Drug Status in USA : Approved Drug Status in Canada : Approved
pronunciation
pronounced as (dye soe peer' a mide)
Why is this medication prescribed?
Disopyramide is used to treat abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias). It works by making your heart more resistant to abnormal activity.
How should this medicine be used?
Disopyramide comes as a capsule to take by mouth. Immediate-acting disopyramide may be taken 3 to 4 times a day. The long-acting product is usually taken twice a day. Do not cut, crush, or chew extended-release capsules; swallow them whole.
Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take disopyramide exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.
Disopyramide helps control your condition but will not cure it. Continue to take disopyramide even if you feel well. Do not stop taking disopyramide without talking to your doctor.
What are the precautions to be followed?
Before taking disopyramide,
tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to disopyramide or any other drugs.
tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications you are taking, especially clarithromycin (Biaxin), erythromycin (E.E.S., E-mycin, others), itraconazole (Sporanox), ketoconazole (Nizoral), other medications for arrhythmias such as quinidine (Quinidex) or procainamide (Pronestil, Rhythmin), phenytoin (Dilantin), potassium supplements (K-Dur, Klor-Con), propranolol (Inderal), verapamil (Calan, Covera, Verelan), and vitamins.
tell your doctor if you have or have ever had congestive heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney or liver disease, glaucoma, myasthenia gravis, urinary retention, or benign prostatic hypertrophy.
tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while taking disopyramide, call your doctor.
talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking disopyramide if you are 65 years of age or older. Older adults should not usually take disopyramide because it is not as safe or effective as other medications that can be used to treat the same condition.
if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are taking disopyramide.
you should know that this medication may make you drowsy. Do not drive a car or operate machinery until you know how this medication affects you.
remember that alcohol can add to the drowsiness caused by this medication.
talk to your doctor about the use of cigarettes and caffeine-containing beverages. These products may increase the irritability of your heart and interfere with the action of disopyramide.
What are possible side effects of this medication ?
Disopyramide may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
dizziness or lightheadedness
difficult urination
dry mouth
constipation
blurred vision
stomach pain or bloating
headache
If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:
chest pain
swelling of the feet or hands
unusual weight gain
irregular heartbeat
shortness of breath
fever, chills, or sore throat
skin rash or yellowing of the skin
How to store the medication and dispose it of after its use later?
Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom). Throw away any medication that is outdated or no longer needed. Talk to your pharmacist about the proper disposal of your medication.
Drug Category/Class
Antiarrhythmics, Class Ia
Anti-Arrhythmia Agents
Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel Blockers
Antiarrhythmics, Class I and Iii
Cardiac Therapy
Antiarrythmics, Class I and Iii
Cardiovascular System
CYP3A4 Inhibitors
Antiarrhythmics, class Ia
Prescribed
For the treatment of documented ventricular arrhythmias, such as sustained ventricular tachycardia, ventricular pre-excitation and cardiac dysrhyth...