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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Article
Torsades de Pointes Secondary to Excessive Loperamide Use
Author(s)
Joseph S. Van Tuyl, Gail Brock, Kristen Bova Campbell and Sana M. Al-Khatib
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DOI:10.17265/2328-2150/2016.07.006
Affiliation(s)
ABSTRACT
Loperamide is a common, over-the-counter, antidiarrheal medication that has been implicated in cases of ventricular tachycardia. A 32 year-old female patient with a history of opioid abuse and no prior history of cardiovascular disease experienced Torsades de pointes. An electrocardiogram at the time of hospital presentation revealed a prolonged QT interval at 636 msec. Diagnostic evaluation was unremarkable for any underlying cardiovascular pathology. Further investigation revealed the patient had been taking 30-40 loperamide 2 mg tablets oral daily for 2 weeks prior to the onset of Torsades de pointes. At high doses, loperamide may prolong the QT interval through antagonism of the human ether-a-go-go potassium current, thus increasing the risk of ventricular arrhythmias. Clinicians should be cautious with administration of high doses of loperamide to all patients, especially patients at high risk for QT interval prolongation.
KEYWORDS
Torsades de pointes, loperamide, QT prolongation.
Cite this paper
Joseph S. Van Tuyl., et al. 2016. “Torsades de Pointes Secondary to Excessive Loperamide Use.” Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology 4 (7): 322-327.
References