Angizem (diltiazem) is a generic version of the medication Cardizem. A calcium channel blocker, the medication widens the diameter of arterial walls and slows heartbeat rate, reducing blood pressure and oxygen demand. Angizem is most often used to help manage:

• Mild to moderate hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Chronic stable angina
• Angina due to coronary artery spasm
• Certain heart arrhythmias

Angizem is sometimes used off-label to treat other conditions, such as cluster headaches. It should be used only with advice of a doctor who can take into account other medical conditions that may be present, as well as other medications being taken.

Unfortunately Angizem is not a cure for any condition, but it can help manage them. Diet, exercise, and other lifestyle changes may improve results, provided a patient is able to undertake such changes.

Getting Started with Angizem

Patients starting Angizem for the first time will want to do so with some degree of caution, even if otherwise healthy. Treatment typically looks like:

• Start with 120 mg per day, divided into four 30 mg doses spread throughout the day.
• Dosage may be increased gradually every day or every two days until an effective dose is found.
• The majority of patients find 180 to 360 mg per day effective.

Angizem tablets should not be split, crushed, or chewed. If the needed dose is not available as Angizem, patients may want to check the Cardizem page, which can be found here.

Patients who have other medical conditions---such as renal or hepatic impairment---should increase dosage of Angizem with great caution. Regular doctor checkups will likely be necessary at the start of treatment, until an effective dose is established and serious side effects are not present.

If using Angizem to manage angina, patients should be aware that the medication only reduces the frequency and severity of attacks---they may still happen (though for some patients they won't). Angizem does little for an active attack, and patients are often still given a rescue treatment, such as nitroglycerin, which works quickly to abort an active attack. Many standard rescue treatments do have some interaction concerns with Angizem, so patients should take only those approved by a doctor.

Angizem may be used on its own or with other blood pressure-lowering medications to treat hypertension. Blood pressure should be monitored closely at the start of treatment and following dosage modifications of any blood pressure-related medications.

While Angizem's active ingredient---diltiazem---does slow heart beat rate, Angizem is not marketed to treat heart arrhythmias. This doesn't mean it won't be prescribed. Follow doctor instructions carefully. If other measures aren't taken to correct the arrhythmia, it will likely return if treatment stops.

Precautions & Side Effects

All calcium channel blockers, including Angizem and Cardizem, will lower blood pressure and slow heart rate. Patients who have any medical condition or who take medications that reduce blood pressure and/or influence heart rate should use this product with caution.

Other, unrelated medications can also interact with Angizem. Be sure to inform the prescribing doctor of all other medical conditions and medications being taken, including over-the-counter varieties, and don't be afraid to ask questions about side effects or drug interactions, no matter how trivial they may seem.

Some side effects are fairly common with Angizem, but are usually transient, meaning they'll stop occurring over the first few weeks as the body adjusts to treatment:

• Mild dizziness
• Stomach upset
• Headache
• Constipation
• Edema in extremities
• Flushing

If the above are severe or persistant, speak with a doctor.

Certain medical conditions put patients taking Angizem at increased risk of complications. Dosage is usually lower and increased monitoring may be required if a patient has:

• Sick sinus syndrome
• Severe bradycardia (slow heartbeat)
• Heart failure
• Left ventricular failure
• Atrioventricular block

Angizem is safe for use while breastfeeding, but should be avoided if possible while pregnant. Effects on unborn human babies are unclear, but animal studies did produce adverse effects.