Pharmacokinetics of oral diltiazem and five of its metabolites in patients with chronic renal failure.

The pharmacokinetics of oral diltiazem were studied in 10 patients with chronic renal failure not requiring dialysis and in five healthy volunteers after a single dose of 120 mg. We found that patients with chronic renal failure had lower amounts of unchanged diltiazem and of its main metabolite (MA) in urine and a trend to have slightly higher values of plasma concentration. Since the terminal elimination phase is not affected by chronic renal failure we conclude that this trend is probably the result of alterations in the volume of distribution of diltiazem in these patients.