Store below 25˚C.
Keep the bottle tightly closed in order to protect from moisture.
Do not throw away medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment.
6. Contents of the pack and other information
What LONITEN contains
The active substance is minoxidil. Each tablet contains either 2.5 mg, 5 mg or 10 mg minoxidil.
The other ingredients are: lactose hydrous, microcrystalline cellulose, starch, colloidal silicon dioxide and magnesium stearate (see section 2 LONITEN contains lactose).
What LONITEN looks like and the contents of the pack
LONITEN are round white to light tan biconvex tablets.
They are available in strengths of 2.5 mg, 5 mg and 10 mg.
The 2.5 mg tablet is imprinted with ‘2 ½’ on one side, scored on the reverse with a ‘U’ on one side of the score and ‘121’ on the other side. The tablet can be divided into equal doses. The 5 mg tablet is imprinted with ‘5’ on one side, scored on the reverse with a ‘U’ on either side of the score. The score line is not intended for breaking the tablet.
The 10 mg tablet is imprinted with ‘10’ on one side, scored on the reverse with a ‘U’ on one side of the score and ‘137’ on the other side. The tablet can be divided into equal doses.
LONITEN is available in blisters of 60 tablets or bottles of 100 tablets. Not all pack sizes may be marketed. Marketing Authorisation Holder
Pfizer Limited, Ramsgate Road, Sandwich, Kent, CT13 9NJ,
United Kingdom.
Manufacturer
Pfizer Service Company BV,
Hermeslaan 11, 1932 Zaventem, Belgium. Company Contact Address
For further information on your medicine, please contact Medical Information at Pfizer Limited,
Walton Oaks, Tadworth, Surrey, KT20 7NS. Tel: 01304 616161 This leaflet was last revised in 02/2026
Ref: LN 15_0