Cardizem Uses (Cont.)

How Cardizem Works

Cardizem is part of a class of drugs called calcium channel blockers. Cardizem helps slow down the rate at which calcium moves into your heart and blood vessel walls. This, in turn, helps to relax the vessels, which allows better blood flow and makes it easier for the heart to pump blood.
 
There are two basic types of calcium channel blockers: dihydropyridine and non-dihydropyridine. The most important difference between the two is that non-dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers can slow down the heart rate, while dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers do not. Cardizem is a non-dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker, which means that it can decrease the heart rate, which makes the drug useful for certain types of irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias).
 

Cardizem Uses in Children

Cardizem has been not been adequately studied in children and is not approved for their use. Be sure to talk to your child's healthcare provider about the benefits and risks of using the drug in children.
 

Off-Label Cardizem Uses

On occasion, your healthcare provider may recommend Cardizem for treating something other than angina. This is called an "off-label" use. At this time, off-label uses of Cardizem include the treatment of:
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;