GENERIC NAME: AMIODARONE - ORAL (am-ee-OH-duh-rown)

BRAND NAME(S): Cordarone

Warning | Medication Uses | How To Use | Side Effects | Precautions | Drug Interactions | Overdose | Notes | Missed Dose | Storage | Medical Alert

WARNING: Amiodarone should be used under close medical supervision. A response may not be seen until up to 3 weeks after the medication is started. Amiodarone stays in your body for weeks or months, even after you are no longer taking it. If you are taking any drugs that may interact with this medication, caution is advised during and several months after treatment has stopped. (See Drug Interactions section.) Consult your doctor or pharmacist for more information. Severe (sometimes fatal) lung or liver problems have infrequently occurred in patients using this drug. Tell your doctor immediately if you experience any of these serious side effects: cough, fever, chills, chest pain, difficult or painful breathing, severe stomach pain, fatigue, yellowing eyes or skin, or dark urine. Like other medications used to treat irregular heartbeats, amiodarone can infrequently cause them to become worse. Due to the lingering amount of this drug in your body, heartbeat problems may occur even months after you have stopped using it. Tell your doctor immediately if your heart continues to pound, skips a beat, is beating very fast or very slow, or you feel lightheaded or faint. This drug may cause serious vision changes such as seeing halos and blurred vision. Very rarely, cases of permanent blindness have been reported. Tell your doctor immediately if you develop any vision changes.

USES: This medication is used to treat life-threatening irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias) and to maintain a normal heart rate in patients who have not responded to other medications.

HOW TO USE: Read the Medication Guide provided by your pharmacist. If you have any questions regarding the information, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Take this medication by mouth. It is best taken with food. However, it is more important to take amiodarone consistently, with regard to meals. Ask your pharmacist for additional information. This medication works best when there is a constant level of the drug in your body. To do this, take each dose exactly as prescribed at evenly spaced intervals throughout the day and night. Try to take each dose at the same time each day. Do not stop taking this medication or change the dose without first consulting your doctor. Some conditions may become worse when the drug is suddenly stopped or when more drug is taken than prescribed.