Common questions about diltiazem - Brand names: Adizem, Angitil, Tildiem, Viazem, Zemtard

Diltiazem is a calcium channel blocker.

If you have high blood pressure, it works by blocking calcium going into muscles in the heart and blood vessels. Muscles need calcium to contract, so when you block the calcium, it makes the muscle cells relax. This lowers your blood pressure and makes it easier for your heart to pump blood around your body.

In angina, diltiazem works by improving the blood supply to your heart. Angina is chest pain that happens when not enough blood gets to the muscles of the heart. It usually happens because the arteries to the heart have become hardened and narrowed. Diltiazem widens the arteries so more oxygen gets to the heart which prevents chest pain.

For Raynaud's, diltiazem works by relaxing and widening the blood vessels to your fingers and toes. This helps more blood reach your fingers and toes.

When diltiazem is used to heal a tear on your anus (anal fissure), it relaxes the muscle near the anus, which makes it easier and less painful to poo. It also helps more blood to flow to where the tear is, which helps it to heal quicker.

Diltiazem starts to work on the day you start taking it, but for high blood pressure and angina it may take a couple of weeks to work fully.

If you're taking diltiazem for high blood pressure, you may not have had any symptoms before. In this case, you may not feel any different when you take it. This does not mean that the medicine is not working. It's important to keep taking it. Your doctor will check to see how well it's working.

If you're taking diltiazem for angina, you may still get chest pain until it starts working fully. Make sure you have your medicine for treating angina attacks with you all the time and use it if you need to. Talk to your doctor if your chest pain does not get any better after a couple of weeks. If it gets worse, tell your doctor straight away.

If you're using diltiazem cream or ointment, it should start to work on the day you apply it to the tear.

Stopping diltiazem may cause your blood pressure to rise and this may increase your risk of a heart attack or stroke.

If you stop using the cream before a fissure has fully healed, it may tear again.

If you're bothered by side effects, your doctor may be able to prescribe you a different medicine.

Talk to your doctor if you want to stop taking diltiazem.

Diltiazem is a calcium channel blocker that works in the same way as other calcium channel blockers to treat high blood pressure and angina. It can make your heart beat more slowly. Some of the other calcium channel blockers do not do this.

There are other medicines (as well as diltiazem) that are used to treat these conditions. Your doctor will be able to tell you if you should take different or more medicines to treat your condition.

Diltiazem does not affect any type of contraception, including the combined pill and emergency contraception.

However, some hormonal methods of contraception, such as the combined pill and contraceptive patch, are not usually recommended for women with high blood pressure.

Talk to your doctor if you're taking or using combined hormonal contraceptives.

Diltiazem can make you feel dizzy. If this happens to you, do not drive a car, ride a bike, or use tools or machinery until you feel better.

It's an offence to drive a car if your ability to drive safely is affected. It's your responsibility to decide if it's safe to drive. If you're in any doubt, do not drive.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you're unsure whether it's safe for you to drive while taking diltiazem. GOV.UK has more information on the law on drugs and driving.

Yes, you can drink alcohol with diltiazem. However, it's best to not drink alcohol for a few days after starting diltiazem or if your doctor increases your dose. Wait until you know how the medicine affects you.

Drinking alcohol can increase the blood pressure-lowering effect of diltiazem, which can make you feel dizzy or light-headed.

No, you can eat and drink normally while taking diltiazem.

If you've been prescribed diltiazem, you can also boost the health of your heart by making some key lifestyle changes. These will also help if you have high blood pressure or angina.

• Cut down on salt – eating too much salt is the biggest cause of high blood pressure. The more salt you eat, the higher your blood pressure will be. Aim for no more than 6g of salt a day.
• Quit smoking – smoking increases your heart rate and blood pressure. Quitting smoking brings down your blood pressure and relieves heart failure symptoms. Try to avoid secondhand smoke too.
• Cut down on alcohol – drinking too much alcohol raises blood pressure over time. It makes heart failure worse too. Try to keep to the recommended guidelines of drinking no more than 14 units of alcohol a week, spread across 3 days or more. A medium glass of wine (175ml) is 2 units. A pint of lager or beer is usually 2 to 3 units of alcohol.
• Exercise – regular exercise keeps your heart and blood vessels in good condition. It does not need to be too energetic, walking every day is enough.
• Eat well – aim to eat a diet that includes plenty of fruit and vegetables, wholegrains, fat-free or low-fat dairy products and lean proteins.
• Deal with stress – when you're anxious or upset, your heart beats faster, you breathe more heavily and your blood pressure often goes up. This raises your risk of heart attack and stroke. Find ways to reduce stress in your life. To give your heart a rest, try napping or putting your feet up when possible. Spend time with friends and family to be sociable and help avoid stress.
• Vaccinations – if you have heart disease, it's recommended that you have the flu vaccine every year and the pneumococcal vaccine as recommended by your GP. Ask your doctor about these vaccines. You can have them free on the NHS. The coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination is recommended for most people. Make sure you've had all the doses that you're eligible for. Talk to your doctor if you think you might be in one of the at-risk groups.

An anal fissure is another name for a tear that happens in your anus. There are many reasons why the skin can tear in your anus. It's usually caused by constipation or persistent diarrhoea.

You can make some changes to your lifestyle to help make going to the toilet easier. This will allow existing tears to heal, as well as reduce your chances of getting a new tear in the future.

• Include plenty of fibre in your diet, such as fruit and vegetables and wholemeal bread, pasta and rice – adults should aim to eat at least 30g of fibre a day.
• Stay well hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids.
• Do not ignore the urge to poo – this can cause your poo to dry out and become harder to pass.
• Exercise regularly – try to do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity a week.

You can help soothe the pain by taking simple painkillers, or by soaking your bottom in a warm bath several times a day, particularly after a poo.