Cordarone
Cordarone helps your heart beat normally by calming its electrical activity and preventing fast or irregular heartbeats.
Form
tabletti
Strength
100 mg
Active Ingredient
Amiodarone hydrochloride
Manufacturer
Sanofi Oy
How to Use
Dosage
Initial dose: 200 mg three times daily for 8-10 days. Maintenance dose: 100-400 mg daily, adjusting to the lowest effective dose.
Method
Take the tablets with a meal to reduce stomach upset.
Important
The maximum daily maintenance dose is 400 mg.
Possible Side Effects
COMMON
- •Harmless deposits on the cornea (front of the eye) and changes in vision (like seeing halos or blurred vision).
- •Feeling sick (nausea), vomiting, or changes in taste.
- •Skin being more sensitive to sunlight.
- •Changes in liver test results.
- •Slow heartbeat.
- •Underactive or overactive thyroid gland (which can sometimes be very serious).
- •Liver problems, including yellowing of the skin (jaundice) or liver failure.
- •Shaking (tremors), nightmares, or trouble sleeping.
- •Less interest in sex.
- •Lung problems, including inflammation or scarring, which can cause severe breathing difficulties and sometimes be very serious.
- •Blue-grey skin color that fades after you stop the medicine.
- •Constipation.
- •Itchy, red skin rash (eczema).
RARE
- •New or worse irregular heartbeats, or problems with how your heart sends electrical signals.
- •Nerve or muscle diseases, or dry mouth.
- •Very severe slow heartbeat.
- •Changes in blood cell counts, making infections more likely.
- •Eye nerve problems that can lead to blindness.
- •Chronic liver inflammation or liver damage that can sometimes be deadly.
- •Kidney problems.
- •Trouble with coordination, increased pressure in the head, or headaches.
- •Swelling and inflammation of the testicles, or impotence.
- •Trouble breathing or wheezing, especially for people with asthma.
- •Serious lung problems that develop quickly, sometimes after surgery, and can be deadly.
- •Red skin during radiation therapy, other skin reactions, or hair loss.
- •Inflammation of blood vessels.
- •A specific problem with hormones (SIADH).
- •Swelling of the face, lips, or throat.
- •Bleeding in the lungs.
- •Hives or granulomas (lumps of inflammatory cells).
- •More infections than usual due to low white blood cells.
- •Sudden inflammation of the pancreas.
- •Severe allergic reactions (anaphylactic shock).
- •Loss of appetite.
- •Unusual movements, stiffness, shaking, or restlessness (like Parkinson's disease).
- •Distorted sense of smell.
- •Confusion or hallucinations (seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there).
- •Severe, life-threatening skin rashes with peeling skin and blisters (like Stevens-Johnson syndrome or DRESS).
- •A skin disease similar to lupus, causing joint pain, stiffness, swelling, and a rash on the face.
- •Serious complication after heart transplant where the new heart stops working.
Important Warnings
- Do not use if you are allergic to amiodarone, iodine, or any other ingredient in this medicine.
- Do not use if you have a very slow heart rate, unless you have a pacemaker.
- Do not use if you have certain other severe heart rhythm problems, like heart block or sick sinus syndrome.
- Do not use if you have thyroid gland problems.
- Do not use if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, unless your doctor says it's an emergency.
Show 2 more warnings
- Tell your doctor if you are taking medicine for Hepatitis C that contains sofosbuvir, as this can slow your heartbeat dangerously.
- This medicine makes your skin more sensitive to sunlight. Always use strong sun protection.
Use in Elderly Patients
Category D
Avoid use in older adults. Start the treatment only in specialized care. Risk of QT prolongation. Elimination is very slow. Significant adverse effects include hypo- or hyperthyroidism, pulmonary changes, hepatic impairment and torsades de pointes ventricular tachycardia. Consider the numerous potential interactions. Avoid grapefruit. Remember blood tests to monitor safety. (updated 19.5.2025)