Health.amTable 11-9. Antihypertensive drugs: calcium channel blocking agents.
| Special Properties | |||||||||
| Drug | Proprietary Name | Initial Dosage | Dosage Range | Cost of 30 Days Treatment (Average Dosage)1 | Peripheral Vasodilation | Cardiac Automaticity and Conduction | Contractility | Adverse Effects | Comments |
NONDIHYDROPYRIDINE AGENTS | |||||||||
Diltiazem | Cardizem SR | 90 mg twice daily | 180-360 mg in 2 doses | $69.60 (120 mg twice daily) | ++ |  | | Edema, headache, bradycardia, GI disturbances, dizziness, AV block, congestive heart failure, urinary frequency. | Also approved for angina. |
Cardizem CD; Cartia XT | 180 mg daily | 180-360 mg daily | $61.50 (240 mg daily) | ||||||
Dilacor XR | 180 or 240 mg daily | 180-480 mg daily | $34.50 (240 mg daily) | ||||||
Tiazac SA | 240 mg daily | 180-540 mg daily | $53.27 (240 mg daily) | ||||||
Verapamil | Calan SR | 180 mg daily | 180-480 mg in 1 or 2 doses | $46.80 (240 mg daily) | ++ | | | Same as diltiazem but more likely to cause constipation and congestive heart failure. | Also approved for angina and arrhythmias. |
Isoptin SR | |||||||||
Verelan | |||||||||
Covera HS | $66.00 (240 mg daily) | ||||||||
Amlodipine | Norvasc | 5 mg daily | 5-20 mg daily | $68.55 (10 mg daily) | +++ | /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 daily | 5-20 mg daily | $75.00 (10 mg daily) | +++ | /0 | /0 | ||
Isradipine | DynaCirc | 2.5 mg twice daily | 2.5-5 mg twice daily | $133.50 (5 mg twice daily) | +++ | /0 | | ||
DynaCirc CR | 5 mg daily | 5-10 mg daily | $95.40 (10 mg daily) | ||||||
Nicardipine | Cardene | 20 mg three times daily | 20-40 mg three times daily | $41.20 (20 mg three times daily) | +++ | /0 | | ||
Cardene SR | 30 mg twice daily | 30-60 mg twice daily | $62.66 (30 mg twice daily) | ||||||
Nifedipine | Adalat CC | 30 mg daily | 30-120 mg daily | $65.10 (60 mg daily) | +++ | | | ||
Procardia XL | 30 mg daily | 30-120 mg daily | $68.70 (60 mg daily) | ||||||
Nisoldipine | Sular | 20 mg/d | 20-60 mg/d | $62.10 (40 mg daily) | +++ | /0 | |
1Average wholesale price (AWP, for AB-rated generic when available) for quantity listed. Source: Red Book Update, Vol. 25, No. 1, January 2006. AWP may not accurately represent the actual pharmacy cost because wide contractual variations exist among institutions. | |||||||||
GI = gastrointestinal; AV = atrioventricular. |