amiodarone vs cyclosporine

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Side-by-side comparison of amiodarone and cyclosporine. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.

minor Known Drug Interaction

Cyclosporine Increased plasma levels of cyclosporine have been reported resulting in elevated creatinine, despite reduction of cyclosporine dose. Monitor cyclosporine drug levels and renal function with concomitant use.

Drug Class
amiodarone Class III Antiarrhythmic
cyclosporine Calcineurin Inhibitor (Immunosuppressant)
Type
amiodarone Prescription
cyclosporine Prescription
Summary
amiodarone

Amiodarone (Pacerone) is a medicine used to treat life-threatening, irregular heartbeats. It helps to restore a normal heart rhythm when other medicines don't work or can't be used.

cyclosporine

Vevye eye drops contain cyclosporine. They help treat the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease.

What It Treats
amiodarone

This medicine treats very fast, irregular heartbeats in the ventricles (lower chambers of the heart). It is used when these irregular heartbeats are life-threatening. It is also used when other medicines don't work well enough or cause too many side effects. This medicine is for adults.

cyclosporine

Vevye treats the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. Dry eye can cause discomfort, stinging, and blurred vision. This medicine can help reduce these symptoms.

How It Works
amiodarone

Amiodarone affects the electrical signals in your heart. It slows down these signals, which helps your heart beat normally. This medicine can help prevent dangerous, fast heart rhythms.

cyclosporine

Vevye contains cyclosporine, which is an immunosuppressant. It works by decreasing inflammation in the eyes. This helps your eyes make more tears.

Common Side Effects
amiodarone
  • Low thyroid levels (hypothyroidism)
  • High thyroid levels (hyperthyroidism)
  • Heart failure
  • Irregular heartbeats
  • Problems with the heart's natural pacemaker (SA node dysfunction)
cyclosporine
  • Irritation where the drops are applied (8%)
FAERS Reports
amiodarone
  • Dyspnoea 1,158
  • Asthenia 975
  • Fatigue 895
  • Nausea 606
  • Cough 597
cyclosporine
  • Eye Irritation 7,786
  • Pyrexia 4,064
  • Eye Pain 3,808
  • Nausea 3,623
  • Diarrhoea 3,562
Serious Warnings
amiodarone

This medicine can cause serious problems with your lungs, liver, and heart. Lung problems can be fatal. Your doctor will check your lungs with X-rays and breathing tests. Liver problems can also be fatal. Your doctor will check your liver with blood tests. This medicine can also make irregular heartbeats worse. You will likely start this medicine in the hospital where your heart can be monitored.

cyclosporine

To avoid eye injury or contamination, do not touch the bottle tip to your eye or any other surface. Do not use Vevye while wearing contact lenses. If you wear contacts, remove them before using the drops. You can put them back in 15 minutes after using Vevye.

Pregnancy
amiodarone

This medicine can harm your unborn baby. It can cause thyroid problems, slow heart rate, and brain development issues. Do not breastfeed while taking this medicine.

cyclosporine

It is not known if Vevye will harm an unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Cyclosporine can pass into breast milk after being taken orally, but it is unknown if it passes into breast milk from eye drops. Talk to your doctor if you are breastfeeding.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

How to Read This amiodarone vs cyclosporine Comparison

amiodarone is classified in the Class III Antiarrhythmic drug class, while cyclosporine sits within the Calcineurin Inhibitor (Immunosuppressant) class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.

Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, amiodarone has 4,231 submissions while cyclosporine has 22,843. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to amiodarone can cause the levels of cyclosporine in your blood to rise. this can lead to kidney problems, even if the dose of cyclosporine is lowered.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.

A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for amiodarone or cyclosporine.

Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.