What is Amiodarone?
Amiodarone alters your heartbeat. It's used to keep your heart healthy in patients with serious heart rhythm disorders that affect the ventricles (the lower chambers of the heart that let blood circulate out of the heart). Amiodarone is a medication used to treat ventricular tachycardia, or fibrillation ventriculare.Amiodarone is used only to treat serious heart rhythm problems that can be life-threatening.
Warnings
Amiodarone could cause harmful adverse effects on the liver, heart, lungs, or even your vision.
It is not recommended to take this medication if you are allergic to amiodarone or iodine, suffer from heart blockage or an occurrence of slow heartbeats that led to you fainting, or if you have a heart that is unable to pump blood correctly.
Consult your physician or seek medical attention immediately. If you are experiencing chest pain, rapid or pounding heartbeats, difficulty breathing, eye problems, or stomach pain, vomiting or dark urine, jaundice (yellowing of the eyes or skin), or when you cough up blood.
Inform your doctor. If you are experiencing symptoms of thyroid problems like weight fluctuations and fatigue, such as extreme dry skin, thinning hair, feeling hot or cold, a change in your menstrual cycles, or swelling of the neck (goiter),
Before You Take This Drug
It is not recommended to use amiodarone if you are suffering from:
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A serious heart condition known as "AV block" (2nd or 3rd degree) in the absence of an implanted pacemaker
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A series of slow heartbeats that caused you to pass out
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If your heart can't pump blood effectively.
Amiodarone could cause serious adverse effects in your liver, heart, and lungs, as well as your thyroid.
To ensure that this medication is appropriate for you, inform your physician if you have any of the following:
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Asthma or any other lung disease;
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Liver disease;
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A thyroid disorder
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Problems with vision;
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Blood pressure (or lower blood pressure;
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The imbalance of electrolytes (such as a low level of magnesium, potassium, or magnesium in the blood).a lack of electrolytes, as seen by decreased blood levels of magnesium, potassium, or potassium
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If you have a defibrillator or pacemaker implanted inside your chest.
Amiodarone taken during pregnancy can harm the baby that is not born or trigger thyroid issues or heartbeat irregularities in the baby once it is born. Amiodarone could also affect the child's development (speech or movement, as well as academic abilities) later on in the course of treatment. Consult your physician if you are expecting or getting pregnant.
You shouldn't breastfeed during the time you are taking this medication or for a period of time after you stop taking it. Amiodarone takes a long time to get rid of in your system. Talk to your doctor about the best method to feed your child during this period.
How to Take Amiodarone?
Follow the exact dosage as recommended by your physician. Follow the directions on the prescription label and review all medication guides or instructions. Your doctor may modify your dosage.
The first doses are given in an environment in a hospital where your heartbeat can be checked.
If you've taken another heart rhythm medication, it is possible to slowly stop taking it as you begin to use amiodarone. Follow your doctor's instructions for dosage extremely carefully.
Tablets can be taken with or without food; however, you must take them in the same manner each time.
It could take up to three weeks until your heart's rhythm increases. Continue to take the medication according to the directions, even if you are feeling well.
Amiodarone has long-lasting effects on the body. It is possible that you will require frequent medical tests while taking this drug and for several months following the last dose.
If you are in need of a procedure (including surgical eye procedures using lasers), inform the doctor ahead of time that you're using amodarone.
This medicine may affect the results of certain tests. Inform any physician who treats patients that you're using this medication.
Maintain at room temperature and free of heat, moisture, and light.
Details on Dosage
Usual Adult Dose for Arrhythmias:
IV:
The initial dose is 1000 mg for the first 24 hours of treatment and is administered using the following regimen of infusion:
Loading Infusions: 150 mg in the initial 10 minutes (15 mg/min), followed by 360 mg in the course of six hours (1 mg/min).
Maintenance infusion: 540 mg in the next time of 0.5 mg/min.
Maintenance dose: After the initial 24 hours, maintain the rate of maintenance infusion at 0.5 mg/min. You may also increase the infusion rate until you achieve arrhythmia control.
Infusions with a supplement of 150 mg in the course of 10 minutes (15 mg/min) to treat breakthrough events in heart rhythm disturbances (VF) and hemodynamically instabile ventricular tachycardia (VT)
Maximum dose: initial infusion rate: 30 mg/min
Therapy duration: until the arrhythmias in the ventricular system stabilise (most patients require between 48 and 96 hours). A maintenance infusion that is as high as 0.5 mg/min may be sustained for up to 3 weeks.
Comments: Daily doses higher than 2100 mg during the first 24-hour period are associated with a higher risk of developing hypotension.
Use: The inception of treatment and prophylaxis for frequently repeated VF as well as hemodynamically unstable VT in patients that are not responding to treatment alternatives
ORAL:
Dosage for loading: 800-1600 mg daily, orally for a period of 1 to 3 weeks (occasionally greater) until a sufficient control of arrhythmias is achieved, or if any adverse effects are evident and severe, switch to dosage adjustments.
Dosage adjustment 600–800 mg per day orally for a month, and then change to a maintenance dosage.
The dosage for maintenance is 400 mg taken orally every day.
Comments:
May be administered twice a day; twice per day dosing is recommended for daily doses of at least 1000 mg or in patients suffering from an increase in gastrointestinal tolerance.
Close monitoring is required in the loading phase and in the event of dose adjustments.
Maintenance doses should be based on an antiarrhythmic effect, as determined by the tolerance of patients and symptoms such as Holter recordings and/or programming electrical stimulation. Some patients could require as much as 600 mg/day, while others are able to be controlled with smaller doses.
Used to treat life-threatening recurrent VF that is life-threatening or uncontrolled hemodynamics in patients who are not responding to appropriate doses of antiarrhythmics, other than patients who are intolerant to alternative agents.
What Happens If I Miss a Dose?
Don't miss the dose you missed; retake your dose at the same time. Don't take two doses at once.
What Happens If I Overdose?
Get medical attention immediately or contact the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. An amiodarone overdose can cause death.
The symptoms of an overdose can be weakness, a low heartbeat, feeling lightheaded, or a loss of consciousness.
What Should be Avoided?
Avoid driving and other hazardous activities until you understand how amiodarone affects you. The way you react could be affected.
Grapefruit can interact with amiodarone and lead to adverse reactions. Beware of using grapefruit-related products.
Beware of taking herbal supplements that contain St. John's wort.
Amiodarone may make you more susceptible to sunburn. Avoid tanning beds or sunlight. Be sure to wear protective attire and apply sunblock (SPF 30 or greater) whenever you're outside.
Side Effects Of Amiodarone
Contact a medical professional immediately. If you are experiencing symptoms warning of an allergy reaction to amiodarone, itching and breathing problems or swelling of your lips, tongue, throat, or face.
Amiodarone takes a lengthy period of time to completely cleanse your body. There is a chance that you will experience negative side effects with this medicine even after stopping taking it.
Get in touch with your doctor immediately. If you experience any of the following adverse reactions, regardless of whether they happen for a few months after stopping using this medication:
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Cough, wheezing, and chest pain. Cough that is bloody, fever
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An onset or increase in an unnatural heartbeat pattern (fast, slow, slow, or beating heartbeats);
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A lightheaded sensation, similar to feeling like you're about to pass out.
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Blurred vision and seeing halos in light sources (your eyes might become more sensitive);
- Liver issues liver problems
nausea nausea, stomach pain (upper right) fatigue, dark urine, jaundice (yellowing of the eyes or skin),
- Nerve disorders nerve problems,
lack of coordination in muscles, muscle weakness, uncontrolled movements of muscles, or painful sensations in your hands or lower legs;
- Symptoms of an overactive thyroid:
loss of weight, hair loss, thinning hair, excessive sweating, or tremors. Feeling anxious or irritable, infrequent menstrual periods, swelling of the neck (goiter),
- Indicators of an underactive thyroid:
fatigue, weight gain, depression, difficulty concentrating, feeling cold
Common side effects of amiodarone include:
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Nausea and vomiting or loss of appetite;
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Constipation.
This is not a comprehensive list of possible side effects, and other side effects could occur. Contact your doctor to seek medical advice on the effects.You can contact the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 to report any symptoms.
Interaction With Other Drugs
It is sometimes not safe to take certain medications together. Certain medications can alter the blood levels and the other drugs that you take, which can create side effects or render the medication less effective.
Amiodarone requires a considerable amount of time to completely cleanse your body. Drug interactions can be a problem for up to a few months following the discontinuation of the drug amiodarone. Consult your physician prior to taking any medications during this period. Note down the amount of time since you last took amodarone.
A variety of drugs may interact with amiodarone.Drugs on prescription and over-the-counter shelves, as well as vitamins and herbal supplements, are included.Not all interactions are mentioned here. Discuss with your physician your current medications as well as any other medications you are about to start or stop taking.
