Heart conditions like high blood pressure can be life-threatening. When these conditions remain untreated, they can lead to serious health complications like severe brain damage and damage to vital organs such as the heart, kidneys, and blood vessels.
As a result of damage or impairment to these important body parts, stroke, heart failure, cardiovascular disease, or heart attack may ensue. The patient could also lose vision or have kidney failure, among other serious ailments.
Unfortunately, heart conditions are pretty common today, making access to preventive and curative treatment options vital. One such treatment is diltiazem, which these Diltiazem Reviews 2022 explore in detail.
Coupling such treatments with lifestyle changes such as embracing a low-fat diet, exercising, cutting back on alcohol usage, and maintaining a healthy body weight can go a long way in helping to control blood pressure.
What is Diltiazem?
Diltiazem is a prescription medication typically sold under the Cardizem brand name. It treats hypertension (high blood pressure), angina (severe chest pain), and heart arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation (AFib), atrial flutter, and PSVT. PSVT is short for paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia).
Atrial fibrillation (AFib) involves rapid and irregular heartbeat, either permanent, intermittent, or lasting for long periods.
Atrial flutter refers to a rapid heartbeat that is regular. Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, or PSVT, is a steady but rapid heartbeat beginning and ending abruptly.
Aside from these heart conditions, diltiazem can also be used for hyperthyroidism in cases where the use of beta-blockers is not feasible. Hyperthyroidism is characterized by the thyroid gland producing too much thyroxin hormone, leading to increased metabolism and a rapid heartbeat.
Diltiazem is available as an intravenous (IV) solution, immediate-release tablet, an extended-release capsule.
While a patient can take the capsule and tablet on their own following a healthcare professional’s prescription, the intravenous solution can only be administered by a trained medical expert.
You can find the oral capsule in generic and branded forms. The injectable Diltiazem solution is often used in the hospital to regulate abnormal heart rhythms.
Diltiazem oral capsule can work alone or alongside other medications that complement its usage.
Product Diltiazem Product Type Prescription drug for humans Method of use Oral administration Target conditions High blood pressure (hypertension), severe chest pain (angina), and heart arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation (AFib), atrial flutter, and paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) Product form Capsule, tablet Dosage It is taken two to three times a day (for the standard immediate-release diltiazem tablet) and once daily (for the extended-release diltiazem CD capsule).
What are the Diltiazem Ingredients?
All Diltiazem formulations have diltiazem hydrochloride as the active ingredient. Each formulation then has various inactive ingredients that vary slightly from one to the other.
The inactive ingredients in the extended-release capsule include type A and type B ammonio methacrylate copolymer NF and hydroxypropyl cellulose. It also contains sugar spheres, sodium lauryl sulfate, triethyl citrate, and talc.
Here is a breakdown of the ingredients available in the various forms of diltiazem on the market.
120 mg | 120 mg of diltiazem hydrochloride, titanium dioxide, sugar spheres, gelatin, ethylcellulose, polymethacrylate, polysorbate, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, povidone, magnesium stearate, and talc |
180 mg | 180 mg of diltiazem hydrochloride, titanium dioxide, black iron oxide, gelatin, sugar spheres, polysorbate, ethylcellulose, polymethacrylate, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, povidone, magnesium stearate, and talc |
240 mg | 240 mg of diltiazem hydrochloride, black iron oxide, titanium dioxide, sugar spheres, gelatin, ethylcellulose, polymethacrylate, polysorbate, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, povidone, magnesium stearate, and talc |
300 mg | 300 mg of diltiazem hydrochloride, black iron oxide, titanium dioxide, sugar spheres, gelatin, ethylcellulose, polymethacrylate, polysorbate, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, povidone, magnesium stearate, and talc |
360 mg | 360 mg of diltiazem hydrochloride, black iron oxide, titanium dioxide, sugar spheres, gelatin, ethylcellulose, polymethacrylate, polysorbate, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, povidone, magnesium stearate, and talc |
How does diltiazem work? How good is the effect of diltiazem?
Diltiazem belongs to a group of medications called calcium channel blockers. It alleviates the symptoms of high blood pressure and angina by relaxing blood vessels. By so doing, the drug helps reduce the amount of work the heart must do.
Muscles such as the heart muscles typically require calcium to contract. Blocking calcium prevents them from receiving the calcium supply they need to contract. As a result, the muscle cells relax, keeping the heart from pumping as hard as usual.
In addition to decreasing the heart’s workload, these calcium-channel blockers also help increase the blood and oxygen supply to the heart.
For someone with high blood pressure, relaxing the heart muscles and increasing its supply of blood and oxygen can go a long way in improving its health.
Diltiazem ER: This capsule is taken alone or alongside other medicines to treat severe chest pain or high blood pressure.
High blood pressure means the heart muscles are working extra hard, which can wear out the arteries over time. So, if the situation continues unabated for a long time, the arteries may cease to function properly—rendering the heart ineffective.
Diltiazem ER is one of the main types of Diltiazem medication used to relax the heart muscles to keep them from overworking. It is a fast-acting tablet taken two to three times daily for normal dosage.
Diltiazem CD: Diltiazem CD (controlled delivery) also contains the same active ingredient as Diltiazem ER (diltiazem hydrochloride). However, it is a slow-acting option designed to release the active ingredient diltiazem hydrochloride more slowly, often over 24 hours.
Because of its slow-acting pace, Diltiazem CD is typically taken once a day.
How to use diltiazem for best results?
Diltiazem works well whether you take it alone or with food, so long as the recommended dosage is followed.
For the best results, ensure you swallow diltiazem capsules or tablets whole, typically with a glass of water.
You must not crush or chew them as so doing will affect their working. In case of difficulty swallowing the tablets, you can always raise the issue with your supplier or doctor and discuss your options.
Ensure you take your dosage of diltiazem oral tablets or capsules at around the same time(s) each day for the best results.
Diltiazem Dosage – How many Diltiazem pills should you take?
While there is an IV option for Diltiazem medication, you will often only use the capsule or tablet. This is because the injectable solution is only administered by healthcare professionals in hospitals.
The number of diltiazem pills you take per day will depend on the strength of your medication and whether it is a long-acting (extended-release) tablet or a standard fast-acting option.
While both options are taken by mouth, with or without food, the extended-release capsule is taken only once a day, while the standard tablet may be taken two to four times a day.
Your doctor or supplier will typically start you off on a low-strength tablet such as 30mg to avoid the possibility of experiencing related side effects.
For a relatively severe heart condition, your dosage may be increased from a lower dose like 30mg to a higher one like 60 mg or 120mg. Notice that the strongest diltiazem dosage you can take is 360mg, but this should never be your starting point.
Diltiazem dosages should always begin with a low-strength product and only increase as your body adjusts to the medication.
The product will have all the usage instructions on the label in most cases. However, ask your doctor or supplier to help clarify any areas or instructions that you have difficulty understanding.
Following the prescribed diltiazem dosage will lead to desirable results with few to no side effects.
This means not taking the tablets or capsules more or less often than prescribed. It also means not discontinuing your dosage except on your doctor’s recommendation.
Diltiazem dosage for Hypertensive patients
Diltiazem treatments typically start off on a low dosage and increase gradually over time based on individual patient needs and body responses.
For patients with high blood pressure (hypertension), the reasonable starting dose may be 180 mg or 240 mg taken once a day. However, some patients’ bodies respond well to lower doses, often 120mg.
Clinical trials have studied 240 mg and 360 mg doses taken once a day for hypertensive patients. Some patients in these trials have also responded to doses as high as 480 mg once daily.
However, such high doses are also associated with more side effects and should not be used as starting points for standard treatment scenarios.
Diltiazem dosage for angina: Each patient has different dosage needs for angina treatment. The reasonable starting dosage is a 120 mg capsule taken once a day in the morning or a 180mg tablet taken once daily in the morning or evening.
Diltiazem dosage for atrial fibrillation: The reasonable starting dosage for atrial fibrillation is an IV bolus of 0.25 mg/kg over 2 minutes. This careful and closely monitored administration is intended to keep the patient safe from induced hypotension (low blood pressure).
How long does it take for diltiazem to work?
Diltiazem oral tablets and capsules normally start working on the day you start taking them. However, you will not typically see any noticeable changes until about a week or two later.
The full working of the medication for hypertension or angina patients may take a couple of weeks to materialize. So you may not feel any different when taking it for the first time to treat angina or high blood pressure.
Consistently taking diltiazem is recommended to control chest pain and alleviate the symptoms of hypertension. If the chest pain has already started, diltiazem oral capsules or tablets will not stop it.
In such cases, you may require a different medication to stop the pain, while diltiazem helps control it.
Diltiazem will control hypertension and chest pain but not cure them. Expect to use the medication for about two weeks before feeling its full benefit.
You will need to continue taking the diltiazem tablets even after feeling well. Stopping your intake without a physician’s advice may lead to the recurrence of chest pain or hypertension symptoms.
Diltiazem 2024 clinical trial assessment and results: Is diltiazem safe to use?
Recent studies show that diltiazem medications are suitable for grownups and children aged 12 years and older.
The medication can interact with other treatments and conditions, so it is important to share any information regarding allergic reactions or ongoing medications with your doctor before starting dosage.
This information will help you get the best diltiazem plan and allow you to take it more safely.
According to multiple recent studies, properly taking diltiazem oral tablets can control various abnormal heart rhythms, chest pain, and high blood pressure.
In terms of dosage, available clinical data indicate that patients get the best results when they start on low doses, often ranging between 120 milligrams and 240 milligrams for hypertension and angina.
In most cases, patients start on a 120mg dosage and gradually increase their dosages to 180mg or 240mg. Meanwhile, clinical experience or information on patients taking doses above 360 mg a day is almost nonexistent.
However, researchers have studied doses as high as 540 milligrams in clinical trials, but such high doses have not been prescribed for patients on conventional treatment yet.
The studies have revealed a greater incidence of side effects as the diltiazem dose increases. In contrast, side effects tend to be fewer as the doses reduce. This explains why lower doses are recommended for first-time users of diltiazem oral tablets.
Diltiazem Side Effects
Side effects are uncommon for patients that follow the correct diltiazem prescription and dosage. However, those with sensitivities or who fail to follow the prescriptions start on higher dosages tend to experience side effects such as:
- Dizziness
- Constipation
Serious allergic reactions in response to diltiazem are rare, except for people with allergies who fail to disclose the information to their doctors when starting the medication.In cases where these side effects occur, they usually disappear in a matter of days and hardly ever last for longer than a couple of days. So, if you experience any side effects that last for up to a week, you may have a different problem and should contact your physician.
Diltiazem results before and after: does diltiazem work, or is it a scam?
Multiple clinical studies have examined diltiazem and documented its efficacy, indicating that it works.
Individual patients have also reported their experiences with the medication on forums like Reddit and other discussion platforms. In most of these cases, patients report significant changes within a week or two after starting to use the oral medication.Overall, most patients are happy with their results, with only a few who have reported side effects and unhappiness with their experiences. Based on this overwhelming evidence, it is accurate to say that diltiazem is a legitimate treatment for acute chest pain, heart abnormalities, and hypertension.
- Diltiazem results after two weeks: Diltiazem usually starts working on the day you take it. However, results for hypertension or angina cases do not become noticeable until at least a week or two later. After two weeks, there are significantly reduced chest pains, even though the medication does not treat angina per se. It alleviates the symptoms, bringing significant relief to the patient. If taken for high blood pressure, the patient usually shows a significant reduction in the symptoms of hypertension after two weeks of regular use. Patients undertaking the therapy under the supervision of a doctor can often increase their dosage after two weeks of taking diltiazem. After that change, the doctor will continue to monitor progress over the following days to see if a dose reduction is necessary.
- Diltiazem results after one month: After four weeks of taking diltiazem regularly, the patient usually experiences maximum relief from hypertension if they take the oral medication to treat high blood pressure. If the medication is taken to treat chest pains, the patient usually feels maximum relief as soon as 14 days after commencing the dosage. After one month, the results have typically peaked for most patients. Even patients with a significantly slower response to treatment usually exhibit maximum antihypertensive effect after one month of taking the medication.
Our Diltiazem reviews and rating
Many customers across various forums claim to have experienced relief from chest pain, high blood pressure, and abnormal heart rhythms. While different people have used diltiazem to treat different conditions, relief has been common among the users.
Of course, some users have reported side effects and unsatisfactory results from using this calcium channel blocker. Nonetheless, the people reporting such unideal experiences comprise the smaller minority.
Going by the evidence that we have put together, we are confident that regular and correct use of diltiazem can help alleviate chest pain and symptoms of high blood pressure.
Diltiazem pros and cons
Like any medication, diltiazem has its fair share of strengths and limitations that may make it a more or less suitable medication. Here are the pros and cons to consider when deciding upon it as your treatment for angina or high blood pressure.
Pros of Diltiazem
- ✔️ Diltiazem can alleviate symptoms of high blood pressure.
- ✔️ The medication can control heart-related chest pain
- ✔️ It can prevent abnormal heart rhythm
- ✔️ The medication is available in generic forms at lower costs
Cons of Diltiazem
- ❌ Diltiazem is unsuitable for patients with hypersensitive reactions to its intake.
- ❌ Diltiazem can interact with Beta-blockers and Quinidine.
Diltiazem reviews on the internet and forums like Reddit or Consumer Reports:
Users on different forums report different experiences with diltiazem. However, a decent majority of them have had positive experiences with the treatment.
Some users experience a few side effects that typically dissipate soon after the body has adjusted to the treatment.
Based on the experience of most of these users, the adjustment window often lasts only a few days. And in most cases, the complaints from users come from taking the wrong dosage or taking the medication alongside another, causing issues along the way. Diltiazem can interact with other medications or trigger allergic reactions in people with sensitivities to the treatment. Sharing such pieces of information with your physician before starting a dose can often help you avoid severe side effects. However, there are patients that withhold such information, leading to problems once they start using the oral medication. Overall, those who take the diltiazem following the right prescription tend to have the best experience with few to no side effects. Diltiazem can interact with other medications, herbs, or vitamins you may be taking, so it is essential to disclose to your doctor any information regarding the medications you may be taking before starting a Diltiazem dosage.
Is diltiazem reputable, or are there any warnings about diltiazem on the internet?
Diltiazem is significantly efficacious, with most people using it for treating atrial fibrillation, chest pains, or high blood pressure reporting positive results.
Additionally, there is a lot of information regarding the use and effectiveness of the medication across the internet. Various peer-reviewed studies and medical journals contain a wealth of information attesting to the reputation of Diltiazem oral capsules.
Added to the fact that our in-depth research did not find any warnings or reason to question the medication, we believe that diltiazem is reputable and worth using, albeit one should always follow the prescriptions given by a certified professional.
What do I need to consider if I want to discontinue diltiazem?
It is essential to consider the reason for taking diltiazem in the first place if you want to discontinue your dosage. Diltiazem may be prescribed for treating high blood pressure, so if you have the condition, discontinuing it may cause a rise in your blood pressure, potentially putting you at a greater risk of a stroke or heart attack.
Due to the essential nature of the medication, it is recommended to always consult your doctor before discontinuing diltiazem.
Where can you buy diltiazem? Diltiazem price comparison & deals for sale
Diltiazem is a prescription medication, so it is best to buy it from Web Rx 24, where medical experts are on standby to offer free consultation, the best prices, and guaranteed quality and bonuses.
Can you buy diltiazem in a pharmacy?
In all its branded and generic forms, diltiazem is a prescription medication, so you cannot buy it from a pharmacy or over-the-counter (OTC). You can also not buy the drug from any website because you need a medical expert to prescribe it.
This is why Web Rx 24 is the best alternative for those who do not want to incur hefty consultation fees from traditional hospitals and doctors. The website offers you a free consultation and gives you the medication at the lowest prices.
Diltiazem Review Conclusion – Our experience and recommendation
After experimenting with diltiazem, we could not emphasize enough how important it is to start with a lower dosage and increase slowly over time if necessary. From our experience, starting on a lower-strength dose helps you avoid any significant side effects.
Otherwise, we believe diltiazem is one of the best treatments available for hypertension, heart rhythm abnormalities, and heart-related chest pain.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT DILTIAZEM
What is Diltiazem?
What is diltiazem used for?
How to use diltiazem?
What not to take with diltiazem?
How long does diltiazem stay in your system?
How much diltiazem is fatal?
Why take diltiazem on an empty stomach?
What are the side effects of diltiazem?
What does diltiazem look like?
How long does it take for diltiazem to lower heart rate?
Where to buy diltiazem for sale online?
Are there any Diltiazem discounts or coupon codes?
Is it possible to buy diltiazem on eBay and Amazon?
Are there any criticisms of diltiazem, or is it recommended to take diltiazem?
Is it safe to take diltiazem continuously?
Do I need a prescription to buy diltiazem?
Sources
- https://webrx24.com/order-diltiazem-online-en.html?cur=USD&a=79593
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1725545/
- https://www.news-medical.net/drugs/Cardizem-CD-and-Cardizem.aspx
- https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/diltiazem/
- https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo
- https://www.webmd.com/drugs/drugreview-3783-diltiazem-oral
- https://www.healthline.com/health/drugs/diltiazem-oral-capsule#important-warnings
- https://www.drugs.com/comments/diltiazem/
- https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a684027.html
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/diltiazem-oral-route/proper-use/drg-20071775