TABLE 11-8 - Antihypertensive drugs: Calcium channel-blocking agents

Drug	Proprietary Name	Initial Dosage	Dosage Range	Cost for 30 Days' Treatment (Based on Average Dosage)¹	Peripheral Vasodilation	Cardiac Automaticity and Conduction	Contractility	Adverse Effects	Comments⁵
Nondihydropyridine agents Diltiazem	Cardizem SR	90 mg bid	180-360 mg in 2 doses	$67.80 (120 mg bid)	++	??	??	Edema, headache, bradycardia, GI disturbances, dizziness, AV block, congestive heart failure, urinary frequency.	Also approved for angina.
	Cardizem CD Cartia XT	180 mg qd	180-360 mg qd	$61.53 (240 mg qd)
	Dilacor XR	180 or 240 mg qd	180-480 mg daily	$34.50 (240 mg qd)
	Tiazac SA	240 mg qd	180-540 mg qd	$62.84 (240 mg qd)
Verapamil	Calan SR Isoptin SR Verelan Covera-HS	180 mg qd	180-480 mg in 1 or 2 doses	$46.80 $62.10 (240 mg qd)	++	???	???	Same as diltiazem but more likely to cause constipation and congestive heart failure.	Also approved for angina and arrhythmias.
Dihydropyridines Amlodipine	Norvasc	5 mg qd	5-20 mg qd	$65.23 (10 mg qd)	+++	?/0	?/0	Edema, dizziness, palpitations, flushing, headache, hypotension, tachycardia, GI disturbances, urinary frequency, worsening of congestive heart failure (may be less common with felodipine, amlodipine).	Amlodipine, nicardipine, and nifedipine also approved for angina.
Felodipine	Plendil	5 mg qd	5-20 mg qd	$65.70 (10 mg qd)	+++	?/0	?/0
Isradipine	DynaCirc	2.5 mg bid	2.5-5 mg bid	$120.95 (5 mg bid)	+++	?/0	?
	DynaCirc CR	5 mg qd	5-10 mg qd	$68.34 (10 mg qd)
Nicardipine	Cardene	20 mg tid	20-40 mg tid	$41.20 (20 mg tid)	+++	?/0	?
	Cardene SR	30 mg bid	30-60 mg bid	$52.31 (30 mg bid)
Nifedipine	Adalat CC	30 mg qd	30-120 mg qd	$65.10 (60 mg qd)	+++	???
	Procardia XL	30 mg qd	30-120 mg qd	$68.70 (60 mg qd)	+++	???
Nisoldipine	Sular	20 mg/d	20-60 mg/d	$36.00 (40 mg qd)	+++	?/0	?

¹Cost to pharmacist (average wholesale price, generic when possible) for quantity listed. Source: Drug Topics Red Book, May 2003; Vol. 23, No. 5.