DISOPYRAMIDE PHOSPHATE (disopyramide phosphate)


Drug overview for DISOPYRAMIDE PHOSPHATE (disopyramide phosphate):

Generic name: DISOPYRAMIDE PHOSPHATE (DYE-soe-PIR-a-mide)
Drug class: Antiarrhythmic - Class IA
Therapeutic class: Cardiovascular Therapy Agents

Disopyramide phosphate, an antiarrhythmic agent with cardiac effects that appear to be similar to those of quinidine and procainamide, is considered a class I antiarrhythmic agent.

Disopyramide is used to suppress and prevent the recurrence of ventricular arrhythmias (e.g., sustained ventricular tachycardia) that in the judgment of the physician are life-threatening. The manufacturer and many clinicians state that because of the drug's arrhythmogenic potential and the lack of evidence for improved survival for class I antiarrhythmic agents, use of disopyramide for less severe arrhythmias is not recommended. Findings from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)'s Cardiac Arrhythmia Suppression Trial (CAST) study after an average of 10 months of follow-up have indicated that the rate of total mortality and nonfatal cardiac arrest in patients with recent myocardial infarction, mild-to-moderate left ventricular dysfunction, and asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic ventricular arrhythmias (principally frequent ventricular premature complexes (VPCs)) who received encainide or flecainide increased substantially compared with placebo.

(See Cautions in Flecainide 24:04.04.12.) Therefore, FDA states that therapy with selected antiarrhythmic agents (e.g., disopyramide) should be reserved for the suppression and prevention of documented life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias and treatment of patients with asymptomatic ventricular premature contractions should be avoided. The manufacturer states that disopyramide therapy should be initiated only in a hospital setting. Disopyramide has been used to suppress and prevent the recurrence of unifocal and multifocal ventricular premature complexes, coupled ventricular premature complexes, and/or paroxysmal ventricular tachycardia in patients with primary arrhythmias or arrhythmias secondary to coronary artery disease; however, the arrhythmogenic potential of the drug and findings of the CAST study with other class I antiarrhythmic agents have called into question the safety of using such agents in arrhythmias that were not life-threatening.

Persistent ventricular tachycardia is usually treated with direct-current cardioversion. In several trials, disopyramide was more effective than placebo in suppression of ventricular arrhythmias including ventricular premature complexes, multiple ventricular premature complexes, and paroxysmal ventricular tachycardia in patients without myocardial infarction. In one unpublished study, 150 mg of disopyramide orally every 6 hours was as effective as 325 mg of quinidine sulfate orally every 6 hours in suppressing ventricular premature complexes in ambulatory patients.

Disopyramide also has been used to convert atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, and paroxysmal atrial tachycardia+ to normal sinus rhythm and to prevent the recurrence of these arrhythmias after conversion by other methods. However, other antiarrhythmic drugs (e.g., dofetilide, flecainide, ibutilide, propafenone, amiodarone) are preferred. The precise role of disopyramide phosphate in antiarrhythmic therapy has not been established.

Some experts believe that disopyramide should be reserved for use as an alternative drug when lidocaine, quinidine, or procainamide is ineffective or adverse effects of these drugs are intolerable. Limited information is available on the use of disopyramide in conjunction with other antiarrhythmic drugs such as lidocaine, quinidine, or procainamide to treat or prevent serious, refractory arrhythmias.
DRUG IMAGES
  • DISOPYRAMIDE 150 MG CAPSULE
    DISOPYRAMIDE 150 MG CAPSULE
  • DISOPYRAMIDE 100 MG CAPSULE
    DISOPYRAMIDE 100 MG CAPSULE
The following indications for DISOPYRAMIDE PHOSPHATE (disopyramide phosphate) have been approved by the FDA:

Indications:
Ventricular arrhythmias


Professional Synonyms:
Ventricular arrhythmia