A panel of outside experts voted 10-3 to recommend approval of experimental drug Multaq for patients with an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation but said use should be limited.
The drug should not be prescribed to patients with severe heart failure and Sanofi should not be allowed to claim the medicine reduces the risk of death, panel members said.
More at Reuters
Insider's view: Those who forget history ........
The tort lawyers should watch this one.
5 comments:
I had been on Tikosyn for over three years. My doctor decided to move me over to Multaq about a few weeks ago. I waited for three days for the Tikosyn to clear from my system. During the time I was on a heart monitor. The problems became apparent after five to six days on Multaq. The monitor indicated that my arrhythmias were coming more frequent and my pulse went up to 150 beats per minute. Also there were periods that my heart paused for 3-4 seconds.
My doctor immediately took my off of Multaq and put me back on Tikosyn. I'm not impressed by this medication and would advise anyone to think twice before going on Multaq.
I'm glad I read the above note. I've been on Multaq for five days and feel like death warmed over. My pulse has dropped to 79 ovr 59 with a heart rate ranging from 54 to 150. I've just called my doctor to get off of it. Anyone know where I can get my $250 back?
I have been on Multaq for five months with no side effects that I have noticed. Prior to starting on Multaq I had been cardioverted twice, both times I was in Sinus Rhythm for a less than a week. I was started on Multaq 5 days before my third cardioversion and have been in Sinus Rhythm ever since. Obviously you need to check with your Cardiologist, but Multaq from the research I’ve done has the fewest (in my case none) side effects of the drugs used for afib.
My mother had a cardio version two years ago and she was put on Tikosyn 125 mcg . She reminded in normal sinus rhythm until last week. I told the doctor and he decided to perform a second Cardio version.
One day before the procedure he changed the medication to Multaq. I was not very happy with the change since I have read mixed reviews about the new drug, so I let him know and he put her back on Tikosyn but this time he increased it to 250 mcg.
After the second dose my mother regained the normal rithym so the procedure was cancel.
While in Multaq she had diarrhea twice in a day just after the second dose, I latter learned that diarrhea is the most common side effect.
My father took Multaq for a month. He went back to his doctor, who told him that he was improving, to live his life and do what he wanted. Four days later he died. I believe the Multaq had a lot to do with it. I understand that in a clinical trial, the people who die don't mean anything to the researchers, but he meant everything to me. Multaq needs to be taken off the market before more people die.
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