Diltiazem 120 MG

Diltiazem should, if anything, LOWER your heart rate some, maybe by 3-8 BPM on average. The more you take, the more it works, and it can cause problems, just like metoprolol can if it lowers BP and HR too much.
https://www.drugs.com/sfx/diltiazem-side-effects.html
So, there's 'something' going on, but it might just be elevated cortisol and adrenaline due to your new diagnosis and some anxiety over it. The intrusive thoughts are also a sign of inner stress and worry. IOW, don't fight it. It's YOUR natural way to deal with this new condition.
As always, let your physician friend know of your concerns, and certainly any elevated HR above 100 that lasts for more than 24 hours. You could monitor your BP as well and look for it being below 90/60, which would signify something, maybe the diltiazem dose is too high..? These figures I have claimed, for HR and for BP, are well established and you can find them easily yourself by googling with appropriate syntax.

Thank you for your reply.
I believe I was having anxiety from dealing with all these meds and my fighter flight response kicked in.
Just wanted to give a little history I was in great shape like I mentioned, but once Covid hit, I had a temporary flu like symptoms, after that, my body started going haywire with a lot of different
Health problems one of the most that I’ve been fighting has been brain fog and memory loss, which causes a lot of anxiety but it is getting better once again thank you for your response

COVID has been life-altering for a great many people. I hope you regain almost all, or all, of your previous capacities, whatever they are.

Thank you for your kind words 🙂

Hi witch is stronger an an safer and more effective
With less side effects
Diltiazem 120 MG
Sotalol af 80 MG half tab twice a day

I can't answer, sorry. I have no experience with either, and can't knowledgeably say. I do suspect that more patients use diltiazem than Sotalol based on reading many posts over at afibbers.org forum.

I would not recommend Diltiazem. A known side effect is bradycardia. I was not aware of this until April 2025 when I rushed my sister (who was on Diltiazem XR) to the ER with bradycardia. She was a different person post-hospitalization (white matter / memory issues). Lisinopril is working better for her high blood pressure.

Are you seeing a cardiologist or electrophysiologist? If AFib, maybe see an electrophysiologist and get a ZIO monitor for a couple of weeks to track your pulse.

Hi what kind of memory Issues ?
I have some also.