Amiodarone is associated with permanent vision problems and life-threatening pulmonary (lung) toxicity. Amiodarone is marketed by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals under the name Cordarone®, and by Upsher-Smith Laboratories under the name Pacerone®. A powerful anti-arrhythmic medication, Amiodarone is prescribed to manage irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias) in patients who have not responded to, or do not tolerate, alternative treatments. Arrhythmias are potentially life threatening, as they compromise the pumping efficiency of the heart. Amiodarone falls under the class of potassium channel blockers, which inhibit potassium efflux through cell membranes.

A potassium channel blocker, amiodarone inhibits the outward movement of potassium through cellular membranes, stabilizing the heart’s rhythm. Amiodarone is often administered in high doses, and patients have experienced many side effects, some causing great concern. Amiodarone users have encountered permanent vision loss and severe, sometimes fatal, pulmonary toxicity. Patients taking amiodarone have also experienced nausea and vomiting, sun sensitivity, fatigue, coordination problems, and various allergic reactions, which can sometimes be controlled through dose management.

Another concern to amiodarone users is the interaction of amiodarone with grapefruit juice. Grapefruit juice has been determined to inhibit the body’s metabolism of the amiodarone, which can result in dangerous levels of amiodarone remaining in the body, posing a potentially serious health risk. Adverse reactions to amiodarone are of such concern that patients are advised to begin treatment in a hospital under close supervision.

If the drug’s inherent dangers are not frightening enough, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals has been accused of promoting this “last resort” drug as a first-line therapy. When, in 2003, the FDA ordered Wyeth to compose a warning blurb for all bottles of amiodarone, the draft was tossed back and forth between the FDA and the pharmaceutical giant for over a year before being added to the drug.

Millions of Cordarone® prescriptions have been written “off-label,” for non-approved health conditions. While this practice is legal, many accuse pharmaceutical companies of knowingly promoting their drugs for off-label conditions when the effects of treatment are unknown for many conditions. Patients who receive this medication off-label for conditions where other approved treatments are available may unnecessarily jeopardize their health by using a drug that is already considered risky.

If you or a loved one has taken amiodarone, even for an approved condition, and encountered health problems, you may have grounds for a lawsuit. Contact our Philadelphia amiodarone lawyers today, and we will assess your history with. If you suffered unnecessary health complications or medical expenses as a result of using amiodarone in or around Philadelphia, let our attorneys fight for justice on behalf of you and your family.