digoxin vs diltiazem
Side-by-side comparison of digoxin and diltiazem. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
moderate Known Drug Interaction
Digitalis : Administration of diltiazem hydrochloride with digoxin in 24 healthy male subjects increased plasma digoxin concentrations approximately 20%. Another investigator found no increase in digoxin levels in 12 patients with coronary artery disease. Monitor digoxin levels when initiating, adjusting, and discontinuing diltiazem hydrochloride therapy to avoid possible over- or under- digitalization (see WARNINGS ).
Recommendation: Your doctor should check your digoxin blood levels whenever you start, stop, or change your dose of diltiazem.
Digoxin (Lanoxin) is a medicine that helps your heart pump better. It is used to treat heart failure and control irregular heartbeats.
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.
Digoxin is used to treat mild to moderate heart failure in adults. It helps the heart pump more blood with each beat. Digoxin is also used in children with heart failure to help their heart work better. In adults, it can control a fast and irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation.
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.
Digoxin belongs to a class of drugs called cardiac glycosides. It works by making the heart muscle contract more strongly. It also slows down the electrical signals in the heart, which can help control irregular heartbeats.
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.
- • Nausea
- • Vomiting
- • Diarrhea
- • Dizziness
- • Headache
- • Swelling in your ankles or feet
- • Headache
- • Dizziness
- • Slow heart rate
- • Constipation
- Shortness of breath 6,062
- Feeling sick to your stomach 4,747
- Feeling lightheaded or unsteady 4,442
- Feeling very tired 4,174
- Irregular heartbeat 3,972
- Shortness of breath 3,200
- Tiredness 2,637
- Feeling sick to your stomach 2,372
- Discomfort 2,364
- Feeling lightheaded 2,089
Digoxin can cause serious side effects, including dangerous heart rhythms. You are at higher risk if you have certain heart conditions or kidney problems. Tell your doctor right away if you have nausea, vomiting, vision changes, or an irregular heartbeat.
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 digoxin can harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. The medicine passes into breast milk, but it is unlikely to harm the baby.
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.
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How to Read This digoxin vs diltiazem Comparison
digoxin is classified in the Cardiac Glycoside 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, digoxin has 23,397 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 moderate interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to diltiazem can cause the amount of digoxin in your blood to rise, which may lead to side effects from having too much medicine in your system.. 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 digoxin 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.