What are Antiarrhythmic Medications?
Antiarrhythmic medications include several types of medications that are designed to help restore and maintain the normal rhythm of the heart. There are four main types of these medications: Sodium Channel Blockers – These medications block the sodium channel of the heart muscle cells which decreases the speed of electrical conduction. These medications include procainamide (Procan SR, Procanbid, Pronestyl), quinidine (Quinaglute, Quinidex), disopyramide (Norpace), flecainide (Tambocor), and propafenone (Rythmol and Rythmol SR). Each of these medications has a unique set of features and side effects. Beta Blockers – The primary goal of beta blockers is to slow down your heart rate. This will reduce your heart rate during an episode of your abnormally fast heart rhythm. This type of medication is primarily used to control the heart rate during an arrhythmic episode and may also reduce the number of episodes that you experience. Potassium Channel Blockers – These medications block the po