Quinidine
Description
Quinidine is an effective medicine to treat abnormal heart rhythms. It belongs to a group of medicines called Class 1A antiarrhythmic agents. It is also used in treatment of malaria.
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Side effects
Major & minor side effects for Quinidine
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Loss of appetite
- Muscle weakness
- Yellowing of skin and eyes
- Severe abdominal pain
- Dizziness and fainting
- Blurred or double vision
- Altered color perception
- Ringing or buzzing in the ears
- Intolerance to bright light
- Fever with body pain
- Bleeding from nose and gums
- Unusual tiredness and weakness
Uses of Quinidine
What is it prescribed for?
- Arrythmia
- Acute uncomplicated malaria
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Concerns
Commonly asked questions
- Onset of actionThe effect of this medicine can be observed within 1-3 hours of oral administration.
- Duration of effectThe effect of this medicine lasts for an average duration of 6-8 hours.
- Safe with alcohol?Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.
- Is it habit forming?No habit forming tendencies were reported.
- Usage in pregnancy?This medicine is not recommended for use in pregnant women unless necessary and the benefits outweigh the risks to the fetus. Consult your doctor before using this medicine.
- Usage while breast-feeding?This medicine is not recommended for use in breastfeeding women. If the use of this medicine is necessary, then breastfeeding should be discontinued for the treatment period. Consult your doctor before using this medicine.
Allergy
This medicine is not recommended for use if you have a known history of allergy to Quinidine or any other medicine belonging to the Cinchona alkaloids groups.
Myasthenia gravis
This medicine is not recommended for use in patients suffering from this condition where muscles tire rapidly.
Heart block
This medicine is not recommended for use if you have a condition where the electrical impulses are blocked and the heart beat is very slow.
Digoxin toxicity
This medicine is not recommended for use if you have a history of toxic reactions upon consumption of Digoxin.
Long QT syndrome
This medicine is not recommended for use if you suffer from this rare congenital disease of the heart characterized by abnormal heartbeat.
Thrombocytopenia
This medicine is not recommended for use if you have a disease where the platelet counts in the blood are lower than normal.
Warnings for special population
Pregnancy
This medicine is not recommended for use in pregnant women unless necessary and the benefits outweigh the risks to the fetus. Consult your doctor before using this medicine.
Breast-feeding
This medicine is not recommended for use in breastfeeding women. If the use of this medicine is necessary, then breastfeeding should be discontinued for the treatment period. Consult your doctor before using this medicine.
General warnings
Other medicine
Report the use of all other medicines including herbs and supplements to the doctor before receiving Quinidine. Any possible interaction with other medicines should be ruled out.
Test dose
It is recommended to check the tolerance and effect of this medicine with a test dose while treating a patient for malaria.
Other diseases
Report the incidence of any existing disease of the heart, liver, kidney and the blood to the doctor before receiving this medicine. These conditions could interfere with the way this medicine should work and may result in reduced effectiveness and increased chances of a serious side effect.
Electrolyte imbalalnce
Use of this medicine can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, resulting in electrolyte imbalances.
Regular monitoring
You might require continuous clinical monitoring while taking the intravenous form of this medicine.
High dose in pregnant women
Use of very high doses of this medicine may induce abortion in pregnant women due to the oxytocin-like effect of this medicine.
Extended release form
Use of the extended-release form of this medicine is not recommended for children.
Surgery
Report the use of this medicine to the doctor if a surgery is advised. Use of this medicine can cause adverse effects and may interfere with the regular procedure.
Missed Dose
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost the time for the next scheduled dose, then the missed dose can be skipped. Do not take two doses at once to make up for the missed dose.
Overdose
Contact your doctor immediately if an overdose with this medicine is suspected. Symptoms of an overdose may include rapid fall in blood pressure, change in pulse rate, nausea, vomiting, vision changes, confusion etc.
All drugs interact differently for person to person. You should check all the possible interactions with your doctor before starting any medicine.
Interaction with Alcohol
Description
Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.
Instructions
Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.
Interaction with Medicine
Chloroquine
Citalopram
Ketoconazole
Mifepristone
Ondansetron
Digoxin
Chlorpromazine
Dextromethorphan
Azithromycin
Disease interactions
Heart Disease
This medicine should be used with caution in patients suffering from any heart disease that affects the blood pumping capacity and the normal rhythm. An alternate therapy should be considered based on the diagnosis made.
Electrolyte imbalance
This medicine should be used with caution in patients having an electrolyte imbalance in the body. An altered level of ions like magnesium and sodium affects the absorption of this medicine, reducing the effectiveness.
Food interactions
Avoid the consumption of grapefruit juice while taking this medicine. Grapefruit juice affects the absorption of this medicine and may reduce the effect of this medicine.
Lab interactions
Information not available.
Take Quinidine exactly as prescribed by the doctor. Do not take in larger or smaller quantities than recommended. Your dose is likely to change over time based on the response and tolerance. It is advised to have regular followups with the doctor while taking this medicine.
Miscelleneous
How it works
This medicine works by modifying the electrical impulses in the heart, making it more resistant to abnormal activity. It also interferes with some vital activity in the cell of the malarial parasite present in the blood.
Legal Status
Classification
Category
Group I antiarrhythmics
Schedule
Schedule H
Quinidine - DrugBank [Internet]. Drugbank.ca. 2017 [cited 9 June 2017]. Available from:
Quinidine Oral: MedlinePlus Drug Information [Internet]. Medlineplus.gov. 2017 [cited 9 June 2017]. Available from:
DailyMed - Quinidine gluconate tablet, extended release [Internet]. Dailymed.nlm.nih.gov. 2018 [cited 5 January 2018]. Available from:
Information on this page was last updated on 5 Jan 2018
Disclaimer
We’ve made all possible efforts to ensure that the information provided here is accurate, up-to-date and complete, however, it should not be treated as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Practo only provides reference source for common information on medicines and does not guarantee its accuracy or exhaustiveness. The absence of a warning for any drug or combination thereof, should not be assumed to indicate that the drug or combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for any given patient. Practo does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information provided above. If you have any doubts about your medication then we strongly recommend that you consult with your doctor, nurse or healthcare provider. See detailed T&C here.