Cardizem cd weight gain

My Cardiologist put me on 120 mg Cardizem CD to help calm my PVC’s and lower my Blood Pressure.I have been on a weight loss program since May 2,2020 and I have lost 34 lbs. I started the Cardizem cd last Thursday night. I weighed this morning as I have done every week and I gained 7 lbs! My ankles are not swelled; I do feel bloated but not real bad. Called Cardiologist and he took me off Cardizem and told me to continue Metoprolol ER.
This weight gain stressed me out. Should I be on a water pill? Beta Blockers never seem to be a issue for me as far as weight issues. Any thoughts? I have no idea why PVC’s started popping except walking in the Louisiana heat and Humidity. Thanks

Water retention is a known side effect of calcium channel blockers (CCB ), which is what Cardizem is. It doesn't happen to everyone, just some. I used to take amlodipine (another CCB ) for hypertension but it caused swollen ankles due to the water retention so I stopped. So it's likely that 7 pounds is all or mostly water. Don't worry, it will gradually go back to normal if you stick to your same diet and exercise. Although diuretics might speed it up some, the problem with those is they cause you to lose electrolytes too, which is the last thing somebody with lots of ectopics needs.

As for the PVCS, heat and insufficient hydration will do the same thing as diuretics. Lots of high potassium foods, occasional salty items, and twice the water you're drinking now might stop them.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/20/2020 08:20PM by Carey.

Smackman:

Last month I was admitted to the hospital for 3 days in order to start Tikosyn. They also started me on Metoprolol. My heart rate was too high (spiking to 170s when I got up to use the bathroom) so they added Diltiazem (extended release) 120 mg PO QD.

Well... when I got home from the hospital I had swollen ankles, a circular divit line around my ankles where my socks (elastic) had dug in, was short of breath when talking excitedly on the phone, and I wasn’t urinating as much as is normal.

I gained 6 pounds in one day.

My cardiologist said that calcium channel blockers can cause fluid retention. He discontinued the Diltiazem, and prescribed furosemide for me to use for 2 or 3 days. (He said to take potassium while on the furosemide, so I put 1/4 teaspoon of Nu-Salt / KCl in water and drank it twice a day.) And he mentioned that the fluid retention can increase atrial stretch and precipitate AFib, so that is obviously not what we want.

I just wanted to add this to the above response to corroborate it...

Best wishes and Congrats on the weight loss. That is not easy to do!

(and that completes my first post on this forum...)



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 07/20/2020 08:22PM by rhexis.