Admin have noticed that there has been a number of posts recently seeking advice about prescribed medications. It is important to seek advice from your doctor if you have any questions about changes in dosage, severe side effects and whether certain medications should be 'paused' before a medical procedure.
They will be able to advise and assess your situation on a personal basis.
The aim of taking medications is to :
Manage and control symptoms
Restore a normal heart rhythm
Reducing the risk of a stroke
You may also find the 'Treatment Options for AF' helpful available to download from our A F Association webpage
I can certainly agree you should check first before changing meds, but the doctor’s advice I have gotten has not been consistent and sometimes made no sense. We should always ask ourselves if something doesn’t seem right as we know better than a doctor how we feel. In one instance, I was prescribed 400 mg of amiodarone daily which I believe is a very high dosage. I was told to return in two months. When I started feeling terrible within a week, I decided on my own to cut back to 200 mg. Calling my then doctor took at least a 20 minutes on hold and may or may not have resulted in contact with a knowledgeable person. In my situation I called a different EP, got through right away and got an appointment in less than a week. The new EP agreed with my decision and referred me to a cardiologist in his practice to confirm the action. The new cardiologist agreed with all that had been done. So while I agree it’s better to consult first, in my case it would have resulted in a week or more of misery while taking a drug which I have heard is more dangerous than many. I could have gone to the emergency room, but I have had problems with non-cardiologists diagnosing me and according to the cardiologist, being incorrect. To summarize, listen to your body and seek sensible medical advice rather than accept an uncomfortable and potentially dangerous situation.
You would need to have a baseline liver function test before taking amiodarone (or dronedarone). You should have also been advised on symptoms - such as a non-productive cough and Velcro sounds - that could be indicative of a rare but serious condition. My EP dismissed my questions about the effect of those drugs, and I ended up arguing against being sedated on a respirator in ICU. The consultant and radiographer published a paper on my case that is on the Internet.
I appreciate your input. I was somewhat shocked that I would be given amiodarone at all without discussion of side effects and warnings to get my blood tested. My new EP insists that I get both liver function tests and thyroid function tests as soon as possible. But what you are saying is that I won't know the baseline of the Liver Function Test which will make readings less meaningful. My urologist says the same thing about PSA tests. In any event, I was trying to make the point that it is important to assess how you feel and take appropriate action be it call the doctor or even as I did take action and then attempt to contact the doctor. In my case, attempting to contact the doctor involved a lot of waiting and often a perfunctory brush off by some nurse. I never realized until I got into my AF experience that there are some really good doctors and some that are not that good. I think you reinforced my feelings. Thanks again.
Doctors have a tendancy to minimise if not outright dismiss undesirable effects of the drugs they prescribe, often making the patient feel that they are imagining it. Thanks to the internet and forums like this a patient is no longer alone when faced with this sort of gaslighting. It is very important that patients should share their experiences with different meds and the dosages that are prescribed. It is invaluable to know that there are others who cannot tolerate even small doses of some drugs.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
AF Association FAQ
AFFIRMO 
Arrhythmia Patients Day 5th October
