Flecainide with amiodarone

The combination of flecainide with amiodarone can result in reduced conduction, predisposing to bundle branch block and dysrhythmias (69,70). 

Administration with amiodarone When flecainide is given in the presence of amiodarone, reduce the usual flecainide dose by 50% and monitor the patient closely for adverse effects. Plasma level monitoring is strongly recommended to guide dosage with such combination therapy. 

The pharmacokinetics of saquinavir is modified by agents that alter isoenzyme CYP3A4 of the cytochrome P-450 system and P-glycoprotein transporter. It should not be administered with midazolam, triazolam and ergot derivatives. The plasma concentrations of saquinavir are lower when coadministered with efavirenz, nevirapine or rifampin. Ritonavir reverses the effects of nevirapine on saquinavir. The coadministration of astemizole, terfenadine, amiodarone, bepridil, quinidine, propafenone or flecainide with saquinavir is also not recommended due to its potential for serious and/or life-threatening reactions. 

Clinically important, potentially hazardous interactions with amiodarone, bepridil, cisapride, disopyramide, droperidol, erythromycin, flecainide, levodopa, pentamidine, procainamide, quinidine, sotalol, sparfloxacin, terfenadine, thioridazine... 

Clinically important, potentially hazardous interactions with amiodarone, atorvastatin, bepridil, carbamazepine, delavirdine, dihydroergotamine, etravirine, flecainide, itraconazole, ketoconazole, lidocaine, lopinavir, lovastatin, midazolam, phenobarbital, phenytoin, pimozide, propafenone, quinidine, rifabutin, rifampin, sildenafil, simvastatin, St John s wort, triazolam, vardenafil, warfarin... 

Ventricular fibrillation should be terminated by electrical defibrillation. Alternatively, lidocaine can be injected intravenously. In cases with lower frequency, ventricular tachyarrhythmia class I diugs such as aj marine, flecainide or propafenone are more effective as a result of the use-dependence of lidocaine. For prophylaxis treatment, amiodarone or sotalol may be helpful or the implantation of a cardioverter-defibrillator system. Acute amiodarone (i.v. in higher doses) can also terminate ventricular tachyarrhythmias. This action, however, seems to be mediated by its INa-blocking side effects and not (or less) by its class III like effects. 

AF often recurs after initial cardioversion because most patients have irreversible underlying heart or lung disease. A metaanalysis confirmed that quinidine maintained sinus rhythm better than placebo however, 50% of patients had recurrent AF within 1 year, and more importantly, quinidine increased mortality, presumably due in part to proarrhythmia. Type Ic (e.g., flecainide, propafenone) and type III (e.g., amiodarone, sotalol, dofetilide) antiarrhythmic agents may be alternatives to quinidine however, these agents are also associated with proarrhythmia. Consequently, chronic antiarrhythmic drugs should be reserved for patients with recurrent paroxysmal AF associated with intolerable symptoms during episodes of AF. 

Q79 As opposed to flecainide, amiodarone is not associated with pneumonitis as a side-effect. Signs of pneumonitis include progressive shortness of breath or cough. 

Amiodarone increases the hypoprothrombinemic response to warfarin (an oral anticoagulant) by reducing its metabolism. Patients receiving digoxin may undergo an increase in serum digoxin concentrations when amiodarone is added to the treatment regimen. Amiodarone interferes with hepatic and renal elimination of flecainide, phenytoin, and quinidine. 

Of 26 fetuses with hydrops fetalis and supraventricular tachycardias, 25 received transplacental drug therapy prenatal conversion occurred in 15 (82). Nine fetuses were converted to sinus rhythm using either flecainide (n = 7) or amiodarone (n = 2) as first-line therapy, while digoxin either alone or in association with sotalol failed to restore sinus rhythm in all cases. After first-line therapy, supraventricular tachycardia persisted in 10 fetuses, nine of whom received amiodarone alone or in association with digoxin as second-line therapy, and five of whom converted to sinus rhythm. Of 11 neonates who received amiodarone in utero, two developed raised thyroid stimulating hormone concentrations on postnatal days 3-4 they received thyroid hormone and had normal outcomes. 

Whatever the mechanism, the important lesson reinforced by CAST was that the decision to initiate any form of drug therapy (antiarrhythmic or otherwise) should be predicated on the knowledge (or at least a reasonable assumption) that any risk is outweighed by real or potential benefit. Large trials suggest that amiodarone (unlike flecainide) has a slightly beneficial effect on survival of patients with advanced heart disease, while many studies indicate a prominent beneficial effect of 15-blockade. 

A systematic review of randomized controlled trials in patients with newly detected AF identified a number of antiarrhythmic drugs for which there was statistically significant evidence of benefit (I). In a limited number of comparative studies, flecainide was more effective than propafenone and procainamide, propafenone was superior to amiodarone, amiodarone was superior to quinidine, and quinidine was superior to sotalol. 

The calcium channel blocker mibefradil (Posicor ) was removed from the market in 1998. The headline for the Pink Sheets article describing this action was "Posicor Withdrawal Reflects Complexity of Interaction Profile" (59). Products identified as potentially dangerous in combination with mibefradil included cardiac drugs, such as amiodarone, flecainide, and propafenone oncologic products, such as tamoxifen, cyclophosphamide, etoposide, ifosfamide, and vinblastine and the immunosuppressant medications cyclosporine and tacrolimus. The sponsor s decision to withdraw mibefradil was based on the complexity of the drug interaction information that would have to be communicated to ensure safe usage. 

Particle-loaded membranes with embedded Cg hydrophobic adsorbents were intensively investigated for several dmg separations. Tricyclic antidepressants, antiarrhythmic dmgs, amiodarone and its metabolite desethylamiodarone, and mexiletine and flecainide were extracted from serum using a 11 mm Cg membrane adsorber with recoveries ranging from 82% to 98% [14,220]. 

In a single-blind study 150 patients with acute atrial fibrillation were randomized to intravenous flecainide, propafenone, or amiodarone (23). At 12 hours there was... 

Antidysrhythmic dmgs can themselves cause cardiac dysrhythmias, their major adverse effect. The risk of antidysrhythmic-induced cardiac dysrhythmias (prodys-rhythmic effects) has been estimated at about 11-13% in non-invasive studies (18,19) and at up to 20% in invasive electrophysiological studies. However, the risk varies from dmg to drug and is particularly low with class III drugs. In one study the quoted risks of dysrhythmias were flecainide 30%, quinidine 18%, propafenone 7%, sotalol 6%, and amiodar-one 0% (20). However, amiodarone does cause dysrhythmias, especially when the QT interval is over 600 ms. 

Clinically important, potentially hazardous interactions with alfentanil, alfuzosin, alprazolam, amiodarone, amprenavir, aprepitant, astemizole, atazanavir, bepridil, buprenorphine, bupropion, carbamazepine, chlordiazepoxide, ciclesonide, clozapine, conivaptan, cyclosporine, cyproterone, dasatinib, diazepam, dihydroergotamine, ergot alkaloids, estazolam, eszopidone, etravirine, ezetimibe, fentanyl, fesoterodine, flecainide, flurazepam, fluticasone, halazepam, ivabradine, ixabepilone, ketoconazole, lapatinib, levothyroxine, meperidine, meptazinol, methysergide, midazolam, nifedipine, nilotinib, oral contraceptives, phenytoin, pimozide, piroxicam, propafenone, propoxyphene, quazepam, quinidine, ranolazine, rifabutin, rifampin, rifapentine, rimonabant, rivaroxaban, saquinavir, sildenafil, silodosin, simvastatin, solifenacin, St John s wort, tadalafil, temsirolimus, trabectedin, triazolam, vardenafil, voriconazole, zolpidem... 

Diuretics. Hypercalcaemia may develop in patients administered thiazide diuretics with either calcium or vitamin D supplements, leading to a need to monitor plasma or serum calcium levels. The concurrent use of potassium-sparing diuretics, and other potassium supplements or potassium-containing salt substitutes, could lead to serious hyperkalaemia. Hyperkalaemia is known to interfere with the absorption of vitamin B12. There is a need to warn patients and monitor serum potassium levels. The risk of hypokalaemia is minimal with low doses of thiazides, for example 5 mg of bendroflumethiazide. Hypokalaemia is a concern in patients receiving treatment with drugs such as digoxin, amiodarone, disopyramide or flecainide (drugs used to treat cardiac disorders). 

Andrivet P, Beaslay V, Canh VD. Torsades de pointe with flecainide-amiodarone therapy. In-tensive Care Med l9 ) 16,342-3. 

It was suggested that benziodarone may inhibit the cytochrome P450 isoenzyme CYP2D6 which is concerned with the metabolism of flecainide. Note that benziodarone is chemically related to amiodarone, which has a similar effect, see Flecainide + Amiodarone , p.258. Mild renal... 

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