Taking diltiazem with other medicines and herbal supplements

There are some medicines that may affect how diltiazem works.

Taking diltiazem with other medicines that lower blood pressure can sometimes lower your blood pressure too much. This may make you feel dizzy or faint. If this happens to you, tell your doctor, as your dose may need to be changed.

Tell your doctor or pharmacist before starting diltiazem if you're taking any other medicines, including:

• antibiotics such as clarithromycin, erythromycin or rifampicin
• antifungal medicines such as itraconazole or ketoconazole
• medicines to treat HIV or HCV (hepatitis C virus)
• medicines to treat epilepsy, such as carbamazepine or phenytoin
• medicines to suppress your immune system, such as ciclosporin or tacrolimus
• more than 20mg a day of simvastatin, a medicine used to lower cholesterol

These are not all the medicines that may cause problems if you take them with diltiazem. For a full list, see the leaflet inside your medicine packet.

Paracetamol is the best painkiller to take while you're taking diltiazem. If paracetamol does not work, try ibuprofen.

Talk to your doctor if you need to take painkillers more than a few times a week.

St John's wort is a herbal remedy taken for depression. It's thought to affect the way diltiazem works.

Talk to a pharmacist or doctor if you're thinking about taking St John's wort.

There's not enough information to say that other complementary medicines, herbal remedies and supplements are safe to take with diltiazem. They're not tested in the same way as pharmacy and prescription medicines. They're generally not tested for the effect they have on other medicines.

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you're taking any other medicines, including herbal remedies, vitamins or supplements.