Precautions and Warnings With Calcium Channel Blockers

When treating certain heart and blood vessel conditions, it is important to talk with your healthcare provider about the risks involved with taking a calcium channel blocker. Precautions and warnings with calcium channel blockers include the risk that the medication could make chest pain worse or even cause a heart attack. These medications can also cause low blood pressure and should be used with caution by people who have congestive heart failure.

Calcium Channel Blocker Drugs

Calcium Channel Blockers: What Should I Tell My Healthcare Provider?

You should talk with your healthcare provider prior to taking a

calcium channel blocker if you have:

An esophageal stricture or other narrowing of the digestive tract
An irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia), including sick sinus syndrome
An upcoming surgery
Aortic stenosis
Duchenne's muscular dystrophy
Heart disease, including congestive heart failure
Kidney disease, including kidney failure (renal failure)
Liver disease, including cirrhosis or liver failure
Low blood pressure
Myasthenia gravis
Sick sinus syndrome
Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome or Lown-Ganong-Levine syndrome
Any allergies, including allergies to food, dyes, or preservatives.

Also, let your healthcare provider know if you are:

Pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant
Breastfeeding.

Make sure to tell your healthcare provider about any other medicines you are taking, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

(Precautions and Warnings With Calcium Channel Blockers Continued: Page 2)