FDA is notifying physicians and pharmacists that a Medication Guide for patients must be distributed with each prescription for Cordarone tablets, or generic amiodorone. This is an anti-arrhythmic drug used to treat severe ventricular arrhythmias. FDA requires these guides for drugs that pose a serious public health concern. The guide explains to patients that Cordarone can cause lung damage and liver damage, and in some cases can worsen the heart rhythm problems that the drug is intended to treat. It describes the warning symptoms that should lead patients to seek medical attention, and explains that the drug should only be used when other agents did not work. In a letter to health care professionals, Cordarone's manufacturer, Wyeth Laboratories, cautions that the Medication Guide should not be used as a substitute for talking to patients about the risks and benefits of the drug.

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antiarrhythmic & rhythmic music video

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Gregory Feld, M.D., UCSD Cardiovascular Center describes the mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmias. New treatments for this condition include; anti-arrhythmic drugs, catheter procedures and computerized intraoperative mapping techniques. Series: "Health Sciences Journal" [1/2001] [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 5187]

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FDA recently approved a new drug for patients with advanced HIV disease. The drug, called Aptivus (tipranavir) is an HIV protease inhibitor. It's intended to be given in combination with ritonavir and other antiretroviral drugs to patients who have limited treatment options. Aptivus is made by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals. In clinical trials, Aptivus, when used in combination with ritonavir and other antiretroviral agents, was shown to be effective in patients who had HIV strains highly resistant to other drugs. The product labeling will carry a boxed warning that Aptivus can cause serious liver problems, especially in patients with liver disease. Because of the potential for serious drug interactions, certain drugs are contraindicated in patients taking Aptivus plus ritonavir. They include certain antiarrhythmics, antihistamines, ergot derivatives and herbal products.

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