Corderone
Meaning of Corderone: Among the most effective rhythm drugs available and among the most toxic, because it lodges in the tissues for months.
Definition of Corderone
Corderone is a trade name under which amiodarone hydrochloride has been listed, a drug given for dangerous disturbances of heart rhythm. It slows the electrical signals that set the heartbeat and lengthens the pause before heart muscle can be triggered again, which halts many abnormal rhythms and holds them off afterward. The marketed spelling of the brand is Cordarone.
What is it given for?
Chiefly for rhythms starting in the main pumping chambers, which can be immediately life threatening, and for atrial fibrillation, a fast irregular rhythm arising in the upper chambers. It is also used to restore a normal beat and then keep it. Much of its value lies in the fact that it can be used when the heart muscle is already weakened, as in congestive heart failure, where several alternative rhythm drugs make matters worse. It appears in resuscitation protocols for a heart that will not restart after a shock.
How does it act on the heart?
Heartbeats are triggered by ions moving across the membrane of each muscle cell. This drug blocks the potassium channels that reset the cell after a beat, so the cell stays unexcitable for longer and a rogue signal circling through the muscle finds nowhere to travel. It also blunts sodium channels, calcium channels and the receptors that adrenaline acts on. That breadth is unusual, and it is the reason the drug still works where narrower agents fail.
Why is it monitored so carefully?
| Organ | Recognized effect |
|---|---|
| Lungs | Inflammation and scarring of lung tissue |
| Thyroid | An overactive or underactive gland, since the molecule is rich in iodine |
| Liver | Raised liver enzymes, occasionally worse |
| Eyes | Fine deposits on the cornea, usually harmless |
| Skin | Burning easily in sunlight, and a slate-gray discoloration |
The molecule dissolves in fat rather than water, so it collects in fat, liver, lung and muscle and leaves slowly. Effects therefore build over weeks and persist for months after the last dose, and periodic checks of thyroid, liver and lung function are part of long-term use. It also raises the levels of several other drugs, notably blood thinners and heart drugs, so doses of those are often revisited. The same compound is listed as amiodarone hydrochloride.
Also known as
Used in a sentence
Corderone was listed on the medication record as treatment for a ventricular arrhythmia.
Good to know
Amiodarone dissolves in fat and accumulates in tissue, so its effects and its side effects continue for weeks to months after it is stopped, and its iodine content disturbs thyroid function in either direction.