Milrinone: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Milrinone is a phosphodiesterase 3 inhibitor sold in the U.S. under 3 brand and generic names, for heart failure and drug-related side effects and adverse reactions. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Drug class
- Phosphodiesterase 3 Inhibitor
- Treats
- Heart Failure and Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions
- Available as
- Injectable
- Sold as
- 3 products — Primacor, Milrinone Lactate and Milrinone Lactate in Dextrose 5% in Plastic Container
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Yes
How milrinone is dosed
From the FDA label for Milrinone Lactate (application ANDA214380). Other milrinone products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
DOSAGE & ADMINISTRATION A loading dose of Milrinone Lactate Injection (1 mg [base]/mL) should be administered followed by a continuous infusion (maintenance dose) according to the following guidelines: Loading Dose 50 mcg/kg: Administer slowly over 10 minutes. The table below shows the loading dose in milliliters (mL) of milrinone (1 mg/mL) by patient body weight (kg). Loa ding Dose (mL) Using 1 mg/mL Concentration Patient Body Weight (kg) kg 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 mL 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 6 The loading dose may be given undiluted, but diluting to a rounded total volume of 10 or 20 mL (see Maintenance Dose for diluents) may simplify the visualization of the injection rate. Maintenance Dose Maintenance Dose Infusion Rate Total Daily Dose (24 hours) Administer as a continuous intravenous infusion Minimum 0.375 mcg/kg/min 0.59 mg/kg Standard 0.5 mcg/kg/min 0.77 mg/kg Maximum 0.75 mcg/kg/min 1.13 mg/kg Milrinone drawn from vials should be diluted prior to maintenance dose administration. The diluents that may be used are 0.45% Sodium Chloride Injection, USP; 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection, USP; or 5% Dextrose Injection, USP. The table below shows the volume of diluent in milliliters (mL) that must be used to achieve 200 mcg/mL concentration for infusion, and the resultant total volumes. Desired Infusion Concentration mcg/mL Milrinone 1 mg/mL(mL) Diluent (mL) Total…
Milrinone side effects
Cardiovascular Effects In patients receiving milrinone in Phase II and III clinical trials, ventricular arrhythmias were reported in 12.1%: Ventricular ectopic activity, 8.5%; nonsustained ventricular tachycardia, 2.8%; sustained ventricular tachycardia, 1% and ventricular fibrillation, 0.2% (2 patients experienced more than one type of arrhythmia). Holter recordings demonstrated that in some patients injection of milrinone increased ventricular ectopy, including nonsustained ventricular tachycardia. Life-threatening arrhythmias were infrequent and when present have been associated with certain underlying factors such as preexisting arrhythmias, metabolic abnormalities (e.g. hypokalemia), abnormal digoxin levels and catheter insertion. Milrinone was not shown to be arrhythmogenic in an electrophysiology study. Supraventricular arrhythmias were reported in 3.8% of the patients receiving milrinone. The incidence of both supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias has not been related to the dose or plasma milrinone concentration. Other cardiovascular adverse reactions include hypotension, 2.9% and angina/chest pain, 1.2%. In the post-marketing experience, there have been rare cases of "torsades de pointes" reported. CNS Effects Headaches, usually mild to moderate in severity, have been reported in 2.9% of patients receiving milrinone. Other Effects Other adverse reactions…
Who shouldn’t take milrinone
Milrinone lactate injectioniscontraindicatedinpatientswhoarehypersensitive to it.
Milrinone drug interactions
No untoward clinical manifestations have been observed in limited experience with patients in whom milrinone was used concurrently with the following drugs: digitalis glycosides; lidocaine, quinidine; hydralazine, prazosin; isosorbide dinitrate, nitroglycerin; chlorthalidone, furosemide, hydrochlorothiazide, spironolactone; captopril; heparin, warfarin, diazepam, insulin; and potassium supplements. Chemical Interactions There is an immediate chemical interaction which is evidenced by the formation of a precipitate when furosemide is injected into an intravenous line of an infusion of milrinone. Therefore, furosemide should not be administered in intravenous lines containing milrinone.
Every milrinone product we track (3)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
| # | Drug | Rating | Type | Form | Generic? | Pharmacy pays | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 70/100 | Prescription | Injectable | No data | — | View → | |
| 2 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Injectable | No data | — | View → | |
| 3 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Injectable | No data | — | View → |
How long milrinone keeps
No milrinone label we read sets a separate limit for after opening, but they do specify how it must be stored — and the stability behind any date assumes those conditions.
Does milrinone expire? The in-use limits and storage rules from its labelsRelated calculators
Frequently asked questions
What is milrinone?
Milrinone Lactate Injection is a member of a class of bipyridine inotropic/vasodilator agents with phosphodiesterase inhibitor activity, distinct from digitalis glycosides or catecholamines.
What kind of drug is milrinone?
The FDA classifies milrinone as a phosphodiesterase 3 inhibitor. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.
Can you take milrinone with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run milrinone against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What brand names is milrinone sold under?
We track 3 milrinone-containing products in the U.S.: Primacor, Milrinone Lactate and Milrinone Lactate in Dextrose 5% in Plastic Container. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.
What forms does milrinone come in?
Across the brands we track, milrinone is currently marketed as injectable, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic milrinone?
Yes. Our catalog lists 2 generic milrinone products alongside the brand versions. A generic has the same active ingredient and must meet the FDA's bioequivalence standard; it usually costs less. Ask your pharmacist which one your plan covers.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Milrinone: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/milrinone
- MLA
- “Milrinone: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/milrinone.
We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Read the full FDA label for milrinone on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.