Tykosin vs. Nexterone

• Are Tykosin and Nexterone the Same Thing?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Tykosin?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Nexterone?
• What Is Tykosin?
• What Is Nexterone?
• What Drugs Interact with Tykosin?
• What Drugs Interact with Nexterone?
• How Should Tykosin Be Taken?
• How Should Nexterone Be Taken?

Tikosyn (dofetilide) and Nexterone (amiodarone HC1) Injection are antiarrhythmic drugs used to treat different types of arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats).

Tikosyn is used to help keep the heart beating normally in people with certain heart rhythm disorders of the atrium (the upper chambers of the heart). Tikosyn is used in people with atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter.

Nexterone is used to help keep the heart beating normally in people with life threatening heart rhythm disorders of the ventricles (the lower chambers of the heart that allow blood to flow out of the heart). Nexterone is used to treat or prevent ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation.

Side effects of Tikosyn and Nexterone that are similar include dizziness and nausea.

Side effects of Tikosyn that are different from Nexterone include headache, diarrhea, stomach pain, sleep problems (insomnia), back pain, skin rash, and cold symptoms (such as stuffy nose, sneezing, or sore throat).

Side effects of Nexterone that are different from Tikosyn include low fever, vomiting, slow heart rate, low blood pressure, and abnormal liver function tests.

Both Tikosyn and Nexterone may interact with diuretics (water pills), HIV/AIDS medicines, antibiotics, and heart rhythm medicines.

Tikosyn may also interact with drugs that can affect heart rhythm, narcotics, antidepressants, and medicines to treat psychiatric disorders.

Nexterone may also interact with cimetidine, clopidogrel, cyclosporine, dextromethorphan, digoxin, fentanyl, loratadine, phenytoin, St. John's wort, blood thinners, antifungals, arthritis medications, cholesterol-lowering medicines, heart or blood pressure medications, and insulin or oral diabetes medications.

Common side effects of Tykosin include:

• headache,
• dizziness,
• nausea,
• diarrhea,
• stomach pain,
• sleep problems (insomnia),
• back pain,
• skin rash, or
• cold symptoms such as stuffy nose, sneezing, or sore throat.

Seek immediate medical attention if you have rare but serious side effects of Tikosyn including:

• chest pain,
• fainting,
• faster or more irregular heartbeat, or
• severe dizziness.

Common side effects of Nexterone include:

• low fever
• slight dizziness
• nausea
• vomiting
• slow heart rate
• low blood pressure, or
• abnormal liver function tests

Tikosyn (sotalol) is an antiarrhythmic agent used for treating ventricular arrhythmias.

Nexterone (amiodarone HC1) Injection is an antiarrhythmic drug used to help keep the heart beating normally in people with life-threatening heart rhythm disorders of the ventricles (the lower chambers of the heart that allow blood to flow out of the heart). Nexterone is used to treat or prevent ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation. Nexterone is available in generic form.

Tikosyn may interact with diuretics (water pills), HIV/AIDS medicine, drugs that can affect heart rhythm, narcotics, antibiotics, antidepressants, medicines to treat psychiatric disorders, or heart rhythm medicine. Tell your doctor all medications you are taking.

Nexterone may interact with cimetidine, clopidogrel, cyclosporine, dextromethorphan, digoxin, fentanyl, loratadine, phenytoin, St. John's wort, blood thinners, diuretics, antibiotics, antifungals, arthritis medications, cholesterol-lowering medicines, heart or blood pressure medications, heart rhythm medications, insulin or oral diabetes medication, or medication to treat HIV or AIDS. Tell your doctor all medications and supplements you use.

The usual recommended dose of Tikosyn is 500 mcg twice daily. When starting, restarting, or increasing the dose, you will need to stay in the hospital for at least 3 days for monitoring.

The recommended starting dose of Nexterone is about 1000 mg over the first 24 hours of therapy. Close monitoring with adjustment of dose is essential.