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" What is it used for?  Angina pectoris (as a regular treatment to help prevent attacks).     How does it work? Tildiem tablets contain the active ingredient diltiazem, which is a type of medicine called a calcium-channel blocker. This type of medicine acts on the heart and blood vessels. (NB. Diltiazem is also available without a brand name, ie as the generic medicine.) Diltiazem works by slowing down the movement of calcium through muscle cells that are found in the heart and the walls of blood vessels. It does this by blocking &amp;#039;calcium channels&amp;#039; on these muscle cells. Calcium is needed by the muscle cells in order for them to contract. By depriving them of calcium, diltiazem causes the muscle cells to relax. This action of diltiazem has two main effects; it slows down the rate at which the heart beats and it allows the blood vessels in the body to widen.  When the heart beats more slowly, the pressure at which the blood is pumped out of the heart is reduced. When the blood vessels in the body relax and widen, this decreases the resistance that the heart has to push against in order to pump the blood around the body. Both these actions reduce the pressure within the blood vessels. This means diltiazem can be used to lower high blood pressure.  Slowing the heart rate also reduces the energy used by the heart to pump blood around the body. This in turn reduces the heart&amp;#039;s need for oxygen. At the same time, widening the blood vessels improves the blood and therefore oxygen supply to the heart. Both these features mean that diltiazem can be used in the management of angina.  The chest pain of angina is caused by insufficient oxygen supply to the heart. As diltiazem improves this oxygen supply, and also reduces the effort the heart has to make to pump blood, it can be used to prevent angina attacks.  Tildiem tablets are a &amp;#039;modified-release&amp;#039; form of diltiazem. This means that they are designed to release the diltiazem slowly and continuously over a few hours to help produce a steady blood level of the medicine throughout the day.    How do I take it?  Tildiem tablets are usually taken three times a day. The dose prescribed will depend on the condition being treated. It is important to follow the instructions given by your doctor. These will be printed on the dispensing label your pharmacist has put on the packet of medicine.   The tablets can be taken with or without food.  Tildiem tablets should be swallowed whole with a drink of water. They should not be broken, crushed or chewed, as this would damage the modified-release action and cause all the medicine to be released at once, which could be potentially dangerous.    Warning!  This medicine can occasionally make you feel dizzy or weary. If you are affected, you should take care when driving or operating machinery. If you experience any chest pain after taking this medicine you should not take a further dose until you have consulted your doctor. This medicine should not be used to treat an attack of angina, as it won&amp;#039;t work quickly enough.  There are several different brands of long-acting or slow-release diltiazem available in the UK (see end of factsheet). These can usually be identified because their names end in XL, MR, LA, SR and so on. The way that the diltiazem is released from different brands can vary and this means that different brands can have different clinical effects. For this reason, it is important that you always take the same brand of diltiazem. You should make sure you know which brand you take and check that you have been given the correct one each time your medicine is dispensed. (Your pharmacist will usually ask you, or call your doctor if this is not written on your prescription).    Use with caution in  Elderly people. Decreased kidney function. Decreased liver function. People with slowed conduction of electrical messages between the chambers of the heart (1st degree heart block).  People with a slow heart rate (bradycardia). Heart failure. People with an abnormal heart rhythm seen as a &amp;#039;prolonged PR interval&amp;#039; on a heart monitoring trace (ECG).   Not to be used in  People with a serious defect in the heart&amp;#039;s electrical message pathways, resulting in decreased function of the heart (2nd or 3rd degree heart block).  A problem called sick sinus syndrome, which is common in elderly people and is related to poor control of the working of the heart.  People with poor functioning of one chamber of the heart (left ventricular dysfunction), resulting in fluid build-up in the lungs.  Uncontrolled heart failure. People with a very slow heart rate (less than 40 beats per minute). Pregnancy. Breastfeeding. Hereditary blood disorders called porphyrias. This medicine is not recommended for children.  Tildiem tablets contain lactose and are not suitable for people with rare hereditary problems of galactose intolerance, the Lapp lactase deficiency or glucose-galactose malabsorption.  This medicine should not be used if you are allergic to any of its ingredients. Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have previously experienced such an allergy. If you feel you have experienced an allergic reaction, stop using this medicine and inform your doctor or pharmacist immediately.   Pregnancy and breastfeeding Certain medicines should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. However, other medicines may be safely used in pregnancy or breastfeeding providing the benefits to the mother outweigh the risks to the unborn baby. Always inform your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, before using any medicine.  This medicine should not be used during pregnancy. Seek further medical advice from your doctor. This medicine passes into breast milk in amounts that are probably too small to be harmful to the nursing infant. However, since the medicine does pass into breast milk, the manufacturer recommends that it should not be used by breastfeeding mothers. Seek medical advice from your doctor.   Label warnings  This medication is to be swallowed whole, not chewed.    Side effects Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Just because a side effect is stated here does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.  Very common (affect more than 1 in 10 people)   Swollen ankles caused by fluid retention (peripheral oedema).     Common (affect between 1 in 10 and 1 in 100 people)  Headache. Dizziness. Flushing. Disturbances of the gut, such as constipation, indigestion, nausea, abdominal pain. Feeling weak or unwell. Fatigue. Redness of skin.   Palpitations.  Slowed conduction of the electrical messages in the heart.   Uncommon (affect between 1 in 100 and 1 in 1000 people)   Nervousness.  Difficulty sleeping.  Slower than normal heart beat (bradycardia). A drop in blood pressure that occurs when moving from a lying or sitting position to sitting or standing, causing dizziness and lightheadedness (postural hypotension).  Diarrhoea. Vomiting.  Elevation in levels of liver enzymes.    Rare (affect between 1 in 1000 and 1 in 10,000 people)  Dry mouth.  Hive like rash (urticaria).   Unknown frequency  Abnormal enlargement of the breasts in men (gynaecomastia). Changes in mood including depression.  Reversible enlargement of the gums (gingival hyperplasia) with long-term use.  Inflammation of the liver (hepatitis).  Low blood pressure (hypotension). Increased sweating.  Abnormal reaction of the skin to light, usually a rash (photosensitivity).  Severe skin reactions.  Decrease in the number of platelets in the blood (thrombocytopenia).  Blockade of the electrical pathways that control the pumping action of the heart (heart block). Heart failure.  Inflammation of blood vessels (vasculitis).   The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the medicine&amp;#039;s manufacturer. For more information about any other possible risks associated with this medicine, please read the information provided with the medicine or consult your doctor or pharmacist.   How can this medicine affect other medicines? It is important to tell your doctor or pharmacist what medicines you are taking, including those bought without a prescription and herbal medicines, before you start treatment with this medicine. Likewise, always ask your doctor or pharmacist before taking any new medicines during treatment with this one, to check that the combination is safe.  If diltiazem is used in combination with other medicines that lower blood pressure, either to treat high blood pressure (antihypertensives), or as a side effect, the combination might lower your blood pressure too much. This could make you feel dizzy or faint, particularly when moving from a lying or sitting position to sitting or standing. This is more likely when you first start taking diltiazem with one of these medicines. If you feel dizzy or faint you should sit or lie down until the symptoms pass. Tell your doctor if any dizziness persists, as your medicine doses may need adjusting. Other medicines that decrease blood pressure include the following:   ACE inhibitors, eg enalapril  aldesleukin alpha-blockers such as prazosin alprostadil angiotensin II receptor antagonists such as losartan antipsychotics  beta-blockers such as propranolol   baclofen benzodiazepines, eg temazepam, diazepam other calcium-channel blockers, eg verapamil, nifedipine  clonidine  diazoxide  diuretics, eg furosemide, bendroflumethiazide  dopamine agonists, eg bromocriptine, apomorphine MAOI antidepressants, eg phenelzine  methyldopa  minoxidil  moxisylyte moxonidine nicorandil  nitrates, eg glyceryl trinitrate  tizanidine vardenafil.   There may be an increased risk of a slowed heart rate and heart block if amiodarone, beta-blockers (for example atenolol, propranolol, timolol) or dronedarone are used in combination with diltiazem The following medicines may increase the breakdown of diltiazem by the liver and could therefore make it less effective. If you take any of these in combination with diltiazem your doctor may need to increase your diltiazem dose:    efavirenz phenobarbital  phenytoin primidone  rifampicin  the herbal remedy St John&amp;#039;s wort (Hypericum perforatum).   The following medicines may decrease the breakdown of diltiazem by the liver and may therefore increase the amount of diltiazem in the blood. If you take any of these in combination with diltiazem your doctor may need to lower your diltiazem dose:    H2 antagonists such as cimetidine, ranitidine protease inhibitors for HIV infection such as atazanavir or ritonavir.  Diltiazem may decrease the breakdown of the following medicines by the liver and may therefore increase the amount of these medicines in the blood. As this could increase the risk of their side effects, your doctor may need to prescribe a lower dose of these medicines if you take them in combination with diltiazem:   aprepitant atorvastatin buspirone carbamazepine ciclosporin cilostazol  colchicine digoxin eplerenone ivabradine (should not be used with diltiazem) methylprednisolone  midazolam nifedipine (nifedipine also increases the blood level of diltiazem) phenytoin  ranolazine quinidine simvastatin sirolimus tacrolimus theophylline triazolam tricyclic antidepressants such as imipramine.  If diltiazem is taken in combination with lithium there may be an increased risk of lithium side effects. If you take these medicines together it is important to tell your doctor if you experience any new or increased signs of lithium side effects. The following medicines may reduce the blood pressure lowering effect of this medicine:  corticosteroids, such as dexamethasone or prednisolone oestrogens, such as those in the contraceptive pill   regular use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, diclofenac or indometacin (occasional painkilling doses are unlikely to have a significant effect).   Dantrolene infusion should not be given to people taking diltiazem.   Other medicines containing the same active ingredient    Adizem-SR Adizem-XL Angitil SR   Angitil XL Calcicard CR Dilcardia SR   Dilzem SR Dilzem XL Slozem   Tildiem LA Tildiem Retard Viazem XL   Zemtard XL      Short-acting diltiazem tablets are also available without a brand name, ie as the generic medicine.   Last updated 25.09.2011 "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/heart-and-blood/a7649/tildiem-diltiazem/>