In the double-blind part of the study, 21 (18 with 0.25 mg/kg, 3 with an additional 0.35 mg/kg) of the 22 patients (95%) responded to diltiazem, and 0 of 15 patients (0%) responded to placebo (p or = 20% decrease in heart rate from baseline in 36 patients in addition, 17 patients also had heart rates decreased to < 100 beats/min, whereas no patient had conversion to sinus rhythm. PO (Adults): 30120 mg 34 times daily or 180240 mg once daily as CD or XR capsules or LA tablets (up to 360 mg/day) Concurrent simvastatin therapy Diltiazem dose should not exceed 240 mg/day and simvastatin dose should not exceed 10 mg/day. Placebo nonresponders were given open-label intravenous diltiazem in a similar fashion as in the double-blind portion of the study. During the double-blind portion of the study, patients received either intravenous diltiazem, 0.25 mg/kg over 2 minutes, or placebo followed 15 minutes later by diltiazem or placebo, 0.35 mg/kg over 2 minutes, if the first dose was tolerated but ineffective. But now you have a PM and you can't turn the clock back. It is interesting that your Drs were confident that it was not the cause in your case. It can cause AV block and sinus arrest for example which I assume could lead to cardiac pauses. If SBP falls below 100 mm Hg then 500 ml IV bolus to maintain 100 If rate controlled to < 100 bpm, Cardizem drip 5 mg/hr If no response after 5 mins. Physicians can use the rule of 15 in administering diltiazem to patients weighing 70 kg (154 lb): first, give 15 mg intravenously over two minutes, repeat the dose in 15 minutes if necessary, and. The objective of this multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was to determine the safety and efficacy of intravenous diltiazem in the treatment of 37 patients with rapid (ventricular rate, mean +/- SD 142 +/- 17 beats/min) atrial fibrillation or flutter and moderate to severe congestive heart failure (ejection fraction, mean +/- SD 36 +/- 14% New York Heart Association class III, class IV ). Hello jwi Cardizem can very occasionally have some worrying cardiac side effects.