
Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Torsades de pointes causes
Introduction
Overview
Overview
Common causes for torsades de pointes include hypomagnesemia and hypokalemia. It is commonly seen in malnourished individuals and chronic alcoholics. Drug interactions such as erythromycin or Avelox, taken concomitantly with inhibitors like nitroimidazole, diarrhea, dietary supplements, and various medications like methadone, lithium, tricyclic antidepressants or phenothiazines may also contribute to causing torsades de pointes.
Causes
Causes
The List of Drugs that Cause Torsades de pointes
Drugs that are generally accepted to have a risk of causing torsades de pointes:
- Amiodarone
- Arsenic trioxide
- Astemizole
- Azithromycin
- Bepridil
- Chloroquine
- Chlorpromazine
- Cisapride
- Citalopram
- Clarithromycin
- Disopyramide
- Dofetilide
- Dolasetron mesylate
- Domperidone
- Droperidol
- Erythromycin
- Felbamate
- Halofantrine
- Haloperidol
- Clozapine
- Ibutilide
- Levomethadyl
- Mesoridazine
- Methadone
- Moxifloxacin
- Pentamidine
- Pimozide
- Probucol
- Procainamide
- Quinidine
- Sevoflurane
- Sotalol
- Sparfloxacin
- Terfenadine
- Thioridazine
- Toremifene
- Vandetanib
Drugs that Possibly Cause Torsades de pointes
Drugs that in some reports have been associated with torsades de pointes and/or QT prolongation but at this time lack substantial evidence for causing torsades de pointes.
- Alfuzosin
- Amantadine
- Artenimol and piperaquine
- Atazanavir
- Azithromycin
- Chloral hydrate
- Clozapine
- Dolasetron
- Dronedarone
- Eribulin
- Escitalopram
- Famotidine
- Felbamate
- Fingolimod
- Flecainide
- Foscarnet
- Fosphenytoin
- Gatifloxacin
- Gemifloxacin
- Granisetron
- Iloperidone
- Indapamide
- Isradipine
- Lapatanib
- Levofloxacin
- Lithium
- Mirtazipine
- Moexipril / HCTZ
- Moxifloxacin
- Nicardipine
- Nilotinib
- Octreotide
- Ofloxacin
- Ondansetron
- Oxytocin
- Paliperidone
- Perflutren
- Quetiapine
- Ranolazine
- Risperidone
- Roxithromycin
- Sertindole
- Sunitinib
- Tacrolimus
- Tamoxifen
- Telithromycin
- Tizanidine
- Vardenafil
- Venlafaxine
- vandetanib
- Voriconazole
- Ziprasidone
The List of Drugs that Cause Torsades de pointes in Certain Conditions
Drugs that, in some reports, have been weakly associated with torsades de pointes and/or QT prolongation but that are unlikely to be a risk for torsades de pointes when used in usual recommended dosages and in patients without other risk factors (e.g., concomitant QT prolonging drugs, bradycardia, electrolyte disturbances, congenital long QT syndrome, concomitant drugs that inhibit metabolism)
- Amisulpride
- Amitriptyline
- Amoxapine
- Ciprofloxacin
- Citalopram
- Clomipramine
- Desipramine
- Diphenhydramine
- Doxepin
- Fluconazole
- Fluoxetine
- Galantamine
- Imipramine
- Itraconazole
- Ketoconazole
- Mexiletine
- Nortriptyline
- Paroxetine
- Protriptyline
- Ritonavir
- Sertraline
- Solifenacin
- Trazodone
- Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole
- Trimipramine
References
References
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
