Multaq works by blocking passages through which charged potassium particles move in and out of the heart. Too many charged particles can cause atrial fibrillation and an increase in heart rate. Dronedarone helps to maintain a normal heart rhythm in people with atrial fibrillation.
What Is Multaq Used For?
Multaq is used in adults with AFib to control and maintain a normal heart rhythm. It also lowers the chance of this population needing to go to the hospital.
Brand Name: Multaq
Drug Availability: Prescription
Therapeutic Classification: Antiarrhythmic
Available Generically: No
Controlled Substance: N/A
Administration Route: Oral
Active Ingredient: Dronedarone
Dosage Form: Tablet
How to Take Multaq
Take one tablet by mouth twice daily with meals (e.g., one tablet with a morning meal and one with an evening meal). Do not take this drug with grapefruit or grapefruit juice. Keep taking your prescribed dose even if you feel better. Always take your medicine as directed by your healthcare provider.
Storage
Store Multaq in a dry place at room temperature (77 degrees Fahrenheit). Do not store your drug in the bathroom. Keep all your medicines away from the reach of children and pets.
Toss any unused or expired drugs. Do not throw your medicine down the drain or flush it down the toilet. Contact your pharmacist if you have questions about the best way to discard unused or expired medicine.
What Are the Side Effects of Multaq?
The follwoing is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. A healthcare provider can advise you on side effects. If you experience other symptoms or events, contact your pharmacist or a healthcare provider. You may report side effects to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at fda.gov/medwatch or 800-FDA-1088.
Common Side Effects
Some common side effects of Multaq include but are not limited to:
Feeling weak or tired Nausea Vomiting Stomach pain Diarrhea Indigestion Skin problems (such as redness, rash, and itchy skin)
Talk to your healthcare provider if you have any of these symptoms, especially if they bother you or do not disappear.
Severe Side Effects
If you have serious side effects, please call your doctor immediately. If it is a medical emergency or life-threatening, call 911. Serious side effects of Multaq include the following:
Acute liver failure (needing transplant), which can be indicated by a loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fever, malaise (general feeling of not being well), itching, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes), dark urine, and pain in the upper stomach area Heart failure (worsening or new), which can include shortness of breath, wheezing, chest tightness, breathing problems that wake you up at night, gaining 5 pounds quickly, swollen legs or feet Heartbeat that is slow, unusual, or fluttering (atrial flutter) Dizziness Anaphylaxis (life-threatening allergic reaction) Angioedema (swelling under the skin) Pulmonary fibrosis (lung tissue that’s damaged and scarred) Skin photosensitivity (sensitivity to ultraviolet light, including from the sun) Vasculitis (inflammation of the blood vessels) Kidney problems
Dosage: How Much Multaq Should I Take?
Missed Dose
If you miss a dose of your drug, skip the missed dose. Start back at your regular time. Do not take extra doses or two doses at a time.
If you experience a serious side effect, you or your provider may send a report to the FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting Program or by phone (800-332-1088).
The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.
For oral dosage form (tablets): For heart rhythm problems: Adults—400 milligrams (mg) two times per day, taken as one tablet in the morning and evening. Children—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
Overdose: What Happens If I Take Too Much Multaq?
Overdose symptoms may include:
Trouble breathingSkin photosensitivityAngioedemaSlow or abnormal heartbeatMuscle weakness
Precautions
What Are Reasons I Shouldn’t Take Multaq?
In some cases, Multaq may not be an appropriate medication for you.
Using this medicine while you are pregnant can harm your unborn baby. Use an effective form of birth control to keep from getting pregnant. If you think you have become pregnant while using the medicine, tell your doctor right away.
Do not use this medicine if you are also using cyclosporine (Gengraf®, Neoral®, Sandimmune®), ritonavir (Norvir®), medicine for depression (such as amitriptyline, nefazodone, nortriptyline, Elavil®, Serzone®), medicine for heart rhythm problems (such as amiodarone, disopyramide, dofetilide, flecainide, propafenone, quinidine, sotalol, Cardioquin®, Cordarone®, Norpace®, Tikosyn®), medicine for infections (such as clarithromycin, erythromycin, itraconazole, ketoconazole, telithromycin, voriconazole, Ery-tab®, Nizoral®, Vfend®), or a phenothiazine medicine (such as chlorpromazine, prochlorperazine, promethazine, thioridazine, Compazine®, Mellaril®, Phenergan®, Thorazine®, Trilafon®). Using these medicines together may cause serious side effects.
Check with your doctor right away if you develop any of the following: chest pain, shortness of breath, swelling of your hands, ankles, or feet, or weight gain. These may be symptoms of heart failure.
This medicine can cause changes in your heart rhythm, such as a condition called QT prolongation. It may cause fainting or serious side effects in some patients. Contact your doctor right away if you have any symptoms of heart rhythm problems, such as fast, pounding, or irregular heartbeats.
Check with your doctor right away if you have upper stomach pain, pale stools, dark urine, loss of appetite, nausea, unusual tiredness, or yellow eyes or skin. These could be symptoms of a serious liver problem.
Tell your doctor right away if you are having shortness of breath, chest tightness, or any type of breathing problem while being treated with this medicine.
This medicine may increase risk for heart attack, stroke, or other serious side effects. Talk to your doctor about whether you should continue to take this medicine for paroxysmal or persistent atrial fibrillation.
Do not stop taking this medicine without first checking with your doctor.
Grapefruits and grapefruit juice may increase the side effects from dronedarone by increasing the amount of this medicine in your body. You should not eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice while you are using this medicine.
Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal (e.g., St. John’s wort) or vitamin supplements.
You should not take Multaq if you:
Are allergic to the medication or any of its ingredients Are pregnant Are breastfeeding Have a severe liver problem Have permanent atrial fibrillation Take drugs for QT prolongation (a condition in which the heart takes longer than normal to recharge between beats) Have had symptomatic heart failure within the last four weeks Had liver or lung toxicity when using a medication called amiodarone Have bradycardia (heartbeat less than 60 beats per minute)
Multaq doubles the risk of death in people with heart failure. It also doubles the risk of stroke, hospitalization, and death in people with permanent atrial fibrillation.
What Other Medications Interact With Multaq?
If you are on Multaq, there are some medications you should avoid. Do not take Multaq with these drugs:
Thorazine (chlorpromazine) Celexa (citalopram) Biaxin (clarithromycin) Gengraf (cyclosporine) Silenor (doxepin) Adriamycin (doxorubicin) Relpax (eletriptan) Levaquin (levofloxacin) Avelox (moxifloxacin) Seroquel (quetiapine) Nurtec (rimegepant) Saint-John’s-wort Mellaril (thioridazine) Tricyclic antidepressants
What Medications Are Similar?
Other medications that are used to treat arrhythmia, like Multaq, include:
Digitek, Digox, Lanoxin (digoxin) Pacerone, Cordarone (amiodarone) Betapace, Sorine, Sotylize (sotalol) Tambocor (flecainide)
Digoxin is used to treat both heart failure and atrial fibrillation. It has no black box warning (the FDA’s strictest warning), while Multaq has two such warnings. On the other hand, amiodarone has a more extensive list of serious side effect profiles than Multaq. Sotalol and flecainide are comparable to Multaq.
Above is a list of drugs also prescribed for atrial fibrillation. It is not a list of drugs recommended to take with Multaq. In fact, you should not take these drugs together. Ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider if you have any questions.
How Can I Stay Healthy While Taking Multaq?
Talk to your healthcare provider about all of the medications you take, including vitamins, supplements, and OTC products. Also, tell your provider about any current or new health conditions that you may have. Liver problems resulting in liver transplants have occurred with this drug. Hence, if you experience any new or worsening conditions, inform your healthcare team as soon as possible.
Do not take Multaq with grapefruit or grapefruit juice. Grapefruit juice increases the levels of the drug in your system, causing more harm to you.
If you are pregnant or you plan to become pregnant, let your provider know. This medicine can harm the fetus. You may need a different treatment.
