Anyone with a condition affecting the heart that can cause sudden cardiac death needs to take extra care with medicines. All medicines - both those prescribed by your doctor and any you buy over the counter - must be checked, as some can increase the risk of sudden death.

Certain medications may provoke life-threatening prolonging of the QT interval and upsetting the heart rhythm. Included are certain antibiotics, antidepressants, antihistamines, diuretics, heart medications, cholesterol-lowering drugs, diabetes medications, as well as some antifungal and antipsychotic drugs. These drugs can stimulate and irritate the heart by causing adrenaline-like effects. Again, you must always check with your GP or cardiologist before taking any new medication.

People who develop drug-induced long QT syndrome also may have some subtle genetic defects in their hearts, making them more susceptible to arrhythmias from taking drugs that can cause prolonged QT intervals.

Resources

Please visit www.qtdrugs.org for an extensive list of medications to avoid.

Download a wallet size Updated Drugs to Avoid Card (PDF format 54.4kb) here.  This information was updated as of 4/24/07.   An updated printed wallet card will be available in September 2007.  Download it here or email us at care@longqt.org.

"How Two Rights Can make a Wrong" - New York Times, 2/25/07.  "According to a recent study on physician prescription practices...fewer than 40 percent of all physicians in the United States take the time to contact a patient's other physicians to find out what additional medications their patient may be taking."

If you don't have Adobe Acrobat Reader to read .PDF files, you can get it FREE of charge here.