Use of Calcium Channel Blockers for Pain

Generally, you should use calcium channel blockers for pain caused by constricted blood vessels. Calcium channel blockers, or CCBs, relax and widen blood vessels to relieve pressure. If you suffer from migraines, an irregular heart beat, high blood pressure or other circulatory conditions, the Mayo Clinic website suggests that calcium channel blockers may be able to help relieve the pain associated with your condition. Most commonly, migraines are the condition that require CCBs to be used as a pain reliever, since many of the other conditions treated by CCBs do not cause physical pain on a regular basis.

Conditions

• You will need a doctor's prescription to take calcium channel blockers for pain, as they are not available over the counter. Your doctor may prescribe a calcium channel blocker for pain associated with migraines. While calcium channel blockers also treat other conditions, these conditions, such as abnormal heart beats, coronary spasms, coronary artery disease and hypertropic cardiomyopathy, generally do not cause pain.

  If you are given a prescription for calcium channel blockers to treat your migraine pain or other condition, calcium channel blockers should be taken with food or milk. You should take them as directed by your doctor. The normal dosage for migraine pain is one pill as needed, but in some cases you may be advised to take more or less. Your doctor may also advise you to monitor your pulse while taking calcium channel blockers for pain.

Reactions

• Your reaction to calcium channel blockers and the effectiveness of the drugs at treating your pain will differ depending on the type of CCB prescribed. Generally, if you are hoping to take a CCB for pain, you will not be prescribed verapamil or diltiazem, which tend to have a stronger affect on your heart rate. If you are taking a CCB for migraine pain, your doctor will prescribe a CCB that has a minimal effect on heart rate and that focuses instead of expanding the blood vessels.

Side Effects

• Before making a decision to take CCBs for pain, you need to be aware of the side effects. Common side effects include increased appetite, drowsiness, weight gain, constipation and fainting. Contact your doctor if any of these side effects become severe. To prevent side effects, do not eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice while taking this drug. You should also avoid alcohol because it hinders the effects of the CCB, and it may increase the side effects. Other side effects include irregular heartbeats, slow heartbeats, a skin rash and swollen ankles, feet or lower legs.

  Also be sure to inform your doctor of any other drugs or medications you are taking before you begin taking CCBs for pain, as CCBs may interact with many other types of medications. For instance, diuretic pills lower the level of potassium in the body, which can cause a number of unwanted effects from the CCBs. CCBs may increase the effects beta-blockers that are used to treat high blood pressure and other conditions or may cause these medications to suddenly stop working. According to the Health Line website, research reported in 2000 by the European Cardiology Society in found that some CCBs caused a 27 percent greater risk of heart attack and a 26 percent greater risk of heart failure for some patients. Thus, you need to be aware of these side effects and discuss them with your doctor when making a decision to take CCBs to cope with pain.