Mexiletine is an antiarrhythmic drug approved for its medical use on April 13, 1998.

Mexiletine is primarily used to treat ventricular arrhythmias. It is also indicated for non-dystrophic myotonia, diabetic neuropathy, and refractory arrhythmia, also known as an electrical storm. Other uses include preventing rejection in patients who receive organ transplantation. 

The recommended dose range of Mexiletine for treating ventricular Arrhythmias is 200 to 300 mg three times a day, every 8 hours. The drug is available in capsule form, and available dosages are 50 mg, 150 mg, 200 mg, and 250 mg. Swallow the capsule with water and do not crush or chew them. Your healthcare professional will decide the dose and frequency of the drug according to the severity of your condition. Administer the drug with food or other antacid medications to reduce gastric upset. 

The common side effects that are likely to occur while you are on the treatment with mexiletine are nausea, vomiting, heartburn, shortness of breath, skin rash, severe itching, decreased coordination, dizziness, light-headedness, tremors, Blurred vision, Visual disturbance, and Feeling nervous. Some serious but rare side effects are seizure, hypersensitivity reaction, decreased blood pressure, and liver toxicity.

Notify your healthcare provider if you have experienced a heart attack or heart failure. Inform your physician about the medications, nutritional supplements, non-prescription medications or non-allopathic drugs that you are taking for any diseases. Report to your pharmacist or doctor if you are allergic to lidocaine or any of the ingredients in mexiletine. See the label package for the list of ingredients. 

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant or breastfeeding during the treatment. Report to your physician if you face heart or chest pain, abnormal results of your blood tests, liver failure, low blood pressure, and seizure. Notify your dentist that you are using mexiletine before undergoing any dental surgery. Inform your physician if you are using any tobacco-related products because Cigarette smoking may decrease the effectiveness of this medication.

Mexiletine may make you dizzy or drowsy, Be careful if you drive a vehicle or operate machinery. If you use mexiletine 3 times daily and you miss a dose, take your medicine as soon as possible if you are less than 4 hours late. If you use the medicine twice a day, take the missed dose as soon as possible if you are less than 6 hours late. Otherwise, skip the missed dose and return to your regular dosing schedule. You should not use two doses at the same time. Report your physician about the missed dose. 

1. Mexiletine: Medlineplus Drug Information (Last Revised - 08/15/2016) MedlinePlus. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Available at: https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a607064.html (Accessed: December 17, 2022). 

 2. (mexiletine) dosing, indications, interactions, adverse effects, and more (2020). Available at: https://reference.medscape.com/drug/mexiletine-342303#5  (Accessed: December 17, 2022). 

3. Micromedex products: (Last Modified: November 22, 2022) Available at: https://www.micromedexsolutions.com/micromedex2/librarian/PFDefaultActionId/evidencexpert.DoIntegratedSearch?navitem=topHome&isToolPage=true#  (Accessed: December 17, 2022). 

4. Home - books - NCBI (Last Revised: August 15, 2016) National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books  (Accessed: December 17, 2022).

The drug information on this page is not a substitute for medical advice. It is meant for educational purposes only. For further details, consult your doctor about your medical condition to know if you can receive this treatment.