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drug_recall amiodaroneAmiodarone, brand name Cordarone, is a drug occasionally used to treat life-threatening heart arrhythmias. It is most often thought of as a last resort for people with arrhythmias that have not responded to any other treatment.
An arrhythmia refers to any change from the normal sequence of electrical impulses that cause the heart to pump and beat at a normal pace. An arrhythmia causes abnormal heart rhythms, which force the heart to pump less effectively.
There are two categories of arrhythmias: atrial (the top two heart chambers) and ventricular (the bottom two heart chambers). Amiodarone can be used to treat both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias, although risk of side effects varies depending on the location of the arrhythmia. The frequency of use of amiodarone is greater in cases of ventricular arrhythmia, although lower doses of amiodarone have been used to successfully treat atrial fibrillation and flutter.
While arrhythmias can be brief and cause little damage, the change can also be so great as to cause the heart to beat too fast (tachycardia, or more than 100 beats per minute) or too slow (bradycardia, or less than 60 beats per minute) for a long period of time. It is only when there is such a significant change as to cause dangerously erratic heart rhythms that amiodarone is prescribed.
Classified as an antiarrhythmic drug, amiodarone is most often used to treat symptomatic tachycardias. The most serious, ventricular tachycardia, can be life threatening. Ventricular fibrillation, which causes the lower chamber to quiver and stop the heart from pumping any blood, is the most dangerous rhythmic disturbance, which can cause sudden death if not treated immediately.
Women who are pregnant or nursing should not take amiodarone, as the drug has been found to cause thyroid problems and slowed heartbeats in babies whose mothers were taking the drug during pregnancy. It has also been found to cause growth problems in nursing newborns. As amiodarone is a strong drug with many known, serious side effects, it is also not recommended for children or older adults. Elderly patients are more likely to suffer from thyroid and neurological problems associated with amiodorone.
There is a hazard of drug interactions with amiodarone. There are many drugs that don''t work well with amiodarone, but it is especially critical for patients on amiodarone to alert a physician to anticoagulants, other heart medications and phenytoin. Additionally, people already affected by liver disease, hepatitis or thyroid problems should inform their physician before beginning a prescription for amiodarone. The drug may increase the adverse effects of these health issues.
Atrial fibrillation, the most common type of irregular heartbeat, can be expected in one in four adults over the age of 40. Currently, nearly 2.3 million Americans suffer from atrial fibrillation, a type of arrhythmia that significantly increases risk ...
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