Ibutilide

Ibutilide treats arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter. Tell your doctor or pharmacist all medications you are taking.

Ibutilide Overview

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Ibutilide is a prescription medication used to treat atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter.  Ibutilide belongs to a group of drugs called antiarrhythmic agents.  These work by controlling the heart rhythm. 

This medication comes in an injectable form to be given directly into a vein (IV) by a healthcare professional.

Common side effects of ibutilide include arrhythmias, low blood pressure, and headache.

How was your experience with Ibutilide?

First, a little about yourself

Tell us about yourself in a few words?

What tips would you provide a friend before taking Ibutilide?

What are you taking Ibutilide for?

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  • Other
  • Arrhythmias, Cardiac
  • Atrial Fibrillation
  • Atrial Flutter

How long have you been taking it?

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  • Less than a week
  • A couple weeks
  • A month or so
  • A few months
  • A year or so
  • Two years or more

How well did Ibutilide work for you?

Did you experience many side effects while taking this drug?

How likely would you be to recommend Ibutilide to a friend?

Ibutilide Cautionary Labels

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precautions

Uses of Ibutilide

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Ibutilide is a prescription medication used to treat atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter.  These are types of an abnormal heart rhythm.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses.  Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Ibutilide Brand Names

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Ibutilide may be found in some form under the following brand names:

Ibutilide Drug Class

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Ibutilide is part of the drug class:

Side Effects of Ibutilide

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Serious side effects have been reported with ibutilide.  See the "Drug Precautions" section.

Common side effects of ibutilide include:

  • arrhythmia
  • headache
  • low blood pressure
  • nausea
  • palpitations (sensation that heart is pounding or racing)
  • increased blood pressure
  • bradycardia (slow heart rate)
  • tachycardia (fast heart rate)

This is not a complete list of ibutilide side effects.  Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.  You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Ibutilide FDA Warning

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LIFE-THREATENING ARRHYTHMIAS—APPROPRIATE TREATMENT ENVIRONMENT

Ibutilide can cause potentially fatal arrhythmias, particularly sustained polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, usually in association with QT prolongation (torsades de pointes), but sometimes without documented QT prolongation. In registration studies, these arrhythmias, which require cardioversion, occurred in 1.7% of treated patients during, or within a number of hours of, use of ibutilide. These arrhythmias can be reversed if treated promptly. It is essential that ibutilide be administered in a setting of continuous ECG monitoring and by personnel trained in identification and treatment of acute ventricular arrhythmias, particularly polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. Patients with atrial fibrillation of more than 2 to 3 days' duration must be adequately anticoagulated, generally for at least 2 weeks.

CHOICE OF PATIENTS

Patients with chronic atrial fibrillation have a strong tendency to revert after conversion to sinus rhythm and treatments to maintain sinus rhythm carry risks. Patients to be treated with ibutilide, therefore, should be carefully selected such that the expected benefits of maintaining sinus rhythm outweigh the immediate risks of ibutilide, and the risks of maintenance therapy, and are likely to offer an advantage compared with alternative management.