Prescription medication · Calcium Channel Blocker
verapamil
Also sold as Calan, Verelan. Verapamil is used to treat chest pain called angina.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 4,224
- FDA reportsLightly reported
- 57
- InteractionsMany interactions
- In shortage
- FDA status
What the data shows
verapamil (Calan) is a prescription Calcium Channel Blocker, among the least-reported drugs the FDA tracks (4,224 FDA reports), with 57 documented drug interactions.
Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.
verapamil (Calan) is a prescription Calcium Channel Blocker. Verapamil is used to treat chest pain called angina.
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.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Shortage Alert
verapamil is currently listed as to be discontinued by the FDA. Affected manufacturer: Pfizer Inc..
View all drug shortages →Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Generic Price
$0.06/unit
Generic Available
Yes (22 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Verapamil is used to treat chest pain called angina.
Common side effects
Constipation, Shortness of breath, Dizziness
Key warnings
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.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from verapamil's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
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.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 4,224 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for verapamil, by number of reports
- Dyspnoea
Dyspnoea
356 reports
- Nausea
Nausea
341 reports
- Drug Interaction
Drug Interaction
316 reports
- Dizziness
Dizziness
286 reports
- Hypotension
Hypotension
280 reports
- Fatigue
Fatigue
271 reports
- Diarrhoea
Diarrhoea
256 reports
- Cough
Cough
239 reports
- Abdominal Pain
Abdominal Pain
238 reports
- Asthenia
Asthenia
238 reports
What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.
Reports over time
Adverse-event reports filed for verapamil each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.
Where verapamil sits
verapamil has more FDA adverse-event reports than 23% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.
Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is verapamil; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 4,224 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2004–2025.
Total Reports
4,224
Reports Mentioning Death
927
21.9% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
1,908
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DYSPNOEA | 356 |
| 2 | NAUSEA | 341 |
| 3 | DRUG INTERACTION | 316 |
| 4 | DIZZINESS | 286 |
| 5 | HYPOTENSION | 280 |
| 6 | FATIGUE | 271 |
| 7 | DIARRHOEA | 256 |
| 8 | COUGH | 239 |
| 9 | ABDOMINAL PAIN | 238 |
| 10 | ASTHENIA | 238 |
| 11 | HEADACHE | 237 |
| 12 | VOMITING | 237 |
| 14 | FALL | 234 |
| 15 | MALAISE | 227 |
| 16 | COMPLETED SUICIDE | 224 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
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.
Known Drug Interactions
7 DRUG INTERACTIONS • CYP3A Inhibitors: In post-MI HFrEF patients, do not exceed 25 mg once daily when used with moderate CYP3A inhibitors (e.g., verapamil, erythromycin, saquinavir, fluconazole).
Mechanism: Verapamil slows down the body's ability to process eplerenone, which can cause the drug to reach higher levels in your blood.
Intervention: For patients taking verapamil, diltiazem, or dronedarone, do not exceed ezetimibe and simvastatin 10 mg/10 mg daily.
Mechanism: Verapamil can cause the levels of the cholesterol medicine to build up in your body, which may lead to muscle damage.
Intervention: For patients taking verapamil, diltiazem, or dronedarone, do not exceed VYTORIN 10/10 mg daily.
Mechanism: Verapamil prevents your body from processing simvastatin correctly, causing the drug to build up to high levels. This can lead to severe muscle pain or weakness.
Intervention: For patients taking verapamil, diltiazem, or dronedarone, do not exceed ezetimibe and simvastatin 10 mg/10 mg daily.
Mechanism: Verapamil slows down the process your body uses to get rid of simvastatin, which can cause the drug to reach toxic levels. This increases the risk of serious muscle injury.
Calcium Channel Blockers: Verapamil Use With Caution Verapamil: Hypotension, bradyarrhythmias, and lactic acidosis have been observed in patients receiving concurrent verapamil, [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 )] .
Mechanism: Combining these drugs can lead to dangerously low blood pressure and a very slow heartbeat. It can also cause a harmful buildup of acid in your blood.
This is a plain-language summary of FDA-label interaction records and does not provide individual medication-combination directions.
Common Questions
Can I drink grapefruit juice while taking verapamil?
Can I drink alcohol while taking verapamil?
What should I do if I feel dizzy after taking verapamil?
Can I take aspirin with verapamil?
Will verapamil cure my high blood pressure?
Can I stop taking verapamil if my blood pressure is normal?
Does verapamil interact with other medications?
How long does it take for verapamil to start working?
What if I have side effects from verapamil?
Can I exercise while taking verapamil?
What are the common side effects of verapamil?
Does verapamil interact with other medications?
What drug class is verapamil?
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for verapamil?
Has verapamil been recalled?
Is verapamil currently in shortage?
Active Recalls
Cross contamination with other products.
Zydus Pharmaceuticals (USA) Inc
Cross contamination with other products.
Zydus Pharmaceuticals (USA) Inc
Related Medications in Calcium Channel Blocker
Other drugs grouped near verapamil - same-class peers and common alternatives.
acebutolol
Sectral
Acebutolol is a medicine that helps lower blood pressure and control irregular heartbeats.
Compare with verapamil →
aliskiren
Tekturna
Tekturna is a medicine used to treat high blood pressure.
Compare with verapamil →
amiloride
Midamor
Amiloride is a water pill that helps your body hold onto potassium.
Compare with verapamil →
amlodipine
Norvasc
Amlodipine (Norvasc) is a drug that lowers blood pressure and treats chest pain.
Compare with verapamil →
amlodipine/benazepril
Lotrel
Lotrel is a combination medicine that contains amlodipine and benazepril.
Compare with verapamil →
Compare beyond drug class
Nationwide peers by FAERS volume & death-report share
Two PlainMeds-derived comparison paths for verapamil: nearest FDA FAERS report volume and nearest death-report share among drugs with at least 1,000 logged reports, excluding same-class neighbors listed above. Counts reflect reporting volume, not proven individual harm.
Similar FAERS report volume
Nearest drugs by total FAERS reports. This record: 4,224.
Similar death-report share
Nearest drugs by FAERS death-report share. This record: 21.95%.
- cefepime Δ 0.19 pts · 13,667 reports · Fourth-Generation Cephalosporin 21.76%death share
- dalteparin Δ 0.25 pts · 10,243 reports · Low-Molecular-Weight Heparin 21.69%death share
- carisoprodol Δ 0.74 pts · 18,851 reports · Centrally Acting Muscle Relaxant 21.20%death share
- ceftazidime Δ 0.80 pts · 7,404 reports · Third-Generation Cephalosporin 22.74%death share
Medication Guides
Understanding Drug Interactions
How CYP450 enzymes, inhibitors, and inducers affect your medications
Generic vs Brand Name Drugs
FDA requirements, cost savings, and when the difference matters
Narrow Therapeutic Index Drugs
FDA bioequivalence and label-record context for narrow therapeutic index medicines
Common Drug Interactions
Dangerous medication combinations and how to protect yourself
Save on verapamil
Compare prices and find discounts at pharmacies near you. Free coupons can save up to 80% on prescriptions.
Disclosure: This link may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. See our terms.
What the FDA Data Shows for verapamil
The FDA label for verapamil (sold under brand names such as Calan, Verelan) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Calcium Channel Blocker class. Verapamil is used to treat chest pain called angina. Official labeling lists 10 commonly reported side effects, including Constipation, Shortness of breath, Dizziness.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 4,224 voluntary reports. The database also lists 57 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated major severity. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $0.06.
Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history (currently 2 recall records on file), and patent information are separate source-record fields. This page is a public FDA/CMS registry and does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC). Shortage status: FDA Drug Shortages Database.
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. This registry does not provide medication decisions.
Last updated: May 22, 2024
PlainMeds is rendered directly from FDA openFDA/FAERS extracts, DailyMed labels, and CMS drug-pricing files, no number is typed in by an editor. FAERS counts, recalls, shortages, and price figures on this page are queried live from those federal extracts. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15. Primary sources: openFDA / FAERS, DailyMed and CMS Part B ASP.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled from the source snapshot dated . See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a data issue.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book - approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed - NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) - post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm - standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files - federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database - current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages