Amiodarone/Sofosbuvir + Selected Direct Acting Antivirals Interactions
This information is generalized and not intended as specific medical advice. Consult your healthcare professional before taking or discontinuing any drug or commencing any course of treatment.
Medical warning:
Serious. These medicines may interact and cause very harmful effects. Contact your healthcare professional (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) for more information.
How the interaction occurs:
How this interaction occurs is not known.
What might happen:
Your heart rate may slow down to a dangerously slow amount.
What you should do about this interaction:
Make sure your healthcare professionals (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) know that you are taking these medicines together or if you have stopped taking amiodarone in the previous 3 months. If you and your doctor decide these medications are best for you, you may need to be hospitalized for a few days to monitor you heart rate. You will need to check your heart rate every day for the first two weeks of taking these medications together, or if you start taking sofosbuvir in the eight weeks following the time you stopped taking amiodarone. Seek medical attention right away if you develop near-fainting or fainting, dizziness or lightheadedness, malaise, weakness, excessive tiredness, shortness of breath, chest pains, confusion or memory problems.Your healthcare professionals may already be aware of this interaction and may be monitoring you for it. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with them first.
- 1.USFood and Drug Administration. FDA Drug Safety Communication: FDA warns of serious slowing of the heart rate when antiarrhythmic drug amiodarone is used with hepatitis C treatments containing sofosbuvir (Harvoni or Sovaldi) in combination with another Direct Acting Antiviral drug. available at: https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm439484.htm March 24, 2015.
- 2.McHutchison J. Dear Health Care Provider: Subject: Serious and Life-Threatening Cases of Symptomatic Bradycardia as well as One Case of Fatal Cardiac Arrest Reported with Coadministration of Amiodarone With Either Harvoni (ledipasvir and sofosbuvir. fixed-dose combination)or With Sovaldi (sofosbuvir) in Combination with Another Direct Acting Antiviral. Gilead Sciences, Inc. March 20, 2015.
- 3.McHutchison J. Dear Canadian Healthcare Professional Letter: Amiodarone - Slow Heart Rate in Patients Taking Amiodarone Together with Harvoni or Sovaldi and a Direct Acting Antiviral. April 2, 2015.
- 4.Sovaldi (sofosbuvir) US prescribing information. Gilead Sciences, Inc. September, 2019.
- 5.Harvoni (ledipasvir and sofosbuvir) US prescribing information. Gilead Sciences November, 2019.
- 6.Epclusa (sofosbuvir and velpatasvir) US prescribing information. Gilead Sciences, Inc. April, 2022.
- 7.Vosevi (sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir) US prescribing information. Gilead Sciences, Inc. September, 2019.
- 8.AASLD-IDSA. HCV Guidance: Recommendations for Testing, Managing, and Treating Hepatitis C. http://www.hcvguidelines.org. Accessed April 9, 2021..
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CONDITIONS OF USE: The information in this database is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the expertise and judgment of healthcare professionals. The information is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, drug interactions or adverse effects, nor should it be construed to indicate that use of a particular drug is safe, appropriate or effective for you or anyone else. A healthcare professional should be consulted before taking any drug, changing any diet or commencing or discontinuing any course of treatment.