carvedilol vs verapamil
Side-by-side comparison of carvedilol and verapamil. 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. 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 healthcare provider should regularly check your blood pressure and heart rhythm.
Coreg
Calan, Verelan
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.
Verapamil is a drug that helps to lower blood pressure and treat chest pain (angina) and irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias). It works by relaxing blood vessels and slowing down the heart rate.
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.
Verapamil is used to treat chest pain called angina. This includes angina that happens when you are resting or during normal activity. It is also used to control your heart rate if you have a fast or irregular heartbeat, such as atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter. Verapamil also treats high blood pressure.
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.
Verapamil belongs to a class of drugs called calcium channel blockers. It works by blocking calcium from entering heart and blood vessel cells. This relaxes and widens blood vessels, which lowers blood pressure and makes it easier for the heart to pump.
- • Dizziness
- • Tiredness
- • Low blood pressure
- • Diarrhea
- • High blood sugar
- • Constipation
- • Shortness of breath
- • Dizziness
- • Slow heart rate (less than 50 beats per minute)
- • Nausea
- Tiredness 8,668
- Difficulty breathing 8,176
- Diarrhea 6,867
- Dizziness 6,776
- Feeling sick to your stomach 6,489
- Shortness of breath 356
- Feeling sick to your stomach 341
- Interaction with another medicine 316
- Feeling lightheaded or unsteady 286
- Low blood pressure 280
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.
You should not take this medicine if you have severe heart problems, very low blood pressure, or certain types of irregular heartbeats without a pacemaker. Talk to your doctor if you have any of these conditions.
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.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding. It is not known if verapamil will harm your unborn baby. Verapamil can pass into breast milk, so talk to your doctor about the best way to feed your baby if you take this medicine.
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How to Read This carvedilol vs verapamil Comparison
carvedilol is classified in the Beta-Blocker (Alpha/Beta) drug class, while verapamil 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 verapamil has 1,579. 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 these medications both work to lower blood pressure and slow the heart. taking them together can cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure or heart rate.. 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 verapamil - 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.