Cardizem and peripheral edema

Drugs.com mentions peripheral edema as a side effect under professional, while on high doses, but neglected to mention what dosage is considered high… especially the immediate release vs the extended release version. They only mention bolus dosage (shot or drip in IV) for flutter and not instant release pills.

“Elderly patients should start on the low end of the dosing range, taking into consideration decreased renal, hepatic, or cardiac function and of concomitant disease or other drug therapies.“

I started 60mg immediate release three times a day and they had to cut off my hospital band today because I’m swelling up. My legs too.

Just curious if anyone is taking cardizem along with an anti arrhythmia drug to control flutter and if they had any side effects? Hot flashes? Edema? Dizziness? Bloated stomach? Low BP?

I just saw this at the Mayo website: “Cardizem- Avoid taking high doses of vitamin D with this heart medication. High doses of vitamin D can cause hypercalcemia, which increases the risk of fatal heart problems with digoxin. Diltiazem (Cardizem, Tiazac, others). Avoid taking high doses of vitamin D with this blood pressure drug.” Is 2000Units considered high?

Also mentioned elsewhere it isn’t as effective for afib:
[pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/02/2022 11:29PM by susan.d.

What is your history with taking this Cardizem? Have you taken it at this dosage before? or at a lower dosage?
I know our situations are different, but I have taken the immediate release form with Flecainide for rate control in AFIB, but at a lower dose with no adverse effects, (I took it every 4 hours at 15-30mg as needed, less at night, more during daytime activity).

Hi Susan!

Sorry to hear of the swelling and the wedding band!

I too had foot swelling with diltiazem. Many do just fine on Cardizem/diltiazem, but painful edema is not an uncommon side effect of calcium channel blockers.

While I am no expert, I think a soft natural brush for dry brushing is your friend, and you might consider manual lymphatic drainage massage or an specialist in it.

Pedal/foot edema is no joke. It can make it hard to fit into shoes, to walk for exercise etc., all of which isn’t great for managing Afib.

I wish you the best!

Quote
The Anti-Fib
What is your history with taking this Cardizem? Have you taken it at this dosage before? or at a lower dosage?
I know our situations are different, but I have taken the immediate release form with Flecainide for rate control in AFIB, but at a lower dose with no adverse effects, (I took it every 4 hours at 15-30mg as needed, less at night, more during daytime activity).

I only had 15mg bolus into my vein (little at a time for a total of 8 minutes) as my flutter chemical conversions. I never took the daily pill version before..especially the dosage not being time released but instead rapid dosing every 8 hours.

It’s ridiculous but I can’t get sotalol and cardizem (spaced 3 hours apart) unless my blood pressure is over 100 so I have to walk back and forth back and forth until I’m out of breath to get it to 102 while the nurse repeatedly take my BP until it reaches 102 and they give me my pill . Sometimes it only can get to 98 after walking so I have to be creative and imaging my room on fire or other nonsense just to get an artificial 102 BP which afterwards really drops real low after the drugs so I’m totally dizzy all day taking daily total 180mg cardizem plus 240mg sotalol. Too symptomatic. I take many walks around the hospital floor during my still in hospital stay just to get it at a tolerable 100 BP. I’d rather have salt than an artificial temporary BP by walking just to take my meds. Right now I’m on low sodium because salt triggers my BP to jump which encourages flutter each time.

I asked to get discharged today. Call me the pills Burt dough gal from the edema from cardizem.

The cartwheels we turn for Afib! I hope all goes well with your discharge and that you find your way out of the edema…

I just got discharged. :-). 8 days in hospital.

Wonderful! So glad to hear it. Enjoy!