Suggest Treatment For Side Effects Of Diltiazem

Posted on Thu, 3 Nov 2016

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Thu, 3 Nov 2016 Answered on

Wed, 30 Nov 2016 Last reviewed on

Question : my husband is taking Diltiazem now. last night he has jerking and could not keep still and
had some trouble breathing. he has copd and is having trouble getting heart beat regulated.
could this medicine caused the jerking. he finally settled down around 1:30 this morning.

Answered by Dr. Ilir Sharka (22 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
I would explain as follows:

Detailed Answer:
Hello!

Welcome and thank you for asking on HCM!

I carefully passed through your question and would explain that this is not a known adverse effect related to Diltiazem.

They could be related to low blood oxygen saturations or an electrolyte imbalance. Jerking could also be related to a neurological disorder including seizures or a stroke.

For this reason, If the problem persists, I would recommend consulting with his attending physician and performing some tests:

- a complete blood count
- blood oxygen saturations
- blood electrolytes
- fasting glucose.

A consult with a neurologist is needed if the problem persists.

Hope you will find this answer helpful!

Kind regards,

Dr. Iliri

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar