Amiodarone may cause lung disease that can be serious or life-threatening.Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had any type of lung disease. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately: fever, shortness of breath, wheezing, cough, coughing up blood, and any other breathing problems. Amiodarone also may cause liver disease. Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had liver disease. If your experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately: upset stomach, vomiting, dark colored urine, excessive tiredness, yellowing of the skin or eyes, itching, or pain in the upper right part of the stomach. Amiodarone may cause your irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia) to worsen or may cause you to develop new arrhythmias. Tell your doctor if you have ever been dizzy or lightheaded or have fainted because your heartbeat was too slow and if you have or have ever had low levels of potassium in your blood; heart or thyroid disease; or any problems with your heart rhythm other than the irregular heartbeat being treated. Tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are taking any of the following medications: antifungals such as fluconazole (Diflucan), ketoconazole (Nizoral), and itraconazole (Sporanox); azithromycin (Zithromax); beta blockers such as atenolol (Tenormin), labetalol (Normodyne), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL), nadolol (Corgard), and propranolol (Inderal); calcium channel blockers such as amlodipine (Norvasc), diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor, Tiazac, others), felodipine (Plendil), isradipine (DynaCirc?), nicardipine (Cardene), nifedipine (Adalat, Procardia), nimodipine (Nimotop), nisoldipine (Sular), and verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan); cisapride (Propulsid); clarithromycin (Biaxin); diuretics ('water pills'); dofetilide (Tikosyn); erythromycin (E.E.S., E-Mycin, Erythrocin); fluoroquinolone antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin (Cipro), gatifloxacin (Tequin), levofloxacin (Levaquin), lomefloxacin (Maxaquin), moxifloxacin (Avelox), norfloxacin (Noroxin), ofloxacin (Floxin), and sparfloxacin (Zagam); other medications for irregular heartbeat such as digoxin (Lanoxin), disopyramide (Norpace), flecainide (Tambocor), phenytoin (Dilantin), procainamide (Procanbid, Pronestyl), quinidine (Quinidex) and sotalol (Betapace); and thioridazine (Mellaril). If you have any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately: lightheadedness; fainting; fast, slow, or pounding heartbeat; or feeling that your heart has skipped a beat. You will probably be hospitalized for one week or longer when you begin your treatment with amiodarone. Your doctor will monitor you carefully during this time and for as long as you continue to take amiodarone. Your doctor will probably start you on a high dose of amiodarone and gradually decrease your dose as the medication begins to work. Your doctor may decrease your dose during your treatment if you develop side effects. Follow your doctor's directions carefully. Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor will order certain tests, such as blood tests, X-rays, and electrocardiograms (EKGs, tests that record the electrical activity of the heart) before and during your treatment to be sure that it is safe for you to take amiodarone and to check your body's response to the medication. Your doctor or pharmacist will give you the manufacturer's patient information sheet (Medication Guide) when you begin treatment with amiodarone and each time you refill your prescription. Read the information carefully and ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.You also can obtain the Medication Guide from the FDA website: http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/SAFETY/2005/Cordarone_Med_Guide.pdf. Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking amiodarone. |
