Can 'Multaq' Taken For Parox Afib Cause Or Worsen Initial Infection Is This Reversible?

Brief Answer: Reversibility of toxicity not confirmed yet Detailed Answer: Hi, Thanks for your query. Multaq or dronedarone is recently marketed drug i.e in sept 2012, it was US FDA approved. Lung toxicity profile was established after post marketing approval. And it was emphasized that this can be a cause of drug induced pneumonitis or pulmonary fibrosis. Now coming to your question..... Interstitial pneumonitis can be both drug induced or due to atypical pneumonia caused by organism like mycoplasma, chlamydiae etc that's you have been prescribed doxycycline. Whether multaq increases the incidence of respiratory infection is not clear. If physician feels that multaq is the cause of interstitial pneumonitis, the drug should be immediately discontinued to prevent further toxicity. But whether toxicity is reversible after discontinuation is not established. But with experience from other drugs like methotrexate....lesions are reversible at an early discontinuation....So let's hope better in this regard too......and also if it is due to infection, it is certainly curable with antibiotic you are taking... Best wishes

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Brief Answer: Can go for repeat scan after a month Detailed Answer: Thanks for follow up. Amiodarone has documented toxicity profile. Its not established for multaq as it has been recently marketed and pulmonary toxicity has been detected in post marketing period. But any pulmonary disease manifests its symptoms and resolution of symptom depicts anatomic resolution..You can follow your lesion on serial chest radiographs. For a simple pneumonia case, radiological resolution takes almost 4 weeks despite clinical resolution in a week. Similarly you may go for a repeat scan after a month or so or repeat just a simple chest xray if the disease was evident on it previously.... Best wishes

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Brief Answer: Can do a ct after a month Detailed Answer: Thanks for follow up. Ok you can repeat CT then. Mostly symptom do not recur unless fibrosis has gone too bad.... prednisolone is sufficient.....But if he has given budesonide inhaler...you may take it...Don't afraid of this as the doses are too low and is delivered at the site itself. only 5-10 % goes to lung rest deposit on posterior pharyngeal wall which comes out as you gargle with water after each shot.... Doxy is good because he is suspecting atypical bacterial pneumonia side by side... If lab result comes out to be suggestive of some particular diagnosis,,,he will modify his treatment... Best wishes

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Brief Answer: its a good news Detailed Answer: Then its again good... Pneumonia is always better than fibrosis. its more reversible than fibrosis...

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