The medication amiodarone is a popular method of treating cardiac arrhythmias, but some patients claim that the drug can cause blindness.

What is Amiodarone?

According to WebMD, amiodarone is a medication used to treat cardiac arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythm), which is one of the most common heart disorders. In most cases, cardiac arrhythmias are occasional and benign. However, for others, they can be dangerous or even life-threatening. For others still, they can cause ongoing medical symptoms.

Amiodarone works to treat cardiac arrhythmia by blocking particular electrical signals in the heart that can cause that irregular heartbeat. Amiodarone is also known by the brand names Cordarone and Pacerone.

What are Common Amiodarone Side Effects?

Any medication will come with certain side effects, and amiodarone is no exception. Common side effects listed in the amiodarone warning section include nausea, vomiting, constipation, appetite loss, shaking, or tiredness. While these are relatively mild complications, if they worsen or persist, tell your doctor.

Amiodarone has been linked with a risk of vision changes and there is a concern that the drug can cause blindness. You may first start to see halos appear in your vision around lights, or notice that your vision is unusually blurred. In some cases, patients have even reported partial or total blindness. This can be caused by a condition known as optic neuropathy.

What is Optic Neuropathy?

Optic neuropathy is damage to the optic nerve that connects the eye to the brain, which can cause blindness. Symptoms of optic neuropathy are a few major vision changes. These include:

• Clouding or blurriness
• Loss of color vision
• Loss of peripheral vision
• Vision fading in and out
• Partial or total vision loss

In some cases, vision loss from optic neuropathy can come on suddenly.

Optic neuropathy can be caused by a number of factors, including disease, chronic inflammation or illness, tumors, aneurysms or strokes, genetics, injuries, or toxins in the environment.

Treatment of optic neuropathy may not be able to restore the vision you’ve lost, but it can at least prevent the vision loss from worsening and allow you to keep the vision you have left.

Other severe side effects that have been linked with amiodarone include:

• Lung disease/pulmonary toxicity
• Liver failure
• Blindness
• Death

Because of the serious risks linked with amiodarone, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the drug as only a last resort for those with whom other methods of proven insufficient.

Can I File an Amiodarone Lawsuit?

If you or someone you love has suffered from side effects of amiodarone, such as optic neuropathy or partial/total vision loss, you may be able to file a lawsuit and pursue compensation. Of course, filing a lawsuit cannot undo the pain and suffering caused by these side effects, but it can at least help to alleviate the financial burden incurred by medical expenses, lost wages, and more.

Filing a lawsuit can be a daunting prospect, so Top Class Actions has laid the groundwork for you by connecting you with an experienced attorney. Consulting an attorney can help you determine if you have a claim, navigate the complexities of litigation, and maximize your potential compensation.