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Can I Take Repeated Dose Of Diltiazem For Irregular Heart Beat?

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Posted on Tue, 11 Feb 2014
Question: My name is XXXX. I am an RN. I take Diltiazem 24 hr ER 240 mg for irregular heart beat. I took my regular med tonight about 9pm. Right now I am having irregular heart beat that will not stop with my usual cough that I do when I have break through type irregular beating. I am not having chest pain. I did have some transient pain in my neck on the right side about an hour or so ago, it was a stabbing type pain that radiated down to like a nerve in the right side of my upper chest. No heart pain. Can I take another Diltiazem?
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Answered by Dr. Sukhvinder Singh (1 hour later)
Brief Answer: No Detailed Answer: Respected Ma'm 1. No, It is not wise to repeat such a large dose of diltiazem without a medical consultation. This may bring down your heart rate drastically low after few hours. Irregular heart beat at times may get longer than usual time to respond or may not respond at all to diltiazem. If it does not respond, do see your physician in ER or if the cough persists you must see the doctor in ER. Ideally you should do it at earliest because persistent cough caused by irregular heart beat can be a feature of malfunctioning heart. Hope this helps. Feel free to discuss further. Sincerely Sukhvinder
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Dr. Sukhvinder Singh

Cardiologist

Practicing since :1998

Answered : 1306 Questions

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Can I Take Repeated Dose Of Diltiazem For Irregular Heart Beat?

Brief Answer: No Detailed Answer: Respected Ma'm 1. No, It is not wise to repeat such a large dose of diltiazem without a medical consultation. This may bring down your heart rate drastically low after few hours. Irregular heart beat at times may get longer than usual time to respond or may not respond at all to diltiazem. If it does not respond, do see your physician in ER or if the cough persists you must see the doctor in ER. Ideally you should do it at earliest because persistent cough caused by irregular heart beat can be a feature of malfunctioning heart. Hope this helps. Feel free to discuss further. Sincerely Sukhvinder