amiodarone vs propafenone
Side-by-side comparison of amiodarone and propafenone. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
moderate Known Drug Interaction
Amiodarone Concomitant administration of propafenone and amiodarone can affect conduction and repolarization and is not recommended.
Recommendation: This combination is generally not recommended. Talk to your doctor about safer alternatives for managing your heart rhythm.
Cordarone, Pacerone
Rythmol
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.
Propafenone (Rythmol) is a medicine that helps control irregular heartbeats. It works by slowing down electrical signals in the heart.
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.
This medicine is used to help keep your heart rhythm normal if you have atrial fibrillation or supraventricular tachycardia. These are types of fast or irregular heartbeats that can cause problems. It can also treat life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. Propafenone is for people without structural heart disease.
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.
Propafenone works by affecting the electrical activity in your heart. It slows down the signals that cause irregular heartbeats. This helps your heart beat more regularly.
- • Low thyroid levels (hypothyroidism)
- • High thyroid levels (hyperthyroidism)
- • Heart failure
- • Irregular heartbeats
- • Problems with the heart's natural pacemaker (SA node dysfunction)
- • Unusual taste
- • Nausea
- • Vomiting
- • Dizziness
- • Constipation
- Difficulty breathing 1,158
- Weakness 975
- Tiredness 893
- Feeling sick to your stomach 605
- Coughing 597
- Irregular heartbeat in the upper chambers of the heart 347
- Medicine interacting with another medicine 320
- Feeling lightheaded or unsteady 261
- Harmful effect from different substances 231
- Shortness of breath 226
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.
This medicine may increase the risk of death in people with heart problems. Do not take this medicine if you have structural heart disease and non-life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking this medicine.
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.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. This medicine can cross the placenta, and may affect the baby. Your doctor will monitor you and your baby for any problems.
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How to Read This amiodarone vs propafenone Comparison
amiodarone is classified in the Class III Antiarrhythmic drug class, while propafenone sits within the Class IC Antiarrhythmic 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 4,228 submissions while propafenone has 1,385. 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 moderate interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to taking these two heart medicines together can change how electrical signals travel through your heart. this can interfere with your heart's rhythm and how it resets between beats.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between amiodarone and propafenone - always consult your physician or pharmacist first.
Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.