AHFS Class:

24:28.08 Dihydropyridines

Nimodipine 0.02% (0.2 mg/mL) is available in 50-mL brown glass vials and 250-mL brown glass bottles. The product also contains ethanol 20% (w/v), polyethylene glycol 400, sodium citrate, citric acid, and water for injection.³⁸; ¹¹⁵

Nimodipine is given by intravenous infusion via a central catheter³⁸; ¹¹⁵; use of an infusion pump has been recommended.¹¹⁵ Intracisternal instillation has also been described.¹¹⁵ The drug must not be added to an infusion bag or bottle. For administration, nimodipine injection is drawn into a 50-mL syringe and connected to a three-way stopcock and polyethylene tube that permits simultaneous administration of the nimodipine and a co-infusion running at a rate of 40 mL/hr. Dextrose 5%, sodium chloride 0.9%, lactated Ringer’s injection, lactated Ringer’s injection with magnesium, dextran 40, mannitol 10%, albumin human 5%, and hetastarch 6% in sodium chloride 0.9% have been recommended for use as the co-infusion solution.³⁸; ¹¹⁵

Nimodipine injection is a clear yellow solution. Intact containers of the drug should be stored at or below 25°C. The drug is light sensitive and should be stored in the light-protective container within the carton that is supplied with the product. Nimodipine should not be added to infusion solution bags or bottles or mixed with other drugs. The 250-mL bottles are intended for single use only and should be pierced only once. Once pierced, the bottle should be used for no longer than 25 hours regardless of whether all of the solution has been administered.³⁸; ¹¹⁵

Light Effects

Nimodipine is light sensitive. The drug drawn into a syringe for administration must be protected from direct sunlight during administration but is stable for up to 10 hours exposed to diffuse daylight and artificial light. The 250-mL infusion bottle should also be protected from direct sunlight at all times. Opaque coverings for infusion pumps and tubing or black, brown, yellow, or red infusion lines can be used when needed.³⁸; ¹¹⁵

Sorption

Nimodipine reacts with PVC equipment but is compatible with polyethylene and polypropylene containers, syringes, and administration sets as well as glass containers.³⁸; ¹¹⁵

Nimodipine (Bayer) 0.01 mg/mL in dextrose 5% and sodium chloride 0.9% packaged in PVC, polyethylene, and glass containers exhibited only 3 to 5% loss in glass and polyethylene containers but 94% loss due to sorption in PVC containers when stored at 4 and 22°C for 24 hours protected from light.²²⁸⁹

Solution Compatibility

For a list of references cited in the text of this monograph, search the monograph titled References.

ASHP^® Injectable Drug Information^TM. Selected Revisions March 31, 2024. © Copyright, 2025. American Society of Health-System Pharmacists^®, 4500 East-West Highway, Suite 900, Bethesda, Maryland 20814.