Aratac is a powerful drug with severe toxicities, especially in the lungs and eyes. It has a “Black Box” warning about life-threatening lung damage. Hundreds of people have also suffered permanent vision loss.
Overview
Aratac is a brand-name for amiodarone, an anti-arrhythmic drug that has been on the market for decades. Although it was only intended as a drug of last-resort, it has become a popular treatment for unapproved conditions like atrial fibrillation.
Aratac and Lung Disease
The problem is that Aratac has very serious side effects. The label has a “Black Box” warning about pulmonary toxicity, which affects up to 17% of patients — and 10% of cases are fatal. Left untreated, it can lead to permanent scarring of the lungs (fibrosis). Symptoms include:
- Fever
- Wheezing
- Dry cough
- Shortness of breath
- Fatigue
Aratac and Blindness
Another common side effect of Aratac is vision problems. Overall, around 2% of patients develop vision loss. In studies of people with vision loss, 20% of patients went legally blind in at least one eye. Around 2-5% of patients see “halos” or rings around bright lights, which are a complication of corneal deposits that occur in 90% of patients.
What is the problem?
- Vision loss
- Blindness
- Pulmonary toxicity
- Lung fibrosis
- Death
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