PlainMeds provides educational information only. This is not medical advice. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist.

carvedilol vs diltiazem

Side-by-side comparison of carvedilol and diltiazem. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.

minor Known Drug Interaction

( 7.6 ) Verapamil- or diltiazem-type calcium channel blockers may affect ECG and/or blood pressure. 7.7 Calcium Channel Blockers Conduction disturbance (rarely with hemodynamic compromise) has been observed when carvedilol tablet is coadministered with diltiazem. As with other β-blocker, if carvedilol tablet is administered with calcium channel blockers of the verapamil or diltiazem type, it is recommended that ECG and blood pressure be monitored.

Recommendation: Your doctor should monitor your heart rhythm and blood pressure closely while you are taking both medications.

Drug Class
carvedilol Beta-Blocker (Alpha/Beta)
diltiazem Calcium Channel Blocker
Type
carvedilol Prescription
diltiazem Prescription
Summary
carvedilol

Carvedilol is a medicine that lowers blood pressure and helps your heart work better. It belongs to a class of drugs called alpha/beta-blockers.

diltiazem

Diltiazem is a medicine that helps lower high blood pressure and prevent chest pain. It belongs to a class of drugs called calcium channel blockers.

What It Treats
carvedilol

Carvedilol treats a few different heart conditions. It is used for long-term heart failure to help you live longer and go to the hospital less. It also helps people who had a heart attack and have a weak heart pump. Carvedilol can also treat high blood pressure.

diltiazem

Diltiazem is used to treat high blood pressure. It can be used alone or with other blood pressure medicines. Diltiazem also helps manage chronic stable angina (chest pain) and angina caused by spasms in the heart's blood vessels.

How It Works
carvedilol

Carvedilol works by blocking the effects of certain natural chemicals in your body, such as adrenaline. This helps to relax blood vessels and slows down your heart rate. As a result, it lowers blood pressure and makes it easier for your heart to pump blood.

diltiazem

Diltiazem works by relaxing blood vessels, which lowers blood pressure. It also reduces the heart's workload, which can prevent chest pain. This medicine blocks calcium from entering heart and blood vessel cells.

Common Side Effects
carvedilol
  • Dizziness
  • Tiredness
  • Low blood pressure
  • Diarrhea
  • High blood sugar
diltiazem
  • Swelling in your ankles or feet
  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Slow heart rate
  • Constipation
FAERS Reports
carvedilol
  • Tiredness 8,668
  • Difficulty breathing 8,176
  • Diarrhea 6,867
  • Dizziness 6,776
  • Feeling sick to your stomach 6,489
diltiazem
  • Shortness of breath 3,200
  • Tiredness 2,637
  • Feeling sick to your stomach 2,372
  • Discomfort 2,364
  • Feeling lightheaded 2,089
Serious Warnings
carvedilol

Do not stop taking carvedilol suddenly if you have heart problems. This can make chest pain worse and may cause a heart attack. If you need to stop taking carvedilol, your doctor will slowly lower your dose over 1 to 2 weeks. Carvedilol can also cause your heart rate to slow down too much or lower your blood pressure too much. If your pulse rate drops below 55 beats per minute, talk to your doctor about lowering the dose.

diltiazem

Diltiazem can interact with other heart medications. Tell your doctor if you take beta-blockers or digoxin. Using diltiazem with these drugs can cause heart problems. Your doctor may need to adjust your dosages.

Pregnancy
carvedilol

It is not known if carvedilol will harm your unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Beta-blockers like carvedilol may cause low blood pressure, slow heart rate, and breathing problems in newborns.

diltiazem

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding. It is not known if diltiazem will harm your unborn baby. Diltiazem passes into breast milk, so talk to your doctor about breastfeeding while taking this medicine.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

How to Read This carvedilol vs diltiazem Comparison

carvedilol is classified in the Beta-Blocker (Alpha/Beta) drug class, while diltiazem sits within the Calcium Channel Blocker class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.

Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, carvedilol has 36,976 submissions while diltiazem has 12,662. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to both drugs slow down the heart's electrical signals and lower blood pressure. this can cause the heart to beat too slowly or change its rhythm.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.

A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between carvedilol and diltiazem - always consult your physician or pharmacist first.

Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.