The anti-arrhythmic drug amiodarone has been linked to serious side effects including blindness, liver damage and toxic epidermal necrosis (TEN).
Free Confidential Lawsuit Evaluation: If you or a loved one has been injured by Amiodarone side effects, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a suit against the manufacturer and our lawyers can help.
What is Amiodarone?
Amiodarone is a class III antiarrhythmic agent used to help keep the heart beating normally in patients with life-threatening heart rhythm disorders (ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia). The drug works by blocking certain electrical signals in the heart that can cause an irregular heartbeat. Amiodarone was approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in December 1985.
FDA Warning
In May 2005, FDA issued a Drug Safety Alert about “potentially fatal toxicities, including pulmonary toxicity, hepatic injury, and worsened arrhythmia” associated with amiodarone. The drug should only be used to treat adults with life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias when other treatments are ineffective or have not been tolerated, according to the agency.
Amiodarone Side Effects
- Lung disease
- Interstitial lung disease
- Pulmonary fibrosis
- Thyroid damage
- Liver damage
- Vision damage
- Allergic reactions
- Nervous system complications
- Toxic Epidermal Necrosis (TEN)
- Blindness
- Respiratory failure
- Kidney failure
- Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
- Heart arrhythmias
- Sinus arrest
- Ventricular tachycardia
- Cardiogenic shock
- Torsades de pointes
- Stroke
- Bone marrow depression
- Death
Amiodarone and Simvastatin
All statins carry a risk of rhabdomyolysis, a condition that occurs when muscle tissue breaks down into the bloodstream. However, the risk of rhabdomyolysis is greater with the amiodarone and simvastatin combo than with other statins alone. FDA warned of this problem in 2002, but the drugs are still being prescribed together.
Do I Have an Amiodarone Lawsuit?
The Class Action Litigation Group at our law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus on the representation of plaintiffs in amiodarone lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently accepting new injury and death cases in all 50 states.
Free Confidential Case Evaluation: Again, if you were injured by amiodarone, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to a settlement by filing a suit and we can help.