Cardizem (Diltiazem) for Heart Disease

What Members Say Top Tips Side Effects FAQs

Cardizem (diltiazem) is a prescription medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat chronic stable angina and angina caused by coronary artery spasms. Both conditions can cause chest pain when the heart does not get enough oxygen-rich blood.

What Members Say

MHT logo These insights are based on 59 comments about Cardizem from MyHeartDiseaseTeam members. These are the experiences of a small number of people and are not meant to be medical advice.

Benefits:

Some symptoms, including palpitations, angina, and attacks, feel more controlled.
Doses vary widely, allowing treatment to be adjusted to individual needs.
Some members continue their usual activities, including exercise and travel, while taking Cardizem.

Considerations:

Low heart rate, fatigue, dizziness, or weakness can become limiting.
Ankle or foot swelling can occur and is a labeled side effect.
Combining Cardizem with other heart medicines may require extra monitoring for heart rate or conduction problems.

How Cardizem Works and How It’s Taken

Cardizem is a type of medicine called a calcium channel blocker. It works by limiting the amount of calcium that enters the muscle cells of the heart and blood vessels. This helps relax the arteries that supply blood to the heart and lowers the heart’s need for oxygen during physical activity.

Doctors prescribe Cardizem when someone has chronic stable angina or angina caused by coronary artery spasms.

Cardizem comes as a tablet taken by mouth.

Typical Dosing for Angina

The recommended starting dose of Cardizem is 30 milligrams four times daily, before meals and at bedtime.

Doctors may gradually increase the dose every one to two days based on how well the medicine works. The average dose that works best is 180 to 360 milligrams per day, divided into three or four doses. Some people may respond to other doses.

If Cardizem is used in people with kidney or liver problems, doctors should adjust the dose with extra caution.

This information is based on prescribing information, but your healthcare provider may tailor your treatment plan. Always follow their guidance.

Top Advice From Members on Cardizem

MHT logo These insights are based on 59 comments about Cardizem from MyHeartDiseaseTeam members. These are the experiences of a small number of people and are not meant to be medical advice.

Members who use Cardizem often talk about watching how their heart rate and symptoms respond, staying in close touch with their cardiology team, and noticing whether side effects occur. Some members also describe following lifestyle routines, such as avoiding personal triggers and staying hydrated, alongside their prescribed treatment. Others say it helps to keep expectations realistic because Cardizem may lower heart rate or reduce symptoms even if atrial fibrillation does not fully stop.

1

Talk to your doctor if you notice a slow heart rate or side effects.
“Have been feeling good. Cardizem was stopped last week … due to low heart rate. Not as tired as I was.”
2

Watch for side effects like swelling, dizziness, or fatigue.
“Taking a calcium channel blocker — Cardizem. It for sure makes my feet & ankles swell.”
3

Avoid personal triggers and keep healthy routines.
“I try to keep away from all my triggers that will agitate my heart. Stay away from caffeine for sure. No big meals at night either. Low sodium diet. Keep hydrated.”

Connect with others who understand life with heart disease. Join MyHeartDiseaseTeam for free.

Cardizem Side Effects

In clinical studies of Cardizem, the most common side effects occurred in about 1.2 percent to 2.4 percent of people. These include:

Edema (swelling), such as in the legs or ankles
Headache
Nausea
Dizziness
Rash
Asthenia (weakness or low energy)

Serious Side Effects and Warnings

Cardizem can cause serious side effects that may require immediate medical attention. These include:

Heart rhythm and conduction problems — Cardizem can cause an abnormally slow heart rate or heart block (a problem with the heart’s electrical signals). These effects can cause dizziness, fainting, or a feeling that your heart is skipping beats.
Congestive heart failure — The heart may not pump as well, which can cause shortness of breath, swelling, or sudden weight gain.
Hypotension (low blood pressure) — Blood pressure may drop, causing lightheadedness, dizziness, or fainting.
Acute liver injury — Liver problems may cause abnormal liver test results and sometimes symptoms such as nausea or feeling unwell.

Get medical help right away if you think you are having a serious reaction.

What To Know Before Taking Cardizem

Tell your doctor if you have any allergies to Cardizem or its ingredients.

Tell your doctor about all medicines you take, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Cardizem can interact with certain medicines and may increase the risk of side effects.

Do not take Cardizem if you have:

Sick sinus syndrome, a condition that affects your heart’s natural pacemaker, unless you have a functioning ventricular pacemaker
Second- or third-degree atrioventricular (AV) block, a condition that slows or blocks electrical signals in the heart, unless you have a functioning ventricular pacemaker
Very low blood pressure, with a systolic pressure (the top number) below 90 millimeters of mercury
An allergy to diltiazem
An acute heart attack with fluid buildup in the lungs, confirmed by an X-ray when you were admitted to the hospital

If you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, talk with your doctor. Cardizem should be used during pregnancy only if the possible benefits outweigh the risks to the developing baby.

Cardizem passes into breast milk. If you need to take Cardizem, your doctor may recommend another way to feed your baby instead of breastfeeding.

Community FAQs

These answers are fact-checked by our editorial staff.

How effective is Cardizem for angina?

Cardizem helps treat angina by relaxing and widening the arteries that supply blood to the heart. It also helps lower the heart’s need for oxygen during exercise. Studies have shown that Cardizem can help people with angina exercise longer and prevent spasms in the coronary arteries.

How well it works may vary from person to person.

How long does Cardizem take to work for angina?

After a single dose of Cardizem tablets, the medicine can be detected in the blood within 30 to 60 minutes. Blood levels usually reach their highest point within two to four hours. However, the prescribing information does not say exactly how soon people may feel relief from chest pain.

Does Cardizem interact with other medicines?

Yes. Cardizem can interact with other medicines, including certain drugs used to treat heart conditions, high cholesterol, and other health problems.

For example, taking Cardizem with beta-blockers or digoxin may increase the risk of a slow heart rate or problems with the heart’s electrical signals. Cardizem may also increase the risk of muscle problems when taken with certain cholesterol-lowering medicines called statins.

Tell your doctor about all medicines you take before starting Cardizem. Your doctor may need to monitor you more closely or adjust your medications.

What tests or monitoring are needed with Cardizem for angina?

During long-term treatment with Cardizem, doctors should check kidney and liver function regularly. Cardizem can also slow the heart rate or affect the electrical signals that control the heartbeat.

Doctors should use extra caution in people with heart rhythm or electrical signal problems, especially those taking medicines such as beta-blockers or digoxin. If you take digoxin, your doctor should check its levels in your blood when starting, changing, or stopping Cardizem.