Amiodarone side effects/testing

[Polly159]

I've been on Amiodarone for two months while awaiting an appointment for the ablation clinic. It has cut down the length of time each Afib episode lasts, but I still get 2 or more episodes a week with 'flutteriness' at odd times in between. The episodes are usually only about 20-30 minutes now or even less sometimes. Obviously there is some tiredness afterwards as usual. However, I seem at the moment to be tired most of the time, not able to 'bounce back' after a spell at work etc. and there are mornings when my body seems 'weighted down' to the bed! (Though sometimes that is the cat sitting on me til I get up and feed her!) Wondering if my thyroid has been affected by the Amiodarone, so going to the doc later this week. My questions are: in your experience with Amiodarone, how long did it take for side-effects to show? At what point were you tested/checked for the various side effects? Were these checks done by the GP or simply at your request because you experienced problems? Do we always know there are problems eg with eyes and lungs, liver function etc or should we be tested regularly - if so how regularly. Thanks!

[john-boy-92]

Some people tolerate Amiodarone but a small number don't. You should have an initial blood test to check for the creatine base line - liver function - and then regular check ups in accordance with the printed sheet that came with the Amiodarone. If this was prescribed in a hospital, there should have been a written hand-over to the GP, but it didn't happen for me. Things to look out for are coffee coloured urine, and /or a light non-productive cough. The coffee coloured urine is an indicator that the Amiodarone is adversely affecting your liver and you need to ring your GP. You can buy a an oximeter that fits on your finger and measures your blood oxygen (SpO2). Although the occurrence is about 6 in 100,000, if you have a cough, your SpO2 is dropping and, your breathing has a sound like Velcro being pulled apart, a clinician will probably say that you have community acquired pneumonia and, you need to have a chest X Ray. However, if there is a mass in the lungs and the sound is not in the right location for pneumonia - most clinicians don't recognise this - it will probably be cryptogenic organising pneumonia or pulmonary toxicity and that requires serious attention. Been there and the clinicians wrote a paper on it. Reaction time will vary; for me it was 24 hours.

[Polly159 in reply to john-boy-92]

Many thanks, John boy. Will keep an eye on these things and check the notes that came with the pills.

Take care

Polly

[Ianc2]

There should be a care plan put in place between the hospital and your local GP. Blood tests every 6 months to check liver and thyroid function.

[Polly159 in reply to Ianc2]

Thanks, Ian, a wee while to go before that, though to my knowledge I don't think there's a care plan in place, maybe because of the possibility of an ablation.

Take care

Polly

[CDreamer in reply to Polly159]

Go back to your GP and ask and if there is plan in place - if not why not? Please make sure you ask for regular monitoring and that you have copies of all correspondence between your GP and your specialist.

[CDreamer]

My husband has been on Amiodarone for 6 months - tested for baseline bloods prior to starting - tested after 4 weeks then 3 monthly. A recent test showed minor irregularities so tests repeated immediately and were all clear.

GP is responsible for all monitoring and that should have been agreed and protocols in place prior to your starting Amiodarone.

[Polly159 in reply to CDreamer]

Many, many thanks for that, CDreamer. So glad your husband has such a robust regime in place for monitoring. I have no regime in place as far as I know.(One GP simply said I would know when the side effects were there!) Anyway, felt I couldn't go on any longer having to cancel meetings etc because of tiredness, so went to doc today, and suggested to her it might be a Thyroxine level problem, so I'm getting all my bloods done tomorrow. I just feel the tiredness levels are coming from more than just the AFIB episodes. I've taken a week's holiday time next week, so that will give time for to be for results to come back and recoup some energy.

Thanks again. Take care

Polly

[Polly159 in reply to CDreamer]

Brief update - went to nurse for bloods today, GP had asked for Thyroxine only, but nurse took Liver, blood count, glucose! And booked me in for a regular check. Feel a lot happier.

[CDreamer in reply to Polly159]

Good news!