What is Amiodarone?
Amiodarone, sold as the brand name Cordarone, is an antiarrhythmics agent available in tablet form. Each tablet contains a fixed amount of Cordarone, either 100 or 200 mg, which is taken orally by mouth. Once administered, the drug is metabolized by the liver with an incredibly long half-life of about 58 days (but can range between 15 and 142 days) and is then excreted mainly through the liver as bile. At My Drug Center, we carry the generic alternative to Cordarone, which is sold by its active ingredients name; Amiodarone, available in both strengths.
What is Amiodarone used for?
Amiodarone is used for the treatment of ventricular tachycardia (fast but regular heart beat) or ventricular fibrillation (fast and irregular heart beat); these are life-threatening heart rhythm disorders affecting the lower chambers of the heart that permit blood to flow out from the heart (called the ventricles). Using Amiodarone can help maintain a normal heart beat and avoid further complications.
How does Amiodarone work?
Amiodarone has an effect on the electrical impulses that influence the heart muscles. It interferes and changes the way those impulses influence the muscles to allow the heart to beat more regularly.
What are the side effects of Amiodarone?
Some common side effects of Amiodarone include nausea, vomiting, constipation, loss of appetite, shakiness, or tiredness. Side effects are a normal response of the body when taking a new medication and should not alarm you; however, if side effects persist or become unmanageable, you should consult with your doctor. Keep in mind, not all side effects have been listed here.
How long can you take Amiodarone?
This is a question best left for your doctor to answer. Your body may react to a drug differently than another person’s body which is due to many personal factors such as age, weight, genetic make-up, gender, and even certain medications or medical conditions can change the way your body reacts to a drug. Therefore, only your doctor who understands your personal factors can determine how long you can use this medication for both safely and effectively. Generally, most patients can use Amiodarone for long-term use.
What class of drug is Amiodarone?
Amiodarone belongs to the drug class called antiarrhythmics. These types of drugs are used for both atrial and ventricular cardiac arrhythmias and, based off their mechanism of action, they are divided into four further classes; Amiodarone falls under class 3 (III) antiarrhythmics. Antiarrhythmics in class 3 have an effect on potassium channels and exhibit reverse-use dependence, which means their potency increases when the heart rate is slower.
How to pronounce Amiodarone?
It may be important to know how to properly pronounce the name of the medication you are taking. For example, if you need eye surgery, it is important to tell your surgeon that you are taking Amiodarone beforehand. The proper pronunciation for Amiodarone is as follows; A – MI – OH – DA – RONE.
How long does Amiodarone stay in your system?
The exact amount of time Amiodarone will remain in your system for will vary between each patient. Since the half-life has a wide range, it could take anywhere from 75 days (10.7 weeks) to 710 days (1 year and 11 months, roughly) to clear from your system; however, the active metabolites of this medication will not remain in the system for as long which means you may still have Amiodarone in your system but may not have any therapeutic effects. You can estimate how long it will take a drug to clear the system by multiplying the half-life by 5.
What is the half life of Amiodarone?
The half-life of Amiodarone will be different for most patients who use this medication, as many personal factors determine the answer. The half-life of Amiodarone can range from anywhere between 15 days to 142 days, averaging at about 58 days. The half-life of a medication measures how long it takes for the drug to clear the system by 50%.