Amiodarone Also indexed as: Cordarone, Pacerone
Amiodarone is a drug occasionally used to treat life-threatening arrhythmias of the heart.
Summary of Interactions with Vitamins, Herbs, and Foods
In some cases, an herb or supplement may appear in more than one category, which may seem contradictory. For clarification, read the full article for details about the summarized interactions.
 May Be Beneficial: Side effect reduction/prevention—Taking these supplements may help reduce the likelihood and/or severity of a potential side effect caused by the medication. | Vitamin E |
 Avoid: Adverse interaction—Avoid these supplements when taking this medication because taking them together may cause undesirable or dangerous results. | Grapefruit juice Pomegranate juice* |
| Depletion or interference | None known |
| Supportive interaction | None known |
| Reduced drug absorption/bioavailability | None known |
An asterisk (*) next to an item in the summary indicates that the interaction is supported only by weak, fragmentary, and/or contradictory scientific evidence.
Interactions with Dietary Supplements
Vitamin E
Test tube research on human lung tissue suggests that vitamin E might reduce lung toxicity caused by amiodarone.1 More research is needed to further investigate this possibility.
Interactions with Foods and Other Compounds
Grapefruit juice
In one controlled study, drinking grapefruit juice while taking amiodarone dramatically increased blood levels of the drug.2 Consequently, people taking amiodarone should avoid drinking grapefruit juice (and eating grapefruit) to prevent potentially serious side effects.
Pomegranate juice
Pomegranate juice has been shown to inhibit the same enzyme that is inhibited by grapefruit juice.3 4 The degree of inhibition is about the same for each of these juices. Therefore, it would be reasonable to expect that pomegranate juice might interact with amiodarone in the same way that grapefruit juice does.
References (To view, roll mouse over the "References" heading; to hide, click on the heading)
1. Kachel DL, Moyer TP, Martin WJ 2d. Amiodarone-induced injury of human pulmonary artery endothelial cells: Protection by alpha-tocopherol. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 1990;254:1107–12.
2. Libersa CC, Brique SA, Motte KB, et al. Dramatic inhibition of amiodarone metabolism induced by grapefruit juice. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2000;49:373–8.
3. Sorokin AV, Duncan B, Panetta R, Thompson PD. Rhabdomyolysis associated with pomegranate juice consumption. Am J Cardiol 2006;98:705–6.
4. Summers KM. Potential drug-food interactions with pomegranate juice. Ann Pharmacother 2006;40:1472–3.
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The information presented in Healthnotes is for informational purposes only. It is based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, or traditional usage as cited in each article. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. For many of the conditions discussed, treatment with prescription or over the counter medication is also available. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires June 2009.