Buflomedil hydrochloride is a vasoactive drug with a variety of actions. It is an alpha-adrenoceptor antagonist and a weak calcium channel blocker. It inhibits platelet aggregation and improves erythrocyte deformability. However, its mechanism of action in peripheral vascular disease is not known.
Buflomedil has generally been well tolerated by most patients in clinical trials. The most frequently reported adverse effects include flushing, headache, vertigo, gas-trointestinal discomfort, and dizziness. These rarely require drug withdrawal. In controlled trials, adverse effects have occurred in 20% of patients assigned to buflomedil and 18% of those assigned to placebo; only gastrointestinal discomfort occurred more frequently in buflomedil-treated patients (3.4 versus 2%)