Antihypertensive Drugs

A using this medicine if you have certain conditions, as it is in the heart “syndrome pockets” or “AV block” (unless you have a pacemaker, low blood pressure, or recently suffered a heart attack.

Before taking Cardizem, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have kidney disease, liver disease or congestive heart failure.
Cardizem can cause side effects that may affect your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert. Do not stop taking this medicine without talking with your doctor. If you stop taking Cardizem suddenly may worsen your condition.

Cardizem can only be part of an integrated program of treatment that also includes diet, exercise and other medicines. Follow your diet, medication and exercise routines very closely.

If you are being treated for high blood pressure, keep using this medication even if you feel well. High blood pressure often has no symptoms.

Before taking Cardizem

You should not use this medication if you are allergic to diltiazem, or if you have:

• certain heart conditions, especially “sick sinus syndrome” or “AV block” (unless you have a pacemaker);
• low blood pressure; or
• if you have recently had a heart attack.

Before taking Cardizem, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have:

• kidney disease;
• liver disease; or
• congestive heart failure.

If you have any of these conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take this medication.

FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. Cardizem can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How should I take Cardizem?

Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

Your doctor may occasionally change your dose to make sure you get the best results from this medication.

Take Cardizem with a full glass of water. Do not crush, chew, break, or open a controlled-delivery or extended-release tablet or capsule. Swallow the pill whole. It is specially made to release medicine slowly in the body. Breaking or opening the pill would cause too much of the drug to be released at one time.If you have trouble swallowing a Cardizem capsule whole, ask your doctor or pharmacist if it is safe for you to open the capsule and sprinkle the medicine into a spoonful of applesauce to make swallowing easier. Swallow this mixture right away without chewing. Do not save the mixture for later use. Discard the empty capsule.

It is important to use Cardizem regularly to get the most benefit. Get your prescription refilled before you run out of medicine completely.

Do not stop taking this medication without first talking to your doctor. If you stop taking Cardizem suddenly, your condition may become worse.If you are being treated for high blood pressure, keep using this medication even if you feel fine. High blood pressure often has no symptoms.

Cardizem may be only part of a complete program of treatment that also includes diet, exercise, and other medications. Follow your diet, medication, and exercise routines very closely.

To be sure this medication is helping your condition, your blood pressure will need to be tested on a regular basis. Your kidney and liver function may also need to be tested. Do not miss any scheduled visits to your doctor.

Store Cardizem at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take only the next regularly scheduled dose. Do not take a double dose of this medication.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.Overdose symptoms may include slow heartbeat, weakness, chest pain, shortness of breath, feeling light-headed, or fainting.

What should I avoid while taking Cardizem?

Cardizem can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert. Avoid drinking alcohol while taking Cardizem.Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with Cardizem and lead to potentially dangerous effects. Discuss the use of grapefruit products with your doctor. Do not increase or decrease the amount of grapefruit products in your diet without first talking to your doctor.

Cardizem side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• fast or slow heartbeats;
• feeling light-headed, fainting;
• fever, sore throat, and headache with a severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash;
• feeling short of breath, even with mild exertion;
• swelling, rapid weight gain; or
• nausea, stomach pain, low fever, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

Less serious side effects may include:

• stuffy nose;
• skin rash or itching;
• dizziness, headache, tired feeling;
• nausea; or
• warmth, itching, redness, or tingly feeling under your skin.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What other drugs will affect Cardizem?

Before taking Cardizem, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:

• amiodarone (Cordarone, Pacerone);
• buspirone (BuSpar);
• carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol);
• cimetidine (Tagamet, Tagamet HB);
• cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune);
• digoxin (digitalis, Lanoxin, Lanoxicaps);
• lovastatin (Mevacor);
• rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane, Rifater);
• quinidine (Quinaglute, Quinidex, Quin-Release);
• a sedative such as midazolam (Versed) or triazolam (Halcion);
• an antibiotic such as clarithromycin (Biaxin), erythromycin (E-Mycin, E.E.S., Ery-Tab, Erythrocin) or telithromycin (Ketek);
• an antifungal medication such as fluconazole (Diflucan), itraconazole (Sporanox), ketoconazole (Nizoral), or voriconazole (Vfend);
• a beta-blocker such as atenolol (Tenormin), bisoprolol (Zebeta, Ziac), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol), propranolol (Inderal, InnoPran), sotalol (Betapace), timolol (Blocadren), and others; or
• HIV/AIDS medicine such as amprenavir (Agenerase), atazanavir (Reyataz), delavirdine (Rescriptor), fosamprenavir (Lexiva), indinavir (Crixivan), nelfinavir (Viracept), or ritonavir (Norvir, Kaletra).

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with Cardizem. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 8th, 2009 at 7:03 am and is filed under Calcium channel blockers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.