Prescription medication · Class IB Antiarrhythmic
mexiletine
Also sold as Mexitil. Mexiletine is used to treat serious, life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias, like sustained ventricular tachycardia.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 408
- FDA reportsRarely reported
- 14
- InteractionsSeveral interactions
- $0.27
- Generic price (NADAC)
What the data shows
mexiletine (Mexitil) is a prescription Class IB Antiarrhythmic, among the least-reported drugs the FDA tracks (408 FDA reports), with 14 documented drug interactions.
Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.
mexiletine (Mexitil) is a prescription Class IB Antiarrhythmic. Mexiletine is used to treat serious, life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias, like sustained ventricular tachycardia.
Mexiletine is a medicine used to treat life-threatening heart rhythm problems. It helps to stabilize your heartbeat.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Generic Price
$0.27/unit
Generic Available
Yes (8 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Mexiletine is used to treat serious, life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias, like sustained ventricular tachycardia.
Common side effects
Nausea, Vomiting, Heartburn
Key warnings
Mexiletine may increase the risk of death or cardiac arrest in some patients with a history of heart attack.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from mexiletine's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Mexiletine belongs to a class of drugs called antiarrhythmics. It works by slowing down the electrical signals in your heart. This helps to make your heartbeat more regular.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 408 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for mexiletine, by number of reports
- Fatigue
Fatigue
31 reports
- Ventricular Tachycardia
Ventricular Tachycardia
31 reports
- Dyspnoea
Dyspnoea
26 reports
- Nausea
Nausea
24 reports
- Poor Quality Sleep
Poor Quality Sleep
24 reports
- Impaired Work Ability
Impaired Work Ability
23 reports
- Impaired Quality Of Life
Impaired Quality Of Life
22 reports
- Pyrexia
Pyrexia
22 reports
- Cardiac Failure
Cardiac Failure
18 reports
- Hypertension
Hypertension
18 reports
What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.
Reports over time
Adverse-event reports filed for mexiletine each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.
Where mexiletine sits
mexiletine has more FDA adverse-event reports than 3% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.
Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is mexiletine; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 408 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2004–2025.
Total Reports
408
Reports Mentioning Death
75
18.4% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
253
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | FATIGUE | 31 |
| 3 | VENTRICULAR TACHYCARDIA | 31 |
| 4 | DYSPNOEA | 26 |
| 5 | NAUSEA | 24 |
| 6 | POOR QUALITY SLEEP | 24 |
| 7 | IMPAIRED WORK ABILITY | 23 |
| 8 | IMPAIRED QUALITY OF LIFE | 22 |
| 9 | PYREXIA | 22 |
| 10 | CARDIAC FAILURE | 18 |
| 11 | HYPERTENSION | 18 |
| 12 | PNEUMONIA | 18 |
| 13 | CONTUSION | 15 |
| 14 | ALANINE AMINOTRANSFERASE INCREASED | 14 |
| 15 | CARDIAC FAILURE CONGESTIVE | 14 |
| 16 | DIARRHOEA | 14 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
Mexiletine may increase the risk of death or cardiac arrest in some patients with a history of heart attack. It should only be used for life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. This medicine can also cause liver problems, especially if you have congestive heart failure or ischemia.
Known Drug Interactions
Drug Interactions Antiarrhythmic Drugs LIDODERM should be used with caution in patients receiving Class I antiarrhythmic drugs (such as tocainide and mexiletine) since the toxic effects are additive and potentially synergistic.
Mechanism: These drugs have similar effects on the body, so taking them together can cause their toxic side effects to build up. This makes the risk of a bad reaction much higher than taking just one.
A variety of antiarrhythmics such as quinidine or propranolol were also added, sometimes with improved control of ventricular ectopy. ECG intervals (PR, QRS, and QT) were not affected by concurrent mexiletine and digoxin, diuretics, or propranolol.
Mechanism: These two heart medicines can be used together to help control irregular heartbeats without changing the heart's electrical timing.
ECG intervals (PR, QRS, and QT) were not affected by concurrent mexiletine and digoxin, diuretics, or propranolol. Mexiletine does not alter serum digoxin levels but magnesium-aluminum hydroxide, when used to treat gastrointestinal symptoms due to mexiletine, has been reported to lower serum digoxin levels.
Mechanism: Mexiletine does not change the amount of digoxin in your blood or affect the heart's electrical signals when taken together.
In another formal study (n = 8 extensive and n = 7 poor metabolizers of CYP2D6), coadministration of propafenone did not alter the kinetics of mexiletine in the poor CYP2D6 metabolizer group. In this crossover steady state study, the pharmacokinetics of propafenone were unaffected in either phenotype by the coadministration of mexiletine. Addition of mexiletine to propafenone did not lead to further electrocardiographic parameters changes of QRS, QT c , RR, and PR intervals than propafenone alone.
Mechanism: These two drugs do not appear to interfere with how the body processes either medication. They also do not cause extra changes to the heart's electrical activity when used together.
Concurrent use of mexiletine and theophylline may lead to increased plasma theophylline levels. One controlled study in eight normal subjects showed a 72% mean increase (range 35 to 136%) in plasma theophylline levels. Theophylline plasma levels returned to pre-mexiletine values within 48 hours after discontinuing mexiletine.
Mechanism: Mexiletine can slow down the removal of theophylline from your body, which makes the amount of theophylline in your blood go up.
This is a plain-language summary of FDA-label interaction records and does not provide individual medication-combination directions.
Common Questions
Can I take mexiletine if I have a pacemaker?
What should I do if I experience side effects?
Can I drink alcohol while taking mexiletine?
Will mexiletine cure my arrhythmia?
How long will I need to take mexiletine?
Can I stop taking mexiletine on my own?
Does mexiletine interact with other medications?
Can I drive while taking mexiletine?
What is the best time of day to take mexiletine?
How will I know if mexiletine is working?
What are the common side effects of mexiletine?
Does mexiletine interact with other medications?
What drug class is mexiletine?
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for mexiletine?
Related Medications in Class IB Antiarrhythmic
Other drugs grouped near mexiletine - same-class peers and common alternatives.
adenosine
Adenocard
Adenosine (Adenocard) is a medicine used to treat certain types of irregular heartbeats.
Compare with mexiletine →
amiodarone
Cordarone, Pacerone
Amiodarone (Pacerone) is a medicine used to treat life-threatening, irregular heartbeats.
Compare with mexiletine →
atropine
AtroPen
Atropine is a medicine that can temporarily block severe effects on your body.
Compare with mexiletine →
bumetanide
Bumex
Bumetanide is a water pill (diuretic).
Compare with mexiletine →
carvedilol
Coreg
Carvedilol is a medicine that lowers blood pressure and helps your heart work better.
Compare with mexiletine →
Compare beyond drug class
Nationwide peers by FAERS volume & death-report share
Two PlainMeds-derived comparison paths for mexiletine: nearest FDA FAERS report volume and nearest death-report share among drugs with at least 1,000 logged reports, excluding same-class neighbors listed above. Counts reflect reporting volume, not proven individual harm.
Similar FAERS report volume
Nearest drugs by total FAERS reports. This record: 408.
Similar death-report share
Nearest drugs by FAERS death-report share. This record: 18.38%.
- metaxalone Δ 0.05 pts · 3,268 reports · Muscle Relaxant 18.33%death share
- goserelin Δ 0.06 pts · 12,855 reports · GnRH Agonist 18.44%death share
- granisetron Δ 0.19 pts · 10,198 reports · 5-HT3 Receptor Antagonist (Antiemetic) 18.19%death share
- linezolid Δ 0.20 pts · 28,005 reports · Oxazolidinone Antibiotic 18.58%death share
Medication Guides
Understanding Drug Interactions
How CYP450 enzymes, inhibitors, and inducers affect your medications
Generic vs Brand Name Drugs
FDA requirements, cost savings, and when the difference matters
Narrow Therapeutic Index Drugs
FDA bioequivalence and label-record context for narrow therapeutic index medicines
Common Drug Interactions
Dangerous medication combinations and how to protect yourself
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What the FDA Data Shows for mexiletine
The FDA label for mexiletine (sold under brand names such as Mexitil) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Class IB Antiarrhythmic class. Mexiletine is used to treat serious, life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias, like sustained ventricular tachycardia. Official labeling lists 7 commonly reported side effects, including Nausea, Vomiting, Heartburn.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 408 voluntary reports. The database also lists 14 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated moderate severity. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $0.27.
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 are separate source-record fields. This page is a public FDA/CMS registry and does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. This registry does not provide medication decisions.
Last updated: January 15, 2024
PlainMeds is rendered directly from FDA openFDA/FAERS extracts, DailyMed labels, and CMS drug-pricing files, no number is typed in by an editor. FAERS counts, recalls, shortages, and price figures on this page are queried live from those federal extracts. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15. Primary sources: openFDA / FAERS, DailyMed and CMS Part B ASP.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled from the source snapshot dated . See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a data issue.
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