Generic Diltiazem

There are several generic versions of diltiazem available. Some generic diltiazem products are equivalent to each other, while others are not. Also, many manufacturers of generic diltiazem have chosen to name their product a different name, so that the generic diltiazem sounds like a brand-name medication. In addition, not all diltiazem products are approved for the same uses, and the dosages may be different.

Is There a Generic Diltiazem?

Diltiazem hydrochloride is a prescription medicine used for the treatment of high blood pressure (hypotension) or chest pain (known medically as angina). It is part of a group of medications called calcium channel blockers.

There are many different versions of diltiazem. Some are equivalent to each other, while others are not. To make matters even more confusing, many manufacturers of generic diltiazem have chosen to give their medications different names (which makes them sound like brand-name medications), while other generic manufacturers simply use the standard generic name. It can be very difficult to figure out which diltiazem medications are generic versions of which brand-name drugs.

Not all diltiazem medications are approved for the same uses, and the dosages may be different. Different versions of diltiazem include:

Refer to the following table for equivalent versions of diltiazem products, along with their approved uses:

Brand Name	Generic Equivalents	High Blood Pressure	Stable angina (chest pain)	Variant angina (chest pain)
Cardizem	Diltiazem		X	X
Cardizem CD	Diltiazem Extended Release Dilt-CD Cartia XT	X	X	X
Cardizem LA	Diltiazem Extended Release	X	X
Dilacor XR	Diltiazem Extended Release Diltia XT Dilt-XR	X	X
Tiazac	Diltiazem Extended Release Taztia XT	X	X

Notice that several of the products are simply named "diltiazem extended release." Therefore, it can be impossible for a person to know which brand-name product a particular diltiazem extended release drug is equivalent to. If you have questions about this matter, please ask your pharmacist. He or she has the necessary resources to correctly link the appropriate generics to their brand-name counterparts.