When blood pools, it can clot. Clots that form in the left atrium can be expelled into blood system to organs that receive blood from the heart. When clots travel to the brain, it can cause a stroke. Besides causing a stroke, AF can also cause a very fast heartbeat. This can be uncomfortable for the one who’s experiencing it and can lead to other problems like fainting and other more dangerous arrhythmias.

Until now, most people with AF have been prescribed a drug called amiodarone to try to help control this irregular heart rhythm and decrease symptoms of AF. The problem is, amiodarone is not always tolerated well due to some potentially serious side effects. These side effects may include thyroid toxicity and lung toxicity.

Now in addition to amiodarone, patients will have another choice in treating AF. The new drug is called Multaq (dronedarone). Although this is a ‘new’ drug on the market, it is very similar to amiodarone in structure. Basically, Multaq is a modified version of amiodarone. The manufacturers have modified it in a way that will hopefully decrease the serious side effects that people taking amiodarone can experience. The drawback is Multaq may be less effective than amiodarone and more costly.

A month’s worth of Multaq will cost about $200 while a month’s worth of amiodarone will costs roughly $50. Although it is much more expensive, Multaq may be a good option for patients who cannot tolerate amiodarone due to side effects. It is strongly recommended that patients who are newly diagnosed with AF try amiodarone first before trying Multaq because of the issues of cost and effectiveness.