Coming off Amiodarone

[Davesgirl]

Husband had an echocardiogram and his heart was fine, no abnormalities. He'd previously been told he had heart failure with a stretched left ventricle. Anyway, the echocardiogram showed that his heart had recovered.

The cardiologist put him on the list for a cryo ablation, but in the meantime told him to come off Amiodarone and beta blockers and told him he no longer had heart failure.

So, very gingerly and carefully, he's been weaning himself off the Amiodarone first. He's still taking the 2.5 Bisoprolol for the moment. He went from 200mg to 150mg for three weeks and within a few days his heart rate went up a little bit, but was in the middle 60s. This week he's gone down to 100mg and his heart rate has actually fallen And he's now mostly 50s. He's not complaining by the way but as Amiodarone has a beta blocker effect as well as rhythm control it feels a bit odd.

I would have expected his heart rate to go higher, not lower so was wondering whether anyone else has experienced this?

[meadfoot]

Well the heart failure issue is very good news, bet you are so relieved on that front.

I have not had amiodarone but when my dose of beta blocker was reduced I found my heart rate went down for a while before it stabalised again. I guess in my case it was my body getting used to the change.

Have you considered calling your heart specialist or his team (is there an arrhythmia nurse attached to the team you are with as they can be a great source of information). I would ask the question of them.

Best wishes

Dee.

[Davesgirl in reply to meadfoot]

That's interesting Dee. That's what we really wanted to know......the fact that yours went down then stabilised means that this sometimes happens.

The cardiologist told him to cancel his appointment with the 'heart failure nurse' as he called him, as he no longer has heart failure. Oh well.

[Davesgirl in reply to Davesgirl]

His heart rate was 48 just now. Yikes!!! And that's after a day's work teaching people to drive.