Cardizem vs. Cordarone

• Are Cardizem and Cordarone the Same Thing?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Cardizem?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Cordarone?
• What Is Cardizem?
• What Is Cordarone?
• What Drugs Interact with Cardizem?
• What Drugs Interact with Cordarone?
• How Should Cardizem Be Taken?
• How Should Cordarone Be Taken?

Cardizem (diltiazem hydrochloride) and Cordarone (amiodarone) are used to treat different types of heart problems.

Cardizem is used to prevent chest pain (angina). Cardizem may help to increase your ability to exercise and decrease how often you may get angina attacks.

Cordarone is used for many serious arrhythmias of the heart including ventricular fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, and atrial flutter.

Cardizem and Cordarone belong to different drug classes. Cardizem is a calcium channel blocker and Cordarone is an antiarrhythmic.

Common side effects of Cardizem include:

• dizziness,
• lightheadedness,
• weakness,
• tired feeling,
• nausea,
• upset stomach,
• flushing (warmth, redness, or tingly feeling),
• sore throat,
• cough,
• stuffy nose, and
• headache.

Tell your doctor if you have unlikely but serious side effects of Cardizem including:

• fainting,
• slow/irregular/pounding/fast heartbeat,
• swelling of ankles or feet,
• shortness of breath,
• unusual tiredness,
• unexplained or sudden weight gain,
• mental/mood changes (such as depression, agitation), or
• unusual dreams.

Common side effects of Cordarone include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Weight loss
• Fatigue
• Pulmonary fibrosis
• Heart block
• Heart failure
• Dizziness
• Tiredness
• Shaking or tremor
• Numbness and tingling
• Stomach pain
• Loss of appetite
• Sleep problems (insomnia)
• Weakness
• Lack of coordination
• Warmth, tingling, or redness under your skin

Tell your doctor if you have serious side effects of Cordarone including:

• easy bruising or bleeding,
• loss of coordination,
• tingling or numbness of the hands or feet,
• uncontrolled movements, or
• new or worsening symptoms of heart failure (such as ankle or leg swelling, increased tiredness, increased shortness of breath when lying down).

Cardizem (diltiazem hydrochloride) is a calcium channel blocker used to prevent chest pain (angina). Cardizem may help to increase your ability to exercise and decrease how often you may get angina attacks.

Cordarone (amiodarone) is an antiarrhythmic drug used for many serious arrhythmias of the heart including ventricular fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, and atrial flutter.

 

Cardizem may interact with amiodarone, digoxin, atazanavir, cimetidine, quinidine, St. John's wort, azole antifungals, macrolide antibiotics, rifamycins, buspirone, cyclosporine, sirolimus, statins, anti-seizure drugs, benzodiazepines, caffeine, pseudoephedrine, phenylephrine, or other drugs that can raise heart rate. Tell your doctor all medications and supplements you use.

Cordarone may interact with beta-blockers and certain calcium channel blockers resulting in an excessively slow heart rate or a block in the conduction of the electrical impulse through the heart. Cordarone increases the blood levels of digoxin, flecainide, phenytoin, and procainamide. Cordarone interacts with warfarin and increases the risk of bleeding. Amiodarone can interact with simvastatin, atorvastatin, and lovastatin, increasing the risk of severe muscle breakdown and kidney failure or liver disease. Cordarone is harmful to the fetus and to infants. It should not be administered during pregnancy and women should not breastfeed while taking Cordarone.

 

Dosage of Cardizem is individually adjusted. Starting with 30 mg four times daily, before meals and at bedtime, dosage is increased gradually (given in divided doses three or four times daily) at 1- to 2-day intervals until optimum response is obtained. The average optimum dosage range is 180 to 360 mg/day.

Dosing varies depending on indication.