milrinone
Brand names: Primacor
Milrinone is a medicine used in the hospital for a short time to help people with severe heart failure. It helps your heart pump better.
What it does
Milrinone is used for the short-term treatment of acute decompensated heart failure.
Common side effects
Irregular heartbeats
Key warnings
Be careful.
How It Works
Milrinone belongs to a class of drugs called phosphodiesterase-3 inhibitors. It makes more of a substance called cAMP available to your heart and blood vessels. This helps your heart muscle squeeze harder and widens your blood vessels, so blood flows more easily.
How to Take It
Milrinone is given into your vein through an IV. First, you'll get a loading dose over 10 minutes. Then, you'll get a continuous infusion. The amount you get depends on your weight and how well the medicine is working. Your doctor will adjust the dose as needed.
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. It is not known if milrinone will harm your unborn baby. It is also not known if milrinone passes into breast milk.
Missed Dose
Since this medicine is given in a hospital, you don't have to worry about missing a dose.
Storage
Milrinone should be stored at room temperature, away from freezing.
Serious Warnings
Be careful. Milrinone can cause life-threatening irregular heartbeats. Your doctor will watch your heart closely while you are taking this medicine.
Common Questions
What should I tell my doctor before taking milrinone?
How will I be monitored while taking milrinone?
What are the possible side effects of milrinone?
Can milrinone interact with other medications?
How long will I need to take milrinone?
What if I have kidney problems?
Can milrinone cause chest pain?
What if I have low potassium?
Can milrinone cause liver problems?
What if I have a skin reaction?
What are the common side effects of milrinone?
What drug class is milrinone?
Is milrinone safe during pregnancy?
Related Medications in Phosphodiesterase-3 Inhibitor
Other drugs grouped near milrinone — same-class peers and common alternatives.
adenosine
Adenocard
Adenosine (Adenocard) is a medicine used to treat certain types of irregular heartbeats.
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amiodarone
Cordarone, Pacerone
Amiodarone (Pacerone) is a medicine used to treat life-threatening, irregular heartbeats.
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atropine
AtroPen
Atropine is a medicine that can temporarily block severe effects on your body.
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bumetanide
Bumex
Bumetanide is a water pill (diuretic).
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carvedilol
Coreg
Carvedilol is a medicine that lowers blood pressure and helps your heart work better.
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What the FDA Data Shows for milrinone
The FDA label for milrinone (sold under brand names such as Primacor) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Phosphodiesterase-3 Inhibitor class. Milrinone is used for the short-term treatment of acute decompensated heart failure. Official labeling lists 1 commonly reported side effect, including Irregular heartbeats.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. Voluntary reports accumulate over the lifetime of a drug and reflect wide-ranging clinical use. Interaction data is drawn directly from FDA-approved prescribing information. Acquisition-cost data is surveyed weekly by CMS and updated as manufacturers report changes.
Report counts do not establish causation — a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history, and patent information further shape supply and switching decisions. This page summarizes public FDA data for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice — always consult a licensed healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. Always consult a healthcare professional before making medication decisions.
Last updated: January 15, 2025
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book — approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed — NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) — post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm — standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files — federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database — current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages