Drug Name: Amiodarone
Brand Names: Cordarone, Pacerone
Generic Name: Amiodarone
Uses: Amiodarone is considered a "broad spectrum" anti arrhythmic medication which is responsible for the heart's rhythm. It eases heartbeat complications called ventricular arrhythmias. This treatment keeps heartbeat at its regular pace and it directly penetrates on heart tissues.
How to use: This drug is either taken orally or by injection. For the treatment of ventricular arrhythmias, adults are advised to take 800- 1600 mg dose a day. And 600-800 mg per day for one month. Then, followed by 400mg on the succeeding months.
For children’s dosage, it depends on the body weight of the child. Oral dosage for the first ten days is usually 10mg per kilogram (4.55per pound) of body weight per day. Then, gradually, oral dosage should be decreased to 5 mg per kilogram (2.27mg per pound) of body weight per day. After several weeks, an oral dosage should lower down to 2.5 mg per kilogram (1.14 mg per pound) of body weight per day.
For those patients who are advised to have treatment of ventricular arrhythmias thru an injection, specific treatment dose is applicable only for adults. Adults dose is 150mg into the vein, followed by 360mg injected for 6 hours, and another 540mg injected for 18hours. The dose is 720mg injected into a vein after the 24 hours therapy, and this dose is good every 24 hours and maybe continued for 3 weeks.
Side Effects: The worst effect of this drug is lung toxicity. This is strongly felt if there is cough, chest pain, shortness in breathing, and mild fever. Users may also have neurotoxicity which is really seen as peripheral neuropathy with proximal motor weakness. Side effects maybe delayed after three years of taking Amiodarone. Symptoms usually start with dry cough, anorexia, chest pain, and other respiratory problems. Skin problems like skin discoloration, optic neuritis or minor symptoms felt in the eye and cornea, hypotension, hepatitis, loss of appetite, are just some of the side effects of this drug when overdosed.
Precautions: Do not mix this medicine with other medicines you have. Inform your physician and health care providers if you are taking Amiodarone. Tell your doctor if you experience some skin rash, hives, itching, shortness of breath, wheezing, cough, swelling of lips, face and some body parts while taking this medicine.
Pregnant women should not be given on this kind of drug, so with the ones who are breastfeeding.
Drug Interaction: Before taking amiodarone, tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following medicines:
• cimetidine (Tagamet);
• cholestyramine (Questran);
• cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral);
• dextromethorphan (a cough suppressant commonly used in prescription and over-the-counter cough medications);
• digoxin (Lanoxin, Lanoxicaps);
• fentanyl (Duragesic, Actiq);
• lidocaine (Xylocaine, others);
• methotrexate (Rheumatrex);
• rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane);
• the herbal product St. John's wort;
• simvastatin (Zocor);
• theophylline (Theo-Bid, Theo-Dur, Theolair, Elixophyllin, Slo-Phyllin, others);
• warfarin (Coumadin);
• a protease inhibitor such as indinavir (Crixivan), lopinavir-ritonavir (Kaletra), nelfinavir (Viracept), ritonavir (Norvir), saquinavir (Fortovase, Invirase);
• phenytoin (Dilantin), ethotoin (Peganone), or mephenytoin (Mesantoin);
• flecainide (Tambocor), procainamide (Pronestyl, Procan SR, Procanbid), quinidine (Cardioquin, Quinaglute, Quinora, Quinidex), disopyramide (Norpace), or other medicines used to treat irregular heartbeats;
• a beta-blocker such as acebutolol (Sectral), atenolol (Tenormin), metoprolol (Lopressor), propranolol (Inderal), and others; or
• a calcium channel blocker such as verapamil (Calan, Verelan, Isoptin), diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor XR), nifedipine (Procardia, Adalat), felodipine (Plendil), and others.
Overdose: Symptoms of an amiodarone overdose include tiredness, dizziness, confusion, a slow heart rate, yellowing of the skin or eyes, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and worsening irregular heartbeats. Consult your doctor immediately if overdose happens.
Missed Dose: Take a missed dose as soon as possible, and if you happen to miss the next dose, skip it, and go back to your regular treatment schedule. Do not try to take two dose in one session.
Storage: Store in a tight, light-resistant container at room temperature.
Important links about Amiodarone:
Medical Precautions about Amiodarone at MedlinePlus
Vital information and medical tips about Amiodarone
