Nexterone vs. Multaq

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

Nexterone (amiodarone HC1) Injection and Multaq (dronedarone) are antiarrhythmic drugs used to help keep the heart beating normally in people with different types of heart rhythm disorders.

Nexterone is used to treat or prevent ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation.

Multaq is used to treat atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter.

Side effects of Nexterone and Multaq that are similar include nausea and vomiting.

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

Side effects of Multaq that are different from Nexterone include diarrhea, abdominal pain, and weakness.

Both Nexterone and Multaq may interact with cyclosporine, St. John's wort, antibiotics, antifungals, cholesterol-lowering medicines, heart or blood pressure medications, heart rhythm medications, and medications to treat HIV/AIDS.

Nexterone may also interact with cimetidine, clopidogrel, dextromethorphan, digoxin, fentanyl, loratadine, phenytoin, blood thinners, diuretics, arthritis medications, and insulin or oral diabetes medications.

Multaq may also interact with dexamethasone, medications for treating tuberculosis, cyclosporine, sirolimus, tacrolimus, theophylline, antidepressants, anti-malaria medications, barbiturates, beta-blockers, medicines to prevent blood clots, medicines to prevent or treat nausea and vomiting, medicines to treat hepatitis C, medicines to treat psychiatric disorders, migraine headache medicines, narcotics, seizure medications, and other drugs.

Common side effects of Nexterone include:

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

Common side effects of Multaq include:

• diarrhea,
• nausea,
• abdominal pain,
• vomiting, and
• weakness.

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.

Multaq (dronedarone) is an antiarrythmic drug used to treat atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter, types of abnormal heart rhythms.

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.

Multaq may interact with cyclosporine, dexamethasone, medications for treating tuberculosis, cyclosporine, sirolimus, tacrolimus, St. John's wort, theophylline, antibiotics, antifungals, antidepressants, anti-malaria medications, barbiturates, beta-blockers, cholesterol-lowering medicines, heart or blood pressure medications, heart rhythm medicines, medicines to prevent blood clots, medicines to prevent or treat nausea and vomiting, medicines to treat HIV/AIDS or hepatitis C, medicines to treat psychiatric disorders, migraine headache medicines, narcotics, seizure medications, and other drugs. Tell your doctor all medications and supplements you use. Do not use Multaq if you are pregnant.

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.

The recommended dosage of Multaq is 400 mg twice daily in adults. Multaq should be taken as one tablet with the morning meal and one tablet with the evening meal.