Common use

Cartia is used in treatment hypertension, chest pain (angina) and certain heat rhythm disorders. It's active component diltiazem belongs to the group of so called calcium channel blockers. Diltiazem works by relaxing the muscles of our blood vessel ans heart.



Dosage and directions

Take Cartia exactly as it was prescribed by your doctor. Take it with a full glass of water. Avoid crushing, chewing and breaking a tablet. Swallow it the whole.

Cartia can be only a part of a treatment program that include diet, exercise and other medications.



Precautions

This medicine can cause impairing of your thinking or reactions. Be careful driving or doing anything that requires high concentration of your reaction. Do not stop taking medication with your doctor's agreement.



Contraindications

Do not use Cartia if you have the following conditions low blood pressure, certain heart conditions (sick sinus syndrome, AV block), if you've had recent heart attack. Before starting Cartia tell your doctor if you have any allergy or if you have kidney or liver disease, congestive heart failure. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. This medicine can cause harm to unborn baby. Diltiazem passes into breast milk. Do not use it during breastfeeding without telling your doctor.



Possible side effects

Besides allergic reactions (hives, swelling of your face, tongue, throat,difficulty breathing), you can experience such serious side effects: fever, sore throat, and headache with a severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash; fast or slow heartbeats, feeling light-headed, fainting, swelling, rapid weight gain, nausea, stomach pain, low fever, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice. Call to you doctor if you experience one of them.

Less serious side effects:skin rash or itching, nausea, warmth, redness, tingly feeling, stuffy nose, dizziness, headache, tired feeling.



Drug interaction

Tell your doctor if you take the following medications: digoxin (digitalis, Lanoxin, Lanoxicaps), an antibiotic such as clarithromycin (Biaxin), erythromycin (E-Mycin, E.E.S., Ery-Tab, Erythrocin), or telithromycin (Ketek); an antifungal medication such as fluconazole (Diflucan), itraconazole (Sporanox), ketoconazole (Nizoral), or voriconazole (Vfend); HIV/AIDS medicine ( amprenavir (Agenerase), atazanavir (Reyataz), delavirdine (Rescriptor), fosamprenavir (Lexiva), indinavir (Crixivan), nelfinavir (Viracept), or ritonavir (Norvir, Kaletra)); beta-blockers (atenolol (Tenormin), bisoprolol (Zebeta, Ziac), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol), propranolol (Inderal, InnoPran), sotalol (Betapace), timolol (Blocadren); amiodarone (Cordarone, Pacerone); buspirone (BuSpar); lovastatin (Mevacor); quinidine (Quinaglute, Quinidex, Quin-Release); a sedative such as midazolam (Versed) or triazolam (Halcion); cimetidine (Tagamet, Tagamet HB).

Grapefruit and grapefruit juice can interact with Diltiazem and to lead to potentially dangerous effects.



Missed dose

If you miss a dose, use it as soon as you remember. If it is near the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose and resume your usual dosing schedule. Do not double the dose to catch up.



Overdose

Symptoms of Cartia overdose are weakness, chest pain, feeling light-headed, slow heartbeat, shortness of breath, fainting. If you overdosed Cartia seek medical attention right away.



Storage

Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.



Disclaimer

We provide only general information about medications which does not cover all directions, possible drug integrations, or precautions. Information at the site cannot be used for self-treatment and self-diagnosis. Any specific instructions for a particular patient should be agreed with your health care adviser or doctor in charge of the case. We disclaim reliability of this information and mistakes it could contain. We are not responsible for any direct, indirect, special or other indirect damage as a result of any use of the information on this site and also for consequences of self-treatment.