Your heart may beat erratically if you take dofetilide. For at least 3 days after starting or restarting dofetilide, you must be in a hospital or another location where you can be closely observed by your doctor. Every time you start a course of dofetilide therapy, it is crucial that you read the patient information that is given to you.

An irregular heartbeat can be treated with dofetilide (including atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter). It belongs to the class of drugs known as antiarrhythmics. By calming a hyperactive heart, it helps your heart rhythm.

Dofetilide is available as a pill to swallow. It is often taken twice day, however some people with particular illnesses may only need to take it once. Ask your doctor or chemist to explain any instructions on your prescription label that you are unsure about following. Dofetilide should only be taken as prescribed. Never take it in larger or less amounts or more frequently than directed by your doctor.

Although it doesn’t treat abnormal cardiac rhythms, dofetilide can manage them. Even if you are feeling fine, keep taking dofetilide. Without consulting your doctor, do not discontinue taking dofetilide.

Ask your doctor or chemist for more details if you’re interested in using this medication for any other conditions.

Before taking dofetilide,

• If you have an allergy to dofetilide, any other medications, or any of the chemicals in dofetilide capsules, let your doctor and chemist know right once. For a list of the chemicals, see your chemist or the patient information provided by the manufacturer.
• Inform your physician if you are taking any of the following medications: cimetidine (Tagamet), dolutegravir (Tivicay), hydrochlorothiazide (Microzide, Oretic), hydrochlorothiazide with triamterene (Dyazide, Maxzide), and ketoconazole (Nizoral), prochlorperazine (Compro, Procomp), megestrol (Megace), trimethoprim (Primsol), trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Septra, Sulfatrim), and verapamil are all examples of medications (Calan, Covera, Verelan). If you are currently on one or more of these drugs, your doctor generally won’t recommend that you take dofetilide.
• Inform your doctor and chemist about all prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, dietary supplements, and herbal products that you are now taking or intend to use. Incorporate any of the following: drugs like erythromycin (E.E.S., E-Mycin), amiloride (Midamor), and norfloxacin (Noroxin); a few antifungal drugs, including bepridil (Vascor); fluconazole (Diflucan); itraconazole (Sporanox); and ketoconazole (Nizoral); marijuana (cannabis), cannabinoids like dronabinol (Marinol), nabilone (Cesamet), digoxin (Lanoxin), diltiazem (Cardizem, Cartia XT, Dilacor XR, Taxtia XT, Tiazac), diuretics (water pills); protease drugs for HIV, such as atazanavir (Reyataz), darunavir (Prezista), fosamprenavir (Lexiva), indinavir (Crixivan), nelfinavir (Viracept), ritonavir (Norvir, in Kaletra), saquinavir (Invirase), and tipranavir (Aptivus); medication for nausea; medication for depression; medication for asthma (e.g., zafirlukast (Accolate)); amiodarone (Cordarone, Pacerone), metformin (Fortamet, Glucophage, Glumetza, Riomet), nefazodone, or quinine are examples of drugs for irregular heartbeats (Qualquin).
• Inform your doctor if you have kidney illness or long QT syndrome, a condition that raises the chance of experiencing an abnormal heartbeat that could result in fainting or sudden death.
• Inform your doctor if you suffer from or have ever had heart or liver illness, excessive sweating, vomiting, appetite loss, decreased thirst, or low potassium levels in your blood.
• Inform your doctor if you are expecting, intend to get pregnant, or are nursing a baby. Call your doctor if you get pregnant while taking dofetilide.

If you plan to consume grapefruit or grapefruit juice while taking dofetilide, see your doctor first.

If you miss a dosage, take it as soon as you recall. If your next dose is approaching, skip the missed one and carry on with your regular dosing regimen. To make up for a missing dose, do not take a second one.

Dofetilide could have negative effects. If any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away, let your doctor know right once:

• Headache
• Chest discomfort
• Breathing difficulty
• Nausea
• Flu-like signs
• Abdominal pain
• Back ache
• Having trouble falling or staying asleep

Call your doctor right away if you have any of the following symptoms:

• Hammering, fast, or erratic heartbeat
• Rash
• Really bad diarrhoea
• Nausea or fainting
• Uncommon sweating
• Vomiting
• Reduced appetite
• Heightened thirst (drinking more than normal)

You or your doctor can submit a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting programme online or by phone if you have a serious side event (1-800-332-1088).

Keep this medication tightly closed in the original container and out of the reach of children. Keep it away from excessive heat and moisture at room temperature (not in the bathroom).

Unused prescriptions must be disposed of carefully to prevent pets, kids, and other people from ingesting them. You should not, however, dispose of this medication in the toilet. Instead, utilising a medicine take-back programme is the easiest approach to get rid of your medication. To find out about take-back programmes in your area, speak with your chemist or the garbage/recycling agency in your city. If you do not have access to a take-back programme, see the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medications website at http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p for additional information.

Although many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and are simple for young children to open, it is crucial to keep all medications out of sight and out of reach of children. Always lock safety caps and promptly stash medication up and away from young children where it is out of their sight and reach to prevent poisoning. http://www.upandaway.org

Call the poison control hotline at 1-800-222-1222 in the event of an overdose. Moreover, information can be found online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. Call 911 right once if the person has collapsed, experienced a seizure, is having difficulty breathing, or cannot be roused.

Keep all of your appointments with your physician and the lab. To establish how you will react to dofetilide, your heart rhythm should be monitored often. While you are taking dofetilide, your doctor will also want to closely monitor your kidney health and potassium levels in the blood.

No one else should take your medication. Any queries you may have regarding prescription refills should be directed to your chemist.

You should keep a written record of every medication you take, including any over-the-counter (OTC) items, prescription drugs, and dietary supplements like vitamins and minerals. This list should be brought with you whenever you see a doctor or are admitted to the hospital. You should always have this information with you in case of emergencies.