disopyramide

Before taking disopyramide, tell your doctor if you have

• any other type of heart disease or heart problem,

• liver disease,

• kidney disease,

• difficulty urinating or an enlarged prostate,

• glaucoma, or

• myasthenia gravis.

You may not be able to take disopyramide, or you may require a lower dose or special monitoring during treatment if you have any of the conditions listed above.

Disopyramide is in the FDA pregnancy category C. This means that it is not known whether disopyramide will harm an unborn baby. Do not take this medication without first talking to your doctor if you are pregnant.

Disopyramide passes into breast milk. It is not known whether disopyramide will affect a nursing infant. Do not take this medication without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Take disopyramide exactly as directed by your doctor. If you do not understand these directions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor to explain them to you.

Take each dose with a full glass of water.

Do not crush, chew, or break any controlled-release (CR) forms of disopyramide. Swallow them whole. They are specially formulated to release slowly in your body.

Do not skip doses or change your dosing schedule without talking to your doctor. Changing your schedule could make your condition much worse.

Store disopyramide at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

Try not to miss any doses of this medication. Missing doses could be very dangerous.

If you do miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take only your next regularly scheduled dose. Do not take a double dose of this medication. A double dose could be dangerous.

If you experience any of the following serious side effects, stop taking disopyramide and seek emergency medical attention:

• an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of your throat; swelling of your lips, tongue, or face; or hives);

• a new or a worsening irregular heartbeat pattern;

• chest pain, chest discomfort, shortness of breath, or swelling of your legs or feet; or

• severe dizziness.

Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur. Talk to your doctor if you experience

• mild dizziness or tiredness,

• headache,

• blurred vision,

• dry mouth,

• rash, itching,

• muscle aches or pains, or

• difficulty urinating.

Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.

Do not skip doses or change your dosing schedule without talking to your doctor. Changing your schedule could make your condition much worse.

Use caution when driving, operating machinery, or performing other hazardous activities. Disopyramide may cause dizziness, drowsiness, or blurred vision. If you experience dizziness, drowsiness, or blurred vision, avoid these activities.

Do not crush, chew, or break any controlled-release (CR) forms of disopyramide. Swallow them whole. They are specially formulated to release slowly in your body.

Use caution when driving, operating machinery, or performing other hazardous activities. Disopyramide may cause dizziness, drowsiness, or blurred vision. If you experience dizziness, drowsiness, or blurred vision, avoid these activities.

Use alcohol cautiously. Alcohol may increase side effects while you are taking disopyramide.

Follow any other special instructions given by your doctor regarding food, beverages, and activities.

Before taking disopyramide, tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following medications:

• other medicines used to treat irregular heartbeats such as quinidine (Cardioquin, Quinora, others), amiodarone (Cordarone), bepridil (Vascor), procainamide (Pronestyl, Procan, Procanbid), and others;

• a beta-blocker such as acebutolol (Sectral), propranolol (Inderal), metoprolol (Lopressor), carteolol (Cartrol), labetalol (Normodyne, Trandate), pindolol (Visken), nadolol (Corgard), and others;

• erythromycin (E-Mycin, E.E.S., Ery-Tab, and others) or clarithromycin (Biaxin);

• grepafloxacin (Raxar)or sparfloxacin (Zagam);

• phenytoin (Dilantin);

• phenobarbital (Solfoton, Luminal);

• cisapride (Propulsid);

• rifampin (Rimactane, Rifadin); or

• warfarin (Coumadin).

You may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during your treatment if you are taking any of the medicines listed above.

Drugs other than those listed here may also interact with disopyramide. Talk to your doctor and pharmacist before taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicines.

Seek emergency medical attention.

Symptoms of a disopyramide overdose include dry mouth and eyes, blurred vision, constipation, difficulty urinating, dizziness, worsening irregular heartbeats, loss of consciousness, and death.