Adizem

[Bowler60]

Have been prescribed Adizem in place of bisoprolol . The leaflet says do not take if you have a irregular heart beat which doesn’t make sense as I have AF. Anybody have experience with this drug?

[Buffafly]

Yes, I have been taking it for years - Diltiazem - and it is regularly prescribed for AF! Stupid leaflet.....

[Buffafly in reply to Buffafly]

PS make sure you always get the same brand as your body gets used to one. I didn't like Adizem, did funny things to my digestive system, so I switched to Slozem. Just thought I'd mention because a lot of people don't know the brands differ.

[Bowler60 in reply to Buffafly]

Thanks for that

[BobD Volunteer]

Never got on with diltiezem. Thought I would die --- and wanted to!

[Hidden in reply to BobD]

Ditto!

[Gowers in reply to BobD]

Sounds like you had a difficult time when you were on that medication. How did it effect you? And what medication did you change to please? I didn't get on well with Bisoporol but (so far!) find Diltiezem is much better - hardly any etopics

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Gowers]

Only ever took one tablet. Nausea, confusion, dizzy, legs swelled up like elephants. Not pleasant. I can't take calcium channel blockers of any kind due to peripheral oedeama . Can't get shoes on my feet sell so much.

I was never on beta blockers apart from eleven years ago when my AF started and I was on atenolol with little problems and flecaianide as PIP, EP changed me onto propafanone.

[Gowers in reply to BobD]

Thank you for nteresting and helpful pist

[Hidden]

Diltiazem (Adizem) is regularly used in the UK as an alternative to beta blockers to reduce heart rate during episodes of fast atrial fibrillation. It is contra-indicated in any form of heart block unless you have a pacemaker.

I don't know the data sheet information outside the UK.

nice.org.uk/guidance/cg180/...

You will see Diltiazem mentioned on this NICE page in the guidelines for AF

[Sunny-fl]

I have been taking diltiazem over a year and a half now and it has worked well for me.

[MarkS]

Diltiazem worked much better for me than beta blockers when I had AF.

[Gowers in reply to MarkS]

Same here - had ectopics lasting hours on Bisoporol and now like you

Hardly any on Diltiazem

[KMRobbo]

For AF rate control, it was better for me than beta blockers , and way better than bisoprolol, but gave me brain fog tiredness, some breathlessness and exercise intolerance. The side effects seemed to get progressively worse, sort of cumulative effect. I was on 200 mg mod release. I tried adizem, slozem and another one, tildiem which was difficult to obtain, hence why I swapped to adizem. I did 10 months on it, I only put up with it as I was waiting for an ablation, and I hoped I could come off it after, which I managed to do(so far). Took 4 to 6 weeks to get rid of the brain fog and poor memory after I stopped it. Did not do me any major damage as far as I can tell however.

The only rate control drug I have tried which did not give me many side effects was verapamil another CCB.

Everyone is different and hopefully diltiazem is ok for you, but if you do have issues you could ask your medics about verapamil.

Best wishes

[Gowers in reply to KMRobbo]

Thank you for pisting - interestingly I was on Verapamil for nearly 9 years but for the last 2 years i went from just a 120mg once a day -to 2x120mg a day - and then x3 a day as i was feeling a heaviness in the chest and lot of ectopics. I was prescribed Bisoporol (by cardiologist) but, even low dose didn't help - it gave me brain fog and tiredness. That went within 2days of taking Adizem

[Bowler60 in reply to Gowers]

Thanks I think you meant posting😀

[Gowers in reply to Bowler60]

I certainly did- typing error!