diltiazem vs dronedarone
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 diltiazem and dronedarone. 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
Calcium Channel Blockers Verapamil and diltiazem are moderate CYP3A inhibitors and increase dronedarone exposure. Calcium Channel Blockers Dronedarone increased the exposure of calcium channel blockers (verapamil, diltiazem or nifedipine).
Cardizem, Tiazac
Multaq
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.
Multaq is a medicine that helps lower the risk of needing to stay in the hospital for atrial fibrillation (AFib). It is for people who have a history of AFib and are currently in normal heart rhythm.
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.
Multaq is used to lower the risk of hospitalization if you have atrial fibrillation (AFib). AFib is an irregular heartbeat. This medicine is for people who used to have AFib, but are now in a normal heart rhythm.
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.
Multaq is an antiarrhythmic drug. It works by changing the electrical signals in the heart. This helps to keep your heart in a normal rhythm and prevent AFib from returning.
- • Swelling in your ankles or feet
- • Headache
- • Dizziness
- • Slow heart rate
- • Constipation
- • Diarrhea
- • Nausea
- • Abdominal pain
- • Vomiting
- • Feeling weak or tired
- Dyspnoea 3,202
- Fatigue 2,638
- Nausea 2,372
- Pain 2,365
- Dizziness 2,091
- Atrial Fibrillation 1,420
- Dyspnoea 838
- Fatigue 615
- Diarrhoea 477
- Nausea 472
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.
Multaq can increase the risk of death, stroke, and heart failure in patients with severe heart failure or permanent AFib. You should not take this medicine if you have severe heart failure that recently required hospitalization or if you have permanent AFib and will not be converted to a normal heart rhythm.
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.
Multaq can harm an unborn baby. If you are a woman who could become pregnant, use effective birth control while taking Multaq. Do not breastfeed while taking Multaq and for 5 days after your last dose.
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How to Read This diltiazem vs dronedarone Comparison
diltiazem is classified in the Calcium Channel Blocker drug class, while dronedarone sits within the Class III Antiarrhythmic 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, diltiazem has 12,668 submissions while dronedarone has 3,822. 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 two drugs slow down each other's breakdown in the body. this causes the levels of both medications to rise at the same time.. 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 diltiazem or dronedarone.
Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.