Amiodarone

Alternative Medicine The following information is specific for alternative and complementary medicine. For additional evidence-based information on diseases, conditions, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and wellness issues, continue searching the Healthwise Knowledgebase.

Also indexed as:

Cordarone, Pacerone

Amiodarone is a drug occasionally used to treat life-threatening arrhythmias of the heart.

Herbs

Summary of Interactions for Amiodarone

Depletion or interference	None known
Adverse interaction	Grapefruit juice Pomegranate juice*
Side effect reduction/prevention	Vitamin E
Supportive interaction	None known
Reduced drug absorption/bioavailability	None known

An asterisk (*) next to an item in the summary indicates that the interaction is supported only by weak, fragmentary, and/or contradictory scientific evidence.

Interactions with Supplements

Vitamin E

Test tube research on human lung tissue suggests that vitamin E might reduce lung toxicity caused by amiodarone.¹ More research is needed to further investigate this possibility.

Other Interactions

Grapefruit juice

In one controlled study, drinking grapefruit juice while taking amiodarone dramatically increased blood levels of the drug.² Consequently, people taking amiodarone should avoid drinking grapefruit juice (and eating grapefruit) to prevent potentially serious side effects.

Pomegranate juice

Pomegranate juice has been shown to inhibit the same enzyme that is inhibited by grapefruit juice.^{3, 4} The degree of inhibition is about the same for each of these juices. Therefore, it would be reasonable to expect that pomegranate juice might interact with amiodarone in the same way that grapefruit juice does.

References

1. Kachel DL, Moyer TP, Martin WJ 2d. Amiodarone-induced injury of human pulmonary artery endothelial cells: Protection by alpha-tocopherol. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 1990;254:1107-12.
2. Libersa CC, Brique SA, Motte KB, et al. Dramatic inhibition of amiodarone metabolism induced by grapefruit juice. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2000;49:373-8.
3. Sorokin AV, Duncan B, Panetta R, Thompson PD. Rhabdomyolysis associated with pomegranate juice consumption. Am J Cardiol 2006;98:705-6.
4. Summers KM. Potential drug-food interactions with pomegranate juice. Ann Pharmacother 2006;40:1472-3.

---

Last Review: 09-01-2007

Copyright © 2007 Healthnotes, Inc.  All rights reserved. www.healthnotes.com

Please read the disclaimer about the limitations of the information provided here. Do NOT rely solely on the information in this article.

Learn more about Healthnotes, the company.

Learn more about the authors of Using Medicines with Vitamins and Herbs

The information presented in Healthnotes is for informational purposes only. It is based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, or traditional usage as cited in each article. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. For many of the conditions discussed, treatment with prescription or over the counter medication is also available. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires September 2008.

	Go to top of page
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.