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diltiazem vs dutasteride

Side-by-side comparison of diltiazem and dutasteride. 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 Calcium Channel Antagonists Dutasteride Coadministration of verapamil or diltiazem decreases dutasteride clearance and leads to increased exposure to dutasteride.

Recommendation: Your doctor should monitor you for side effects since the drug levels in your body may increase.

Drug Class
diltiazem Calcium Channel Blocker
dutasteride 5-Alpha Reductase Inhibitor
Type
diltiazem Prescription
dutasteride Prescription
Summary
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.

dutasteride

Dutasteride and tamsulosin hydrochloride capsules contain two medicines to treat enlarged prostate in men. They help improve symptoms like frequent urination.

What It Treats
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.

dutasteride

This medicine treats benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), also known as enlarged prostate, in men. It helps with symptoms like needing to urinate often, especially at night. It is for men who have an enlarged prostate causing these problems. This medicine is not approved to prevent prostate cancer.

How It Works
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.

dutasteride

Dutasteride lowers a hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT) that causes the prostate to grow. Tamsulosin relaxes the muscles in the prostate and bladder. This combination helps urine flow more easily.

Common Side Effects
diltiazem
  • Swelling in your ankles or feet
  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Slow heart rate
  • Constipation
dutasteride
  • Problems with ejaculation
  • Impotence (trouble getting or keeping an erection)
  • Decreased sex drive
  • Dizziness
  • Breast enlargement or tenderness
FAERS Reports
diltiazem
  • Shortness of breath 3,200
  • Tiredness 2,637
  • Feeling sick to your stomach 2,372
  • Discomfort 2,364
  • Feeling lightheaded 2,089
dutasteride
  • Difficulty breathing 1,233
  • Tiredness 1,142
  • Feeling lightheaded or unsteady 986
  • Weakness 933
  • Loose stools 897
Serious Warnings
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.

dutasteride

This medicine can cause dizziness or fainting, so be careful to avoid falls or injuries. Do not take this medicine with other alpha-blockers, as this can lower your blood pressure too much. This medicine can affect PSA levels, which are used to screen for prostate cancer. Tell your doctor you are taking this medicine before any PSA tests. This medicine may increase the risk of high-grade prostate cancer. Pregnant women should not handle this medicine.

Pregnancy
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.

dutasteride

This medicine is not for use in women. It can cause birth defects in a male fetus if a pregnant woman is exposed to it. Pregnant women or women who may become pregnant should not handle these capsules.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

How to Read This diltiazem vs dutasteride Comparison

diltiazem is classified in the Calcium Channel Blocker drug class, while dutasteride sits within the 5-Alpha Reductase Inhibitor 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 12,662 submissions while dutasteride has 5,191. 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 makes it harder for the body to get rid of dutasteride, which leads to higher levels of the drug 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 diltiazem and dutasteride - 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.