Pharmacokinetic interactions between felodipine and metoprolol

This double-blind, cross-over study in healthy male subjects evaluated the pharmacokinetics of felodipine and metoprolol given both separately and in combination. During three, five-day study periods, felodipine 10 mg b.d., metoprolol 100 mg b.d. and a combination of the two, were given in random order. There was at least a 7-day washout period between each pharmacokinetic study day. Plasma levels of unchanged felodipine and metoprolol were measured for 24 h after the last dose, on the 5th day of each treatment period. Eight subjects, aged 19-22 years, completed the study. Both felodipine and metoprolol, given alone and in combination, were well tolerated. None of the felodipine pharmacokinetic variables (tmax, Cmax, Cmin, AUC (0-12) and t1/2) changed significantly when felodipine and metoprolol were given in combination. Cmax and AUC (0-12) for metoprolol increased significantly when metoprolol and felodipine were combined, although tmax, Cmin and t1/2 for metoprolol remained unchanged. The changes in metoprolol pharmacokinetics induced by felodipine are small and unlikely to be clinically important.