Brand Names

How to Use

Take this drug exactly as directed . Do not take more of this drug and do not take it more often than your family doctor ordered. Do not miss any doses.

Taking quinidine with food may help lessen stomach upset.

For diseaseds taking the extended-release tablet form of this drug:

• Quinidex Extentabs or Biquin Durules Swallow the tablets whole; do not break, crush, or chew before swallowing. Note that Biquin Durules may sometimes appear as a whole tablet in the stool; this tablet is just the empty shell that is left after the drug has been absorbed into the body.
• Quinaglute Duratabs or Quin-Release These tablets may be broken in half; however, they must not be crushed or chewed before swallowing.

Dosage

The number of tablets that you take depends on the strength of the drug. Always the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses and the length of time you take the drug depend on the medical problem for which you are taking quinidine .

• For regular - short-acting oral dosage form - tablets:
  • For abnormal heart rhythm:
    • Adults 200 to 650 milligrams - mg three or four times a day.
    • Children 30 to 40 mg per kilogram - kg - 13.6 to 18.2 mg per pound of body weight per day. Your family doctor may increase the dose if needed.
• For long-acting oral dosage form - tablets:
  • For abnormal heart rhythm:
    • Adults 300 to 660 mg every eight to twelve hours.
    • Children 30 to 40 mg per kilogram - kg - 13.6 to 18.2 mg per pound of body weight per day. Your family doctor may increase the dose if needed.
• For injection dosage form:
  • For abnormal heart rhythm:
    • Adults 190 to 380 mg injected into the muscle every two to four hours. Or, up to 0.25 mg per kg - 0.11 mg per pound of body weight per minute in a solution injected into a vein.
    • Children Dose must be determined by your family doctor.
  • For malaria:
    • Adults 10 mg per kg - 4.54 mg per pound of body weight in a solution injected slowly into a vein over one to two hours. Then, 0.02 mg per kg - 0.009 mg per pound of body weight per minute is given. Or, 24 mg per kg - 10.91 mg per pound of body weight in a solution injected slowly into a vein over a four-hour period. Then, eight hours after the first dose, 12 mg per kg - 5.45 mg per pound of body weight, injected slowly into a vein over a four-hour period and repeated every eight hours.
    • Children Dose must be determined by your family doctor.

Missed dose If you miss a dose of this drug and remember within 2 hours of the missed dose, take it as soon as possible. However, if you do not remember until later, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.

Storage To store this drug:

• Keep out of the reach of children.
• Store away from heat and direct light.
• Do not store in the bathroom, near the kitchen sink, or in other damp places. Heat or moisture may cause the drug to break down.
• Do not keep outdated drug or drug no longer needed. Be sure that any discarded drug is out of the reach of children.