Patient leaflets and SmPCs, drug interaction checker, official and paediatric dosages, pregnancy and breastfeeding guidance, and NHS pharmacy opening hours — all in one place.
Patient leaflets and SmPCs, drug interaction checker, official and paediatric dosages, pregnancy and breastfeeding guidance, and NHS pharmacy opening hours — all in one place.
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.
Do not take Minoxidil Tablets • 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 Minoxidil Tablets:
• 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.
Minoxidil 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 Minoxidil Tablets working properly. Minoxidil Tablets also make your heartbeat faster.
To avoid these problems, your doctor will prescribe two other medicines for you to take with Minoxidil Tablets. One will be a water tablet (diuretic) to help your body get rid of excess water, and the other a beta-blocker or similar medicine to stop your heart beating too fast or angina pain in the chest.
If your doctor gives you a low salt diet, follow it carefully. You should weigh yourself daily and keep an accurate record of your weight while you are taking this medicine. Tell your doctor if you put on more than 1 to 1.5kg. The cause could be extra fluid in your body. Tell your doctor if you think you have gained weight — even though it may not be due to the medicine. Your doctor will want to monitor fluid and salt (electrolyte) levels in your body.
You may recognise increased hair growth (hypertrichosis) after starting treatment, this usually emerges in the face but may subside with continued treatment. This side effect is reversible upon stopping treatment but may take one to six months.
Your doctor will want to make regular checks on your blood pressure and general health. You should also have occasional checks on your heart.
If you have an ECG test (to check the electrical activity of your heart) or any blood tests, remind your doctor that you are taking Minoxidil Tablets, as it can change the results.
Your doctor may monitor your blood for the very rare possibility of decreased white blood cells and platelets cells.
In some patients, inflammation of membrane around heart, fluid accumulation under the membrane around heart (cardiac tamponade) can occur. Your doctor should monitor these carefully and may try to drain the fluid or may consider stopping treatment with Minoxidil Tablets.
Patients with kidney failure and undergoing haemodialysis may need smaller doses of Minoxidil Tablets, which should be used with special care in these patients to maintain electrolyte balance in the body.
Other medicines and Minoxidil Tablets Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription.
It is particularly important you tell your doctor about any other medicine you are taking to reduce your high blood pressure. These medicines may interact with Minoxidil Tablets by causing blood pressure to drop too low. In particular, tell your doctor if you are taking guanethidine or betanidine so you can be monitored whilst on treatment with Minoxidil Tablets or your doctor may consider stopping these therapies before starting treatment with Minoxidil Tablets.
Your doctor will tell you when and how to stop taking this medicine.
Pregnancy, breast-feeding and fertility 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. Minoxidil passes into breast milk and is not recommended if you are breast-feeding unless your doctor thinks it is necessary.
There are no fertility data from the use of minoxidil in humans.
Driving and using machines Minoxidil 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.
Minoxidil Tablets contain lactose. If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking this medicine.
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 Minoxidil Tablets whole with water.
The score line on the 2.5 mg tablets is not intended for breaking the tablet.
The 5 mg and 10 mg tablets can be divided into equal doses.
If you need to take half a tablet you should break it in half along the scored line on the tablet. Do not keep the remaining half tablet.
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 Minoxidil Tablets 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 heartbeat and accumulation of fluid in the body. You should contact the doctor if the child has any of the following: a very rapid heartbeat, 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 minoxidil 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 Minoxidil Tablets 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 Minoxidil Tablets 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 Minoxidil Tablets 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 Minoxidil Tablets Do not stop taking your medicine or alter the dose you are currently taking without seeing your doctor first. Minoxidil Tablets helps to control your blood pressure.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
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 Minoxidil Tablets:
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 Minoxidil Tablets 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 or pharmacist. 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.
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 and blister after EXP. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
This medicine does not require any special storage conditions.
Do not throw away any 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.
What Minoxidil Tablets contains • The active substance is minoxidil. Each tablet contains either 2.5 mg, 5 mg or 10 mg minoxidil. The other ingredients are lactose monohydrate, cellulose microcrystalline (E460), maize starch, silica colloidal anhydrous, magnesium stearate (E572).
What Minoxidil Tablets looks like and contents of the pack Minoxidil 2.5 mg Tablets are round, white to off white tablets, approximately 5.5mm in diameter, with score line on one side and "2.5" debossed on the other side.
Minoxidil 5 mg Tablets are oval, white to off white tablets, approximately 5.3mm in width by 10.5mm in length, with score line on one side and "5" debossed on the other side.
Minoxidil 10 mg Tablets are round, white to off white tablets, approximately 9mm in diameter, with score line on one side and "10" debossed on the other side.
Your tablets are supplied in blister strips of 10 tablets in cartons containing 60 tablets.
Marketing Authorisation Holder and Manufacturer Marketing Authorisation Holder
Roma Pharmaceuticals Ltd
Gibraltar House
Crown Square
Centrum 100
Burton-upon-Trent
DE14 2WE
United Kingdom
Manufacturer
Galenica Pharmaceutical Industry S.A.
4-6
Asklipiou Str.
14568 Kryoneri
Attiki
Greece
This leaflet was last revised in March 2026
Roma Pharmaceuticals Limited
Address
Gibraltar House, Crown Square, First Avenue, Centrum 100, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, DE14 2WE
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01283 890091
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Minoxidil 2.5 mg Tablets comes as tablet containing 2.5 mg. Always follow the dose your doctor or pharmacist has given you, and read the leaflet that comes with the medicine.
The active substance in Minoxidil 2.5 mg Tablets is minoxidil.
Medicines with the same active substance include: Loniten Tablets 10mg, Loniten Tablets 2.5 mg, Loniten Tablets 5mg, Minoxidil 5% w/v cutaneous spray, solution, Regaine for Men Extra Strength Scalp Foam 5% w/w Cutaneous Foam (GSL), Regaine for Men Extra Strength Scalp Solution 5% w/v Cutaneous Solution. They are interchangeable only if your prescriber or pharmacist says so.
This leaflet reproduces the patient information leaflet approved for Minoxidil 2.5 mg Tablets, as published on the electronic medicines compendium (emc). The version printed inside your medicine’s packaging is the one that applies to you.
Whether a medicine is available over the counter or on prescription only depends on its licence. Check the leaflet, or ask your pharmacist — they can tell you straight away.
The text above reproduces the patient information leaflet approved for this medicine, restructured for easier reading.
Minoxidil is indicated for the treatment of severe hypertension.
It should not be used as the sole agent to initiate therapy. It is a peripheral vasodilator and should be given in conjunction with a diuretic, to control salt and water retention, and a beta-adrenergic blocking agent, or appropriate substitute, to control reflex tachycardia.
Posology
Patients over 12 years and adults
The recommended starting dose is 5 mg per day. If required, this dosage can later be increased up to 20 mg, and then to 40 mg daily (given as a single dose or in two divided doses). Dose increases should be made at increments of 5 mg to 10 mg minoxidil per day at intervals of three or more days. If a dose of 50 mg of minoxidil has been reached, the dose may be increased by 25 mg minoxidil per day to a maximum dose of 100 mg per day.
If the desired decrease of diastolic blood pressure exceeds 30 mmHg, dosage should be divided to two daily doses to keep daily blood pressure fluctuations as low as possible.
Patients younger than 12 years of age
The use of minoxidil in children is restricted to children with severe hypertension associated with target organ damage where other treatment has failed. The data regarding the use of minoxidil in children is very limited, especially in infants. The dosage recommendations can only be considered as a rough guide to treatment at present as this is based on the publication of a few case reports and studies involving a small number of children. The starting dose used based on these reports is 0.2 mg/kg of minoxidil as a single or divided dose. Careful titration increasing in steps of 0.1 to 0.2 mg/kg/day at intervals of at least 3 days is essential. The effective dose range is 0.25 to 1.0 mg/kg/day. The maximum dose is 50 mg/day.
Treatment of children with minoxidil should only be initiated under the close supervision of a specialist in hospital.
Elderly patients
At present there are no extensive clinical studies with minoxidil in patients over age 65. There is data indicating that elevated systolic and diastolic pressures are important risk factors for cardiovascular disease in individuals over age 65. However, elderly patients may be sensitive to the blood pressure lowering effect of minoxidil and thus caution is urged in initiating therapy as orthostatic hypotension may occur. It is suggested that 2.5 mg per day be used as the initial starting dose in patients over 65 years of age.
Renal failure or dialysis patients
Dosage requirements may be lower in dialysis patients. Minoxidil is removed from the blood by dialysis, but its pharmacological action, once established is not reversed. Therefore, haemodialysis patients should take minoxidil either after or at least two hours before dialysis.
Rapid reduction of blood pressure
Under hospital monitoring conditions, rapid reduction of blood pressure can be achieved using continuous blood pressure monitoring and incremental doses of 5 mg every six hours.
Concomitant antihypertensive therapy
It is recommended that, where possible, antihypertensive therapy, other than a beta-adrenergic blocking agent and a diuretic be discontinued before minoxidil treatment is started. It is recognised that some antihypertensive agents should not be abruptly discontinued. These drugs should be gradually discontinued during the first week of minoxidil treatment.
Minoxidil causes sodium retention and if used alone can result in several hundred milli-equivalents of salt being retained together with a corresponding volume of water.
Therefore, in all patients who are not on dialysis, minoxidil must be given in conjunction with a diuretic in sufficient dosage to maintain salt and water balance. Examples of the daily dosages of diuretics commonly used when starting therapy with minoxidil include:
1. Hydrochlorothiazide (100 mg) - or other thiazides at equi-effective dosage.
2. Chlortalidone (100 mg).
3. Furosemide (80 mg).
If excessive water retention results in a weight gain of more than 3 pounds when a thiazide or chlortalidone is being used, diuretic therapy should be changed to furosemide, the dose of which may be increased in accordance with the patient's requirements. Diuretic dosage in children should be proportionally less in relation to weight.
Patients will require a sympathetic nervous system suppressant to limit a minoxidil-induced rise in heart rate. The preferred agent is a beta-blocker equivalent to an adult propranolol dosage of 80 – 160 mg/day. Higher doses may be required when pre-treated patients have an increase in heart rate exceeding 20 beats per minute or when simultaneous introduction causes an increase exceeding 10 beats per minute. When beta-blockers are contra-indicated, alternatives such as methyldopa may be used instead and should be started 24 hours prior to minoxidil.
Method of administration
Oral administration.
Hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of the excipients listed in section 6.1.
Minoxidil is contra-indicated in patients with a phaeochromocytoma because it may stimulate secretion of catecholamines from the tumour through its antihypertensive action.
The effect of minoxidil may be additive to concurrent antihypertensive agents and other agents with blood pressure lowering effects. The interaction of minoxidil with sympathetic-blocking agents such as guanethidine or betanidine may produce excessive blood pressure reduction and/or orthostatic hypotension.
If possible guanethidine should be discontinued well before minoxidil is begun. If this is not feasible, minoxidil therapy should be instituted in the hospital and the patient monitored carefully for orthostatic events.
Pregnancy
There is limited data from the use of minoxidil in pregnant women. Studies in animals have shown reproductive toxicity (see section 5.3).
Minoxidil is not recommended during pregnancy and in women of childbearing potential not using contraception. Neonatal hirsutism has been reported following exposure of minoxidil during pregnancy.
Breast-feeding
Minoxidil has been reported to be excreted in human milk. A risk to the suckling child cannot be excluded. A decision must be made whether to discontinue breastfeeding or to discontinue/abstain from minoxidil therapy taking into account the benefit of breast-feeding for the child and the benefit of therapy for the woman.
Fertility
There are no fertility data from the use of minoxidil in humans. In a fertility study with male and female rats, a dose-dependent reduction of the conception rate was found. The dose corresponded to one to five times the maximum dose used in humans to treat hypertension.
No studies on the effect of minoxidil on the ability to drive or use machines have been performed. The ability to drive or operate machinery may be influenced by the individual response to treatment, particularly at the start of therapy.
If exaggerated hypotension is encountered, it is most likely to occur in association with residual sympathetic nervous system blockade (guanethidine-like effects or alpha-adrenergic blockade). Recommended treatment is intravenous administration of normal saline. Sympathomimetic drugs, such as noradrenaline (norepinephrine) or adrenaline (epinephrine), should be avoided because of their excessive cardiac-stimulating action. Phenylephrine, angiotensin II and vasopressin, which reverse the effect of minoxidil, should be used only if inadequate perfusion of a vital organ is evident.
Ask anything about Minoxidil 2.5 mg Tablets. The assistant answers only from this leaflet — if the leaflet does not cover it, it will say so. It does not give medical advice.
Answers come from the patient leaflet published on the electronic medicines compendium (emc). They are not medical advice. Ask a pharmacist or your GP if you are unsure. For urgent help call NHS 111, or 999 in an emergency.
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