Can amiodarone be taken twice a day?
Amiodarone is usually taken once or twice a day. Your doctor may start your therapy with more frequent doses and then taper down the dosing. Follow the instructions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your pharmacist or doctor to explain any part that you do not understand.
Is 200 mg of amiodarone a lot?
The recommended maintenance dose of amiodarone is 200 mg/day. A possible toxic level of amiodarone may be 400 mg daily for more than two months, or a low dose for more than two years.
What is amiodarone 200mg for?
This medication is used to treat certain types of serious (possibly fatal) irregular heartbeat (such as persistent ventricular fibrillation/tachycardia). It is used to restore normal heart rhythm and maintain a regular, steady heartbeat. Amiodarone is known as an anti-arrhythmic drug.
How much amiodarone can you take a day?
Adults—At first, 800 to 1600 milligrams (mg) per day taken in divided doses. Your doctor may adjust your dose as needed and tolerated. Children—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
When is the best time of day to take amiodarone?
You can take amiodarone either before or after meals. If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember (unless it is nearly time for your next dose, in which case leave out the missed dose).
Can amiodarone 200 mg be cut in half?
Take this medicine by mouth • Swallow the tablets whole. Do not crush or chew your tablets • If you feel the effect of your medicine is too weak or too strong, do not change the dose yourself, but ask your doctor. Amiodarone tablets should not be given to children and adolescents.
Is amiodarone 200mg safe?
High doses of Amiodarone, for example 600 mg / day should be given initially to achieve effective tissue levels as rapidly as possible. Owing to the long half-life of the drug, a maintenance dose of only 200 mg / day, or less is usually necessary.
Does amiodarone lower BP?
In addition to being an antiarrhythmic medication, amiodarone also causes blood vessels to dilate (enlarge). This effect can result in a drop in blood pressure. Because of this effect, it also may be of benefit in patients with congestive heart failure.
How much amiodarone is too much?
Amiodarone has several potentially fatal toxicities, the most important of which is pulmonary toxicity (hypersensitivity pneumonitis or interstitial/alveolar pneumonitis) that has resulted in clinically manifest disease at rates as high as 10 to 17% in some series of patients with ventricular arrhythmias given doses …
Is 100 mg of amiodarone safe?
Low-dose amiodarone (100-300 mg per day) is effective for a wide variety of ventricular and supraventricular arrhythmias, including as part of a rhythm control strategy for patients with atrial fibrillation, especially when structural heart disease is present.
What should be avoided when taking amiodarone?
amiodarone food You should avoid consuming grapefruits and grapefruit juice while taking amiodarone. Do not increase or decrease the amount of grapefruit products in your diet without first talking to your doctor. Grapefruit can raise the levels of amiodarone in your body and lead to dangerous side effects.
Can amiodarone cause heart failure?
Amiodarone’s pharmacodynamics, with an exceedingly large distribution volume leading to accumulation in the myocardium, may also play a part. Bradyarrhythmias could ensue, leading to sudden cardiac death in advanced heart failure.
How dangerous a drug is amiodarone?
Amiodarone may cause a condition that affects the heart rhythm (QT prolongation). QT prolongation can rarely cause serious (rarely fatal) fast/irregular heartbeat and other symptoms (such as severe dizziness, fainting) that need medical attention right away.
What should I avoid while taking amiodarone?
Amiodarone may be taken with or without food but should be taken at the same way each time. You should avoid consuming grapefruits and grapefruit juice while taking amiodarone. Do not increase or decrease the amount of grapefruit products in your diet without first talking to your doctor.
When not to give amiodarone?
You should not use amiodarone if you have: a serious heart condition called “AV block” (2nd or 3rd degree), unless you have a pacemaker; a history of slow heartbeats that have caused you to faint; or if your heart cannot pump blood properly.
What happens if you stop taking amiodarone?
In rare cases, patients who have taken amiodarone for long periods of time and in higher doses may begin to see yellowish halos due to a build-up of small bodies of fat on the eye, known as corneal microdeposits. This side effect reportedly goes away roughly seven months after stopping amiodarone.