Sorry it’s me again
Just rung up to chase my cardioversion to find my cardiologist has recommended an urgent cardioversion but he wants me to be on amiodarone pre cardioversion.
I am scared as I have read how bad it is. Is this unusual to take this first.
Do you have to be admitted for administration of this drug?
No it’s not unusual. A loading of Amiodarone prior to cardioversion will increase the chance of NSR and often people take it for a few months after cardioversion to establish a steady pattern of NSR. It is a toxic drug & does have serious affects but I believe for short term (6 months) use the % of people who suffer longer term damage is small - but of course that’s doesn’t help if you are one of them.
No you don’t need to be admitted to take the tablets. But you will need to have your bloods carefully monitored every 4 weeks whilst you are taking it. That is usually done by GP.
My husband has been on Amiodarone for 12 months now & remained in NSR, without it his QOL would be miserable.
It is always a risk:benefit assessment & my understanding is that Amiodarone is still the most affective drug on the market to counter AF.
Thank you CD that is really helpful. I suppose it’s a risk I will have to take. if they monitor me closely hopefully I will be ok 🤞
Ensure they have baseline bloods for comparisons before you start to take them.
If you are already taking Warfarin your dosage should be reduced by half when you start Amiodarone. Not all doctors seem to be aware of that.
I am on rivoroxiban
It probably only applies to Warfarin. My INR doubled when amiodarone was added and rivoroxiban works differently.
Thank you seasider I will mention it when I talk to cardiac team
No very common to be on this drug short term prior to DCCV and for a short while afterwards. 3 to 6 months should be enough and fairly safe.
Oh thank you Bob, he did mention to me that he was ok for me to be on it for a year but I thought we had agreed not to but I suppose I need to trust him.
It's how they did my first one, and sometimes it the amiodorone can convert you to NSR without having a DCV,
Yes it can be pretty nasty with the side effects, but sounds like your EP want's to give you the best shot of a cardioversion working.
All the best
Thank you Mikee I think he is really trying to help me it’s just anything out of what I expect really throws my anxiety into a full panic.
Take a look at the contra-indications of this drug before you start it so that you can make informed decisions to your particular health situation and ask questions. If you have a history of Bradycardia the advice is that this medication is not suitable. I did not understand this when I started the drug and the Cardiologist who prescribed it was focusing on getting me back into sinus rhythm and not my history; I subsequently became quite unwell. This is not to scare you Deb1838. Sometimes things get missed accidentally because everyone is under a lot of pressure. You are right to question things and be as informed as you can be. If you start noticing anything your concerned about once you start taking any medication, as you know, you should always trust your instincts and questions of the prescribe-rs. Hope this helps.
Kind regards
Mickey16
I was put on it 5 weeks ago after first cv didn’t last long in Sr . I wish they had put me on it back then as I’ve felt much better less breathless and tired and lowered heart rate.
Tommorow is next cv hoping it works so I can come of it but have been told up to a year like you. First blood test last week shows my thyroid numbers up but gp said it’s drug induced and don’t think I’m down for another test for 3 month.
I was on Amio for 12 months with no problem. If you want some evidence based statistics re side effects;
doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2014.2...
Good Luck.
In exactly the same boat as you, here, and I have decided not to take the
Amiodarone. Good luck with whatever you do...
Thank you. Good luck to you too
Thank You.
Had stress test and started amiodarone this week, angioplasty/stent next week and 4th ablation Feb 11.
I fully expect to be full of piss and vinegar by Feb 20th and on my way home to Swaziland.
Which may be why the CV didn’t work for my husband as he was only on them for 10 days prior to CV - lack of joined upness between GP & Consultant.
Yes the cardiac nurse explained that you can’t rush Amiodarone
I was on this for 3 months prior to cardioversion and 3 months post cardioversion and was fine- no problems. At the end of the time my thyroid count was off but now 3 months post that has recovered to normal.
Thank you for your reply Des. Glad to hear this.
So long as your Docs keep checking your bloods and as soon as something is amiss stop the amiodorone then things should go back to normal after stopping the amiodorone. If you go ahead then make sure that you are aware of the side effects and if you feel you are getting any are proactive too.
I have been in Amiodorone for 9 years - only problem for me is that it affects thyroid readings and makes my skin burn if I am in the sun. I take 100mg daily.
I am sure some people have problems with it and I have read all the terrible side effects it can cause but we are all different.
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