cilostazol vs diltiazem
PlainMeds reviewed this comparison against our methodology in August 2026. It places FDA and CMS record fields side by side, without recommending either medication.
Side-by-side comparison of cilostazol 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
Reduce cilostazol tablets dose ( 2.2 , 7.1 ) 7.1 Inhibitors of CYP3A4 or CYP2C19 Inhibitors of CYP3A4 Coadministration of strong (e.g., ketoconazole) and moderate (e.g., erythromycin, diltiazem and grapefruit juice) CYP3A4 inhibitors can increase exposure to cilostazol.
Pletal
Cardizem, Tiazac
Cilostazol is a medicine that helps improve walking distance in people with leg pain due to poor circulation. It works by helping blood flow more easily through your blood vessels.
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.
Cilostazol treats intermittent claudication. This is leg pain that happens when you walk because your leg muscles are not getting enough blood. Cilostazol helps to reduce the symptoms of this condition, like leg pain, by improving blood flow to your legs, so you can walk further without pain.
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.
Cilostazol is a phosphodiesterase III (PDE III) inhibitor. It works by relaxing the muscles in your blood vessels. This helps more blood flow to your legs and feet.
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.
- • Headache
- • Diarrhea
- • Abnormal stools
- • Palpitation (feeling your heart beat)
- • Dizziness
- • Swelling in your ankles or feet
- • Headache
- • Dizziness
- • Slow heart rate
- • Constipation
- Diarrhoea 302
- Fall 231
- Pneumonia 230
- Death 217
- Dyspnoea 209
- Dyspnoea 3,202
- Fatigue 2,638
- Nausea 2,372
- Pain 2,365
- Dizziness 2,091
You should not take cilostazol if you have heart failure. This medicine can be harmful if you have heart failure.
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.
It is not known if cilostazol is safe to take during pregnancy. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is also not known if cilostazol passes into breast milk. You should not breastfeed while taking cilostazol.
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
Compare diltiazem with
How to Read This cilostazol vs diltiazem Comparison
cilostazol is classified in the PDE3 Inhibitor (Antiplatelet) 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, cilostazol has 1,189 submissions while diltiazem has 12,668. 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 diltiazem slows down the liver's ability to process cilostazol, which leads to higher amounts of the drug staying in your bloodstream. this increases the risk of side effects from cilostazol.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for cilostazol or diltiazem.
Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.