Norpace Side Effects
Patients with a heart rates so irregular that they may die can take Norpace to try to return their heart to a normal rhythm. Pfizer markets the branded version of the drug disopyrmide, and patients may use Norpace in conjunction with other drugs that treat arrhythmia. The most serious side effects patients need to watch for when taking Norpace by itself or with other medications is very slowed heartbeat. Less-severe dehydration side effects occur more frequently, however.
Warnings
A bolded and boxed warning in the prescribing information for Norpace cautions doctors to give the medication only to patients who have life-threatening arrhythmias, as fatalities have occurred among patients with less severe cases of irregular heartbeat when they took Norpace. A second bolded warning alerts both doctors and patients that taking Norpace can cause patients to experience dangerous drops in blood sugar. Also, patients with weakened heart muscles should only take low doses of Norpace, and patients with impaired kidney or liver function need to take lower doses of Norpace. Other rare serious problems that indicate a patient must stop taking Norpace and seek medical assistance include severe rash, psychosis, breast swelling (i.e., gynecomastia), and, when noticed in blood tests, decreased numbers of circulating red or white blood cells.
Common Side Effects
Dry mouth, which occurred in 32 percent of patients taking Norpace during clinical trials, tops the list of side effects from using the medication. Decreased and difficult urination and constipation also occurred in more than 10 percent of patients. Other common side effects reported by Norpace-treated patients included blurred vision, nausea, gassiness and bloating, all over weakness, muscle pain, headache and, paradoxically, more frequent urination.
Rarer Side Effects
Fewer than 4 percent of patients participating in clinical trials reported experiencing impotence, fluid retention and weight gain, itchiness, rash, nervousness, elevated total cholesterol and loss of appetite after taking Norpace. Very rarely, patients became depressed, lost sleep, developed jaundice, ran a fever or felt tinglings in the fingers and toes.
Contraindications
People whose hearts normally rest for long periods between beats cannot take Norpace. Nor can patients whose hearts are too weak to supply blood to all parts of the body---a condition known a cardiogenic shock---or people with an untreated heart "wiring" problem known as artrioventicular block. In patients with artrioventicular, or AV, blocks, electrical signals do not travel normally from one chamber of the heart to another chamber. Other health conditions that disqualify people from taking Norpace include glaucoma, urinary tract obstructions and a progressive muscle weakness disorder called myasthenia gravis.
Overdose
Patients who have taken more than highest recommended daily dose of 800 mg of Norpace have experienced overdoses. Symptoms of a Norpace overdose include worsened arrhythmias, difficulty maintaining airflow (i.e., apnea), respiratory arrest and loss of consciousness. Some Norpace overdoses have proven fatal.
Drug Interactions
Nearly fatal drug interactions have occurred when patients took Norpace as the same time as clarithromycin (e.g., Biaxin from Abbott) or erythromycin (e.g., E-Mycin from Abbott). Also, patients should not take doses of Norpace and verapamil (e.g., Verelan from Elan) within 48 hours of each other. Last, taking Norpace in conjunction with other antiarrhythmia drugs, which may become necessary when patients do not respond to a single medication, can greatly increase the time between a patient's heartbeats. Antiarrhythmia medications other than Norpace include lidocaine (e.g., Lidocaton from Pharmacon) and quinidine.
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