The present invention relates to the use of a pharmaceutically effective amount of an short-acting calcium channel blocking compound to treat ischemic heart conditions, cardiac arrhythmias, hypertensive crisis in an emergency room setting, hypertension before, during, or after surgery, no-reflow phenomenon following reperfusion, and diseases associated with decreased skeletal muscle blood flow. The invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions formulated for use in such methods and to kits for such methods.