Long QT Syndrome: Drugs to Avoid

(Source of Drug Information Torsades.org)
Information about the LQTS Drugs to Avoid List

Arizona CERT Program QT Drug List

People who have or are suspected of having long QT syndrome need to avoid certain medications that may cause the heart to enter into an abnormal rhythm known as Torsades de Pointes. Several over-the-counter and prescription drugs have been noted for causing this potentially deadly arrhythmia in long QT sufferers. It is therefore very important that people with long QT syndrome not take the drugs on the "Drugs to Avoid" list without first consulting a medical doctor.

If a person with long QT is currently taking a drug on the "Drugs to Avoid" list, they should contact their doctor as soon as possible to inform them that the medication they are on may not be safe for them to use. The doctor can then either recommend an alternate medication or stop treatment with the drug in question.

Long QT patients must always, always, always check to see if any new medications they plan on taking are "QT Safe". If at any time a patient is unsure of whether or not a drug is safe, ask a pharmacist to run a "QT Safety Check" on the drug. This will tell the pharmacist if the drug in question has been connected with elongating patients' QT intervals (which long QT patients want to avoid). If a non-prescription drug is not QT safe, it is not recommended for use by long QT patients.

To download a printable copy of the "Long QT Drugs to Avoid" list, please click on the link below.