Amioderone

[sotolol]

what side effect are the worst?

[BobD Volunteer]

Amiodarone doesn't have side effects. It has effects.

I guess the most dangerous is the thryoid damage followed by lung damage. eyes and photosensitivity.

Short term use to assist a cardioversion is acceptable but not longer than three months would be my view.

[sotolol in reply to BobD]

Thank you Mr D. Had appointment after trip to A + E asked if they'd shoot me but no. Back on 10 mls bisoprolol the devils drug. asked to go to SDT ?? same day treatment in cardiologist suite. Glorified upmarket A + E. Most helpful they have a plan made for me. A path ! My heart is good mitral valve rubbish. So im going down a path till i get shot. Deep joy. Hope you are well again soon and back to sorting your starting motor.

God save the King.....and bobD

[Desanthony]

I had a slight rise in my thyroid readings over 3 months use during the time around my second successful cardioversion. That returned to normal within 3 months. Other than that had no other problems - even went out in the sunshine all day and worked in the garden forgetting to put sunscreen on and had no problems. Short term use seems fine for some people but there are other people who have been on this medication long term who also have no problems too. I wouldn't want to try that though.

[sotolol in reply to Desanthony]

lol.

[Desanthony in reply to sotolol]

Amazing that some do get these and some don't just shows how different we all are I was lucky but if the medication works for them and they can stay on long term then that's great.

[Mickey16]

For me, Amiodarone was wrong from the start. I was only taking it for a few weeks and it started coating my lungs and I became quite ill. The Drs. did not realise what was happening, as it was so rapid. As others have said, Amiodarone appears to work for some and should be viewed as a short term medication. My advice would be, study the information about this medication and raise any adverse side affects you may start to have immediately with your practitioner.

[sotolol in reply to Mickey16]

thank you. I will.

[Hidden]

Good Morning Sotolol, You may be interested in taking a look at our information sheet on Amiodarone here: heartrhythmalliance.org/afa... it contains information about potential side effects of the medication. Please feel free to contact our Patient Services Team if you would like any other guidance or support 01789 867502 [e-mail]

Amiodarone info sheet

[sotolol in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Katrina this helped me understand it more.

[fairgo45]

I had a bad reaction to amiodarone after my second ablation i took it but a few weeks later it attacked my lungs so with sotalol on offer i listened to a doctor at the hospital

Amiodarone wrecks your lungs and Sotalol your liver so i switched to rate control its onlymy reaction but i was greatful not to have turned blue

[Hidden in reply to fairgo45]

I have had normal liver results and not sure about lung issues but my O2 sats are great and I don't have any breathing problems

[sotolol in reply to fairgo45]

im glad you are not blue too i will wait in anticipation.

[Hidden]

I had terrible nausea and was dizzy and actually a little disoriented. So, I now take it at night and have no issue. I have been on it 5+ years.

[Lilypocket in reply to Hidden]

Wow 5 years! What are you taking it for - Afib?

[Hidden in reply to Lilypocket]

to be honest, I don't think I need it. I had ONE afib event that was confirmed as anxiety attack due to an overload of family losses .....but I have no issues with any of the meds I got put on except for Xarelto which causes a side effect that post-menopausal women shouldn't have to deal with.....

[sotolol in reply to Hidden]

wow well done. Cheered me up

[sotolol in reply to Hidden]

wow i hope im the same as you.

[Hidden in reply to sotolol]

,,,and I am on sotolol, too but amiodarone is 2x a day.

[sotolol in reply to Hidden]

how long you been on amiodarone,

[Hidden]

For me, when I was on it years ago, Amiodarone caused some trembling of the hands and some horrific nightmares but no other problems.

[oscarfox49]

The effects are very personal and depend on your personal metabolism and general functioning of liver, lungs, eyes and so on. All I can say is that my experience with it made me feel iller than at any other time in my life (76 years). I had diarrhoea alternating with constipation, loss of appetite and weight loss, photosensitivity to the degree I couldn't get ANY exposure to the sun without being extremely red, and my skin erupted particularly on my face in lots of little bumps and spots. Of course lots of doctors will deny that any of this is due to the drug, which is extremely effective in rhythm control and if you can tolerate it then it is the drug of choice for some.

Add to that, the fact that it has a half life of several months (it goes on working in your body without being expelled by liver or kidney etc) and I would recommend anybody who has it recommended to have their eyes open to the potential effects. There are few things worse than stopping a drug knowing it will be 'with you' for months more even when you are no longer taking it. This makes it complicated in switching to other medication like beta blockers as the two will interact even if you are no longer taking amiodarone.

I also got fed up in discovering every other medicine prescribed by my doctor seemed to be contraindicated if you were taking amiodarone. There are many, many other drugs you have to avoid and don't assume your GP or pharmacist will know that!

[sotolol in reply to oscarfox49]

agree doctors are only General practioners. So best stick to the professionals. Thank you

[Lilypocket]

I have been on it for 2 months as my heart went a bit bonkers after my (first) ablation. I have another month to go then will see if I have to have a second ablation ( very likely).

It is a great drug for me! No blips, no arrythmia nothing since I started it. And I can get up and down hills without the occasional debilitating breathlessness I got when on Bisoprolol and Flecainide. I feel like I did before I ever got Afib. But I know it is only temporary and I will have to come off it soon. I have had regular checks and my TSH has risen a little. I'm seeing the cardioligist today.

Take care

[sotolol in reply to Lilypocket]

glad you are coping well. I like good stories

[Lilypocket in reply to sotolol]

Are you going to be put on it? Is that why you are asking?

Take care

[sotolol in reply to Lilypocket]

hi Lillypocket

[sotolol in reply to sotolol]

yes ive been on Amiodarone a week now. Waiting for side effects that folk on here mention.

[sotolol in reply to Lilypocket]

hope you got on ok with the cardiologist.

[Lilypocket in reply to sotolol]

ok thanks. I have to stay on Amiodarone until the end of October then stop the meds and have a 3 day Holter 2 weeks later. I have to say I am a little worried about the 2 week period "flying solo" so to speak without meds. But we need to see what I have that needs fixing by another ablation if I need one which is more than probable.

[sotolol in reply to Lilypocket]

good plan but get it about taking non.

[Shemac52]

After taking for 18 months and regular testing my thyroid went so overactive it caused a stroke after I came off amioradone within 7 weeks of mitral valve replacement. Took 18 months to get thyroid back to normal with high levels of steroids.

[Ppiman]

You might find this useful, especially since this is a drug that receives a lot of negative posts on Internet forums:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

I was unable to take other rhythm meds, so was about to be put on amiodarone but never was as an ablation came my way in time.

Steve

[sotolol]

Thank you all for your information found this site helpful and have a good friend l met on here. All been helpful.❤️

[Becksagogo]

My Consultant said Amioderone caused my thyroid, liver and early kidney problems. I still take levothyroxine and due to an increase in the diuretics i take, kidneys are shot to bits.

[john-boy-92]

Pulmonary toxicity with associated death or confined to a wheelchair with oxygen. Fortunately, only about 6 in 100,000 people get that. If you are lucky to survive, ambulant and don't require a lung transplant, you are classified as clinically extremely vulnerable (during COVID) as the damage to your lungs is permanent. There's the shock to your next of kin if you have pulmonary toxicity, when the hospital rings to say that they want to move you to Intensive Care, sedate you and put you on a ventilator; they don't tell you or your next of kin that gives you a 50% chance of dying. Assuming you servive, you're on prednisolone for a year and that gives you high blood pressure; it was probably a factor in my stroke. Amiodarone is not my medication of choice!

[Soundmike]

as I've mentioned before on this forum I was kept on amioderone after my second groin ablation for too long and it threw my thyroid out and back in A/F. So be careful these people that say it doesn't have side effects it has effects ,in my opinion are talking bollocks .

[javo123j]

I took it before a cardioversion and had no problems or side effects.

[CookieinAL]

I took amiorderone for about a month. It did not work, and I lost hands full of hair and had a headaches ever day. Would never take it again.

[BlueINR]

There are many possible side effects with amiodarone, as there are with all Rx meds. For the best information I'd suggest you read the package insert here. accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatf... a good idea to read the package insert for any Rx drugs you take.

I've had amiodarone several times for afib, but the last time an IV of it was started in the hospital, I started going into anaphylaxis. No more amiodarone for me.

[sotolol in reply to BlueINR]

oh wow cant win can you

[sotolol in reply to BlueINR]

😮 bless you.

[TanyaSo]

I used adiodarone a few years and got thyroid gland damage. When I stopped - thyroid got normal.

[riffjack846]

I've been on it for over a year. It's the only drug that keeps me in NSR butI'm on a very low dose 100mgs. No problems so far. My doctor said most problems come from larger than 200mgs over a long period of time.

[Figbar]

may I ask your doses of Amiodarone?.

I’m hearing from surgeon that low dose, 100mg short term- likely will not cause adverse effects.

[JOY2THEWORLD49]

I'm not sure, google it but I read it is not a long term med.

Depends on your dosage I guess.

Don't worry about side effects until you have them because your mind may play tricks!

Read BobD's post.

Same reading as I had done.

cheri. JOY 73. (NZ)

[etheral]

Permanent Pulmonary Fibrosis (untreatable lung damage) seems like the worst of many side effects of this drug to me. No personal experience taking this drug, but have done considerable research..

[Elfiejean]

I think side effects can be dose related. At 100mg daily the effects are less than at 200mg daily. I have been on the 100mg and find it tolerable. I am monitored for thyroid and lung damage. Because of other meds I take side effects overlap. I take it one day at a time.