Drugs to avoid
Anyone with a condition affecting the heart that can cause sudden cardiac death needs to take extra care with medicines. All medicines – both those prescribed by your doctor and any you buy over the counter – must be checked, as some can increase the risk of sudden death.
For people with LQTS there are specific medications that can have a serious effect by further prolonging the QT interval. We give a list of these medicines below. This list includes drugs that can stimulate and irritate the heart by causing adrenaline-like effects. You must always check with your GP or cardiologist before taking any new medication, as this list will change with time.
In people with Brugada Syndrome the number and range of drugs that may make the condition worse is unknown and caution must be used. Antiarrhythmics, beta-blockers and some antidepressants are known to interact badly with it.
Drugs which people with Long QT Syndrome should avoid
Below is a list of the drugs that people with Long QT Syndrome should avoid. A similar list can also be found by clicking here.
Neither of these lists should be considered exhaustive, and you should always check with your GP and pharmacist if your doctor prescribes any new drugs for you, as these lists may not be complete.
* = Drugs which are unlicensed, withdrawn or suspended in the UK market
A – Z List
| Aclarubicin | Anti-cancer | ||
| Adrenaline (Epinephrine) | Stimulant | ||
| Ajmaline* | Antiarrhythmic (Class 1) | ||
| Alfuzosin | Alpha1-blocker | ||
| Almokalant* | Antiarrhythmic (Class 3) | ||
| Amantidine | Antimalarial | ||
| Amiodarone | Antiarrhythmic (Class 3) | ||
| Amitriptyline | Psychiatric drug – Tricyclic antidepressant | ||
| Amoxapine* | Psychiatric drug – Tricyclic antidepressant | ||
| Amphetamine | Stimulant | ||
| Amsacrine | Anti-cancer | ||
| Arsenic trioxide | Anti-cancer | ||
| Astemizole* | Antihistamine | ||
| Atomoxetine | Psychiatric drug – Other | ||
| Azelastine | Antihistamine | ||
| Azimilide* | Antiarrhythmic (Class 3) | ||
| Azithromycin | Antibiotic – Macrolide | ||
| Bepridil* | Anti-anginal / vasodilator | ||
| Bretylium | Antiarrhythmic (Class 3) | ||
| Chloral hydrate | Sedative | ||
| Chloroquine | Antimalarial | ||
| Chlorpromazine | Psychiatric drug – Phenothiazine | ||
| Cibenzoline* | Antiarrhythmic (Class 1) | ||
| Cimetidine | Histamine H₂ receptor antagonist | ||
| Ciprofloxacin | Antibiotic – Quinolone | ||
| Cisapride* | Serotonin agonist / antagonist | ||
| Citalopram | Psychiatric drug – Other | ||
| Clarithromycin | Antibiotic – Macrolide | ||
| Clobutinol* | Other | ||
| Clomipramine | Psychiatric drug – Tricyclic antidepressant | ||
| Clozapine | Anti-psychotic | ||
| Cocaine | Stimulant | ||
| Cold remedies | May contain stimulant drugs – always to check the label | ||
| Cotrimoxazole | Antibiotic – Antifungal | ||
| d-sotalol* | Antiarrhythmic (Class 3) | ||
| Desipramine* | Psychiatric drug – Tricyclic antidepressant | ||
| Dexmethylphenidate | Stimulant | ||
| Dihydroquinidine* | Antiarrhythmic (Class 1) | ||
| Diphenhydramine | Antihistamine | ||
| Disopyramide | Antiarrhythmic (Class 1) | ||
| Dobutamine | Stimulant | ||
| Dofetilide* | Antiarrhythmic (Class 3) | ||
| Dolasetron | Serotonin agonist / antagonist | ||
| Domperidone | Other | ||
| Dopamine | Stimulant | ||
| Doxepin | Psychiatric drug – Tricyclic antidepressant | ||
| Dronedarone* | Antiarrhythmic (Class 3) | ||
| Droperidol* | Psychiatric drug – Other | ||
| Ebastine* | Antihistamine | ||
| Encainide* | Antiarrhythmic (Class 1) | ||
| Ephedrine | Stimulant | ||
| Ersentilide* | Antiarrhythmic (Class 3) | ||
| Erythromycin | Antibiotic – Macrolide | ||
| Felbamate* | Anticonvulsant | ||
| Fenfluramine | Stimulant | ||
| Flecainide | Antiarrhythmic (Class 1) | ||
| Fluconazole | Antibiotic – Antifungal | ||
| Fluoxetine | Psychiatric drug – Other | ||
| Fluphenazine | Psychiatric drug – Phenothiazine | ||
| Foscarnet (HIV) | Antibiotics – Antiviral | ||
| Fosphenytoin (prodrug of Phenytoin) | Anticonvulsant | ||
| Galantamine | Inhibitor (dementia, Alzheimer’s) | ||
| Gatifloxacin* | Antibiotic – Quinolone | ||
| Geldanamycin* | Anti-cancer | ||
| Gemifloxacin* | Antibiotic – Quinolone | ||
| Granisetron | Serotonin agonist / antagonist | ||
| Grepafloxacin* | Antibiotic – Quinolone | ||
| Halofantrine* | Antimalarial | ||
| Haloperidol | Psychiatric drug – Other | ||
| Hydroxyzine | Antihistamine | ||
| Ibutilide* | Antiarrhythmic (Class 3) | ||
| Imipramine | Psychiatric drug – Tricyclic antidepressant | ||
| Indapamide | Anti-hypertensive | ||
| Isoprenaline (Isoproterenol) | Stimulant | ||
| Isradipine | Anti-hypertensive | ||
| Itraconazole | Antibiotic – Antifungal | ||
| Ketanserin* | Serotonin agonist / antagonist | ||
| Ketoconazole | Antibiotic – Antifungal | ||
| Levalbuterol | Stimulant | ||
| Levofloxacin | Antibiotic – Quinolone | ||
| Levomethadyl* | Psychiatric drug – Other | ||
| Lidoflazine* | Anti-anginal / vasodilator | ||
| Lithium | Anti-mania | ||
| Maprotiline | Psychiatric drug – Other | ||
| Memantine | Alzheimers drug | ||
| Mesoridazine | Psychiatric drug – Other | ||
| Metaproterenol | Stimulant | ||
| Methadone | Psychiatric drug – Other | ||
| Methylphenidate | Stimulant | ||
| Mexiletine | Antiarrhythmic (Class 1) | ||
| Midodrine | Stimulant | ||
| Moexipril / Hydrochlorthiazide | Anti-hypertensive | ||
| Moxifloxacin | Antibiotic – Quinolone | ||
| Naratriptan | Anti-migraine | ||
| Nicardipine | Anti-hypertensive | ||
| Nifekalant* | Antiarrhythmic (Class 3) | ||
| Norepinephrine (Noradrenaline) | Stimulant | ||
| Nortriptyline | Psychiatric drug – Tricyclic antidepressant | ||
| Octreotide | Other | ||
| Ofloxacin | Antibiotic – Quinolone | ||
| Ondansetron | Serotonin agonist / antagonist | ||
| Organophosphates* | Other | ||
| Paroxetine | Anti-depressant | ||
| Pentamidine | Antibiotic – Other | ||
| Perflutren lipid microspheres | Other | ||
| Pericycline | Psychiatric drug – Other | ||
| Phentermine | Stimulant | ||
| Phenylephrine | Stimulant | ||
| Phenylpropanolamine | Stimulant | ||
| Pimozide | Psychiatric drug – Other | ||
| Pirmenol* | Antiarrhythmic (Class 1) | ||
| Prenylamine* | Anti-anginal / vasodilator | ||
| Probucol | Other | ||
| Procainamide | Antiarrhythmic (Class 1) | ||
| Prochlorperazine | Psychiatric drug – Phenothiazine | ||
| Propafenone | Antiarrhythmic (Class 1) | ||
| Protriptyline* | Psychiatric drug – Tricyclic antidepressant | ||
| Pseudoephidrine | Stimulant | ||
| Quetiapine | Psychiatric drug – Other | ||
| Quinidine* | Antiarrhythmic (Class 1) | ||
| Quinine | Antimalarial | ||
| Ranolazine | Anti-anginal / vasodilator | ||
| Risperidone | Psychiatric drug – Other | ||
| Ritodrine | Stimulant | ||
| Roxithromycin* | Antibiotic – Macrolide | ||
| Salbutamol (Albuterol) | Stimulant | ||
| Salmeterol | Stimulant | ||
| Sematilide* | Antiarrhythmic (Class 3) | ||
| Sertindole | Psychiatric drug – Other | ||
| Sertraline | Anti-depressant | ||
| Sibutramine | Stimulant | ||
| Solifenacin | Other | ||
| Sotalol | Antiarrhythmic (Class 3) | ||
| Sparfloxacin* | Antibiotic – Quinolone | ||
| Spiramycin | Antibiotic – Macrolide | ||
| Sumatriptan | Anti-migraine | ||
| Sunitib | Anti-cancer | ||
| Tacrolimus | Anti-cancer | ||
| Tamoxifen | Anti-cancer | ||
| Telithromycin | Antibiotic – Macrolide | ||
| Terbutaline | Stimulant | ||
| Terfenadine* | Antihistamine | ||
| Terikalant* | Antiarrhythmic (Class 3) | ||
| Terodiline* | Anti-anginal / vasodilator | ||
| Thioridazine* | Psychiatric drug – Phenothiazine | ||
| Tizanidine | Other | ||
| Tolterodine | Bladder antispasmodic | ||
| Trazodone | Psychiatric drug – Other | ||
| Trifluoperazine | Psychiatric drug – Phenothiazine | ||
| Trimethoprim sulfa (bactrim) | Antibiotic – Other | ||
| Trimipramine | Psychiatric drug – Tricyclic antidepressant | ||
| Vardenafil | Anti-anginal / vasodilator | ||
| Vasopressin | Other | ||
| Venlafaxine | Psychiatric drug – Other | ||
| Voriconazole | Antibiotic – Antifungal | ||
| Zimeldine* | Psychiatric drug – Other | ||
| Ziprasidone | Psychiatric drug – Other | ||
| Zolmitriptan | Anti-migraine |
Listed by type
Antiarrhythmics
Class 1: ajmaline*, cibenzoline*, dihydroquinidine*, disopyramide, encainide*, flecainide, mexiletine, pirmenol*, procainamide, propafenone quinidine*
Class 3: almokalant*, amiodarone, azimilide*, bretylium, dofetilide*, dronedarone*, d-sotalol*, ersentilide*, ibutilide*, nifekalant*, sematilide*, sotalol, terikalant*
Anti-anginals/vasodilators
bepridil*, lidoflazine*, prenylamine*, ranolazine, terodiline*, vardenafil
Anti-Cancer
Aclarubicin
Anti-hypertensives
indapamide, isradipine, moexipril/hydrochlorthiazide, nicardipine
Antihistamines
astemizole*, azelastine, diphenhydramine, ebastine*, hydroxyzine, terfenadine*
Serotonin agonists and antagonists
cisapride*, dolasetron, granisetron, ketanserin*, ondansetron
Antimicrobials
Macrolide antibiotics: azithromycin, clarithromycin, erythromycin, roxithromycin*, spiramycin, telithromycin
Quinolone antibiotics: ciprofloxacin, gatifloxacin*, gemifloxacin*, grepafloxacin*, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, ofloxacin, sparfloxacin*
Antifungals: cotrimoxazole, fluconazole (caution with itraconazole), ketoconazole, voriconazole
Others: pentamidine, trimethoprim sulfa (bactrim)
Antiviral: foscarnet (HIV)
Antimalarials
amantidine, chloroquine, halofantrine*, quinine
Psychiatric drugs
Tricyclic antidepressants: amitriptyline, amoxapine*, clomipramine, desipramine*, doxepin, imipramine, nortriptyline, protriptyline*, trimipramine
Phenothiazines: chlorpromazine, fluphenazine, prochlorperazine, thioridazine*, trifluoperazine
Others: atomoxetine, citalopram, clozapine, droperidol*, fluoxetine, haloperidol, levomethadyl*, lithium, maprotiline, mesoridazine, methadone, paroxetine, pericycline, pimozide, quetiapine, risperidone, sertindole, sertraline, trazodone, venlafaxine, zimeldine*, ziprasidone
Anticonvulsant
felbamate*, fosphenytoin (prodrug of phenytoin)
Anti-migraine
naratriptan, sumatriptan, zolmitriptan
Anti-cancer
arsenic trioxide, geldanamycin*, sunitib, tacrolimus, tamoxifen
Others
alfuzosin, chloral hydrate, clobutinol*, domperidone, galantamine, octreotide, organophosphates*, perflutren lipid microspheres, probucol, solifenacin, tizanidine, tolterodine, vasopressin
Stimulant drugs
Some cold remedies contain these drugs so it is important always to check the label.
adrenaline (epinephrine), amphetamine, cocaine, dexmethylphenidate, dobutamine, dopamine, ephedrine, fenfluramine, isoprenaline (isoproterenol), levalbuterol, metaproterenol, methylphenidate, midodrine, norepinephrine (noradrenaline), phentermine, phenylephrine, phenylpropanolamine, pseudoephedrine, ritodrine, salbutamol (albuterol), salmeterol, sibutramine, terbutaline
