Diltiazem effects/side effects

[Dunningl]

Hi, looking for advice. I've been px diltiazem 120mg once daily for svt after awful experience with beta blockers. I'm day 5 taking diltiazem and having tingling I'm hands and face and legs are like jelly. Has anyone experienced this, know if its normal and/or,if it will subside with time when my body adjusts. Just concerned I'm going down the same beta blocker side effects route which I can't take again. Thanks in advance

[Healthyheart1]

Hi Dunningl, have you thought of speaking to your local pharmacist? Regards Sheena

[DD13]

Hi I was on 180mg had no problems with them. Not on them now, as they said I did not have angina. Speak to chemist or gp. But you have to be tailed off these, don't just stop taking them. I suffer with raynauds, these didn't make that worse like other beta blockers do. That's why hospital gave me these ones.

Regards Denise.

[Dunningl in reply to DD13]

Thanks for the reply. Spoke to pharmacy today who basically won't commit to a response due to the nature of the medication. Message left for my cardiologist to get back to me although they did tell me when px that i could stop without titrating off which I'm going to do tonight and just use as pill in pocket should I need it for now. Im so tired of feeling unwell due to medication.

[DD13 in reply to Dunningl]

Hi thanks for replying. Wait for cardiologist to tell you what to do? I had a call from the cardiac nurse, saying they were going to stop the beta blocker. So I said I would stop taking it the next day. He told me I had to carry on taking it, until the dr had tiltrated me off. If I stopped it just like that I would be ill and in hospital. But when I went to get my new prescription the gp had rung and told them not to give it to me. So I had to go home, ring the hospital as was a Saturday (drs shut) to get them to speak to chemist to give me my tablets. I had to make an appointment with the doctor, who did not realise these tablets went lower in dosage? Did apologise to me and gave me lower dosage to come off them. They thought as I had been given such a high dose in the beginning, they didn't go lower. The chemist I saw said, you can't go from such a high dose to zero.

Regards Denise.

[Dunningl in reply to DD13]

Beta blockers work in a different way. They block the adrenaline receptors so suddenly stopping causes the release and your body has a problem trying to adjust and work out what is going on. I reduced slowly from BB's yet still had awful side effects. CCB's act differently. I did check with my cardiologist and said stopping, especially with my sensitivilty was OK after a short period of time.