Article: Amiodarone has potential side effects.(Life - Health)

Byline: SUZY COHEN

Q: I take 200 mg of amiodarone to help regulate my heartbeat because it tends to beat too fast. Can you tell me more about this medication?

- P.D., Albany, N.Y.

A: Amiodarone is one of those rare drugs you hear about that got FDA approval without a lot of testing. Known by the brand names Cordarone or Pacerone, it attempts to normalize an irregular heartbeat. The drug is reserved for people with life-threatening arrhythmias that can't be controlled by other safer drugs or treatments.

Back in the 1980s, there was pressure on the FDA from drug companies and doctors to approve amiodarone in the United States, because ...

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