Cordarone, also known internationally as Amiodarone, is an antiarrhythmic drug that slows the repolarization of the heart muscle. It is used to treat severe arrhythmias, including atrial and ventricular premature contractions, WPW syndrome, atrial flutter and fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, as well as arrhythmias secondary to coronary artery disease or heart failure, and ventricular arrhythmias in patients with Chagas myocarditis.
Cordarone is produced by various companies around the world, including Dogu Ilak Fabrikasi AS (Turkey), Krka d.d. (Slovenia), Sanofi Winthrop Industries (France) and Torrent Pharmaceuticals (India). The medicine is available in the form of 200 mg tablets, 150 mg intravenous solution and 150 mg injection solution.
The active substance of Cordarone is amiodarone. The drug has a number of contraindications, including hypersensitivity to iodine, thyroid dysfunction, sinus bradycardia, AV block, sinus insufficiency syndrome, severe conduction disturbances and cardiogenic shock.
When using Cordarone, side effects may occur, such as retinal microdetachments, optic neuritis, pulmonary fibrosis, pneumonitis, pleurisy, bronchiolitis, pneumonia, hyper- or hypothyroidism, nausea, vomiting, liver dysfunction, peripheral neuropathies and/or myopathies, extrapyramidal tremor , ataxia, cranial hypertension, nightmares, bradycardia, asystole, AV block, alopecia, epididymitis, anemia, photosensitivity and allergic reactions.
Cordarone may interact with other medications, increasing or decreasing their effect. For example, it enhances the effect of indirect anticoagulants and digitalis drugs, increases the concentration of cyclosporine in the blood, and beta-blockers increase the risk of hypotension and bradycardia.
With long-term treatment with Cordarone, it is necessary to regularly carry out ECG monitoring, consult an ophthalmologist, monitor thyroid function and perform X-ray monitoring of the lungs. In addition, you should not drink alcohol while taking Cordarone.
If any side effects or unwanted reactions to the medicine occur, you should consult your doctor immediately.
Despite the effectiveness of Cordarone in the treatment of arrhythmias, it can only be prescribed by a doctor, who must evaluate the indications and contraindications for its use, as well as adjust the dosage and duration of treatment depending on the patient’s condition.