- Amiodarone can also ↓ heart rate by its intrinsic beta-blocker effects.
Adverse Effects
- Highly lipid soluble molecule with a long half-life
- Long-term amiodarone use can be associated with numerous adverse effects, and thus active surveillance is required. 1
- The most important toxic effects are: 1
- hepatic (elevated liver enzyme activities in 15%-30% and cirrhosis in <3%),
- cardiac (QT prolongation or AV block),
- thyroid (hypothyroidism in 6% or hyperthyroidism in 0.9%-2.0%),
- pulmonary (interstitial lung disease and pulmonary fibrosis in 1%-17%),
- ocular (corneal deposits in >90% or optic neuritis in <2%), and
- skin (photosensitivity in 25%-75% or blue-gray discoloration in 4%-9%).
Figure source: 1