Why is this medication prescribed?
Pentoxifylline is used to treat intermittent claudication in people who have peripheral arterial disease (PAD).
This medication works by increasing the amount of oxygen that reaches your tissues by increasing the flexibility of your red blood cells. When blood cells are more flexible, they can travel more easily through narrowed blood vessels to deliver oxygen to muscle, bone, skin, and nerve tissues.
Pentoxifylline should not be used in people who have recently had bleeding (hemorrhage) in the back lining of the eye (retina) or the brain. It also should not be used by people who cannot tolerate caffeine.
Dosage and using this medicine
What special precautions should I follow?
What should I do if I forget a dose?
What side effects can this medication cause?