Amiodarone

[Lambi]

Hi ive been diagnosed woth a.f for 5mths now and been put on bisoprolol small doses at 1st now on 7.5mg twice daily also amiodarone recently and this has now brought me out of a.f im wondering if anyone else is taking this drug and what side effects they have had as i have terrible headaches recently

[Gumbie_Cat]

Headache is listed in the BNF as a common side effect of Bisoprolol. I think that I remember getting some when I first started taking it. It’s a strange medication as I have sort of got used to it over the last few months - I’m now in persistent (regarded that it will be permanent) AFib.

You are on a very high dose though - I think the max is usually 10mg daily. I’m on 2.5 twice a day. Side effects are always worth querying with your GP or consultant. Amiodarone can affect the body in quite a few ways, and is one to be careful about.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there were an AFib wonder drug that doesn’t affect the rest of our body? Then some people respond wonderfully to the medications, while they simply don’t work on others. Good luck!

[Letofeyd]

Amiodarone gave me excruciating headaches - much worse than any migraine I had ever had.I was almost glad it did not resolve my AF, because I could stop taking it.

[Ducky2003]

I took Bisoprolol for 3 months and felt awful. I struggled to get upstairs or walk to the garden gate as it affected my breathing so much.I have been on Amiodarone for a while. It has affected my eyes, I have corneal deposits and vortex keratopathy, but these do not affect my vision and apparently will resolve once I stop taking it. Other than that, nothing else I'm aware of, although I know it can cause all sorts of issues in some folk. Hopefully, you are being monitored in some way.

[harrigate1]

Hi, I've been on Amiodarone for 3.5 yrs. Never been a headache person and had no problems with Amio. Only side effect I've got is a hint of corneal deposits.

[Ellie-Ann]

Hi Lambi,

I’m 76/female. I had AF for almost two years then got a cardio version done Dec 2022 which was successful. I was put on Amiodarone two months before the CV… in Oct 22.

I was very anxious about it as it was explained to me what a powerful drug it was. I was promised that I’d be on it for six months only. I ended up on it for eight months, I was taken off it in June this year. However… it did the job and so far, since my CV was done I’ve been in normal sinus rhythm.

I have stable angina too and was put onto Bisoprolol 1.25mg several years ago. When the AF was diagnosed 2-3 yrs ago now, I had it increased in stages while awaiting a CV to 3.75 twice a day. It ‘ helped keep me ok’ during the wait for the CV.

Then after the CV my resting heart rate went into bradicardia.(slow!) that had a few side effects , dizzy, disoriented, etc so I rang my GP and eventually got the dose slowly reduced over a few months down to 1.25 mg once a day again.

Re Amiodarone…nasty drug but essential one for getting your rhythm sorted out so stick at it! I had a few headaches initially but things settled eventually. I’ve had an occasional frog in the throat type of cough that I can’t get rid of since though.

My elder sister has been taking Amiodarone for over twenty years and she is 82 and still with us.

You should get regular blood tests done to check your liver etc. it’s important to attend those. The Hosptl/ GP Will regularly get you in for those.

I wish you good luck. I got my CV done at almost 2yrs of AF and it’s been good so don’t despair.

[GooseEggs]

Amiodarone can create lung scarring (pulmonary fibrosis) and eventually kill...this can happen much faster than doctors realize. For my mother, it began after only one month on a dose of 400mg amiodarone. She also had the coughing, extreme weakness, night restlessness, etc--all came on quickly and her cardio denied it could be the amiodarone and told us to keep her on it. Finally we took her to a lung doctor who said take her off it immediately. She was hyper-allergic to it. Thank goodness we caught it early enough and the lung scarring resolved, but for many, the lung scarring does not reverse and is a horrible death. There are many class-action lawsuits against amiodarone. Look up ALL the side effects and be vigilent! And remember doctors don't always know best. (Her cardiologist still refused to believe it was the amiodarone, so we found a new, smarter cardiologist.)

[Golfer60UK]

Hello Lambi, sorry to hear you have AF, I was on Bisoprol which is effective, but I was very short of energy and struggled. Once off Bisoprol I became much better with more energy and less tierd. Since have ahd a pacemaker fitted and now back to golf 3 x times per week and feeling much more like myself prior to AF life

I am 78please take care and best of luck

Dave

[Ppiman]

I gather that in the low doses it's now given, the drug has been shown to be safe and to be very useful drug in some very important senses; but there are important caveats and your GP or specialist should be told quickly and carefully of any side effects you get so that these can be weighed up and dealt with.

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

Steve

[stargazer52]

Hi Lambi, I can't help with the amioderone but have taken bisoprolol. I was on 2.5 mg daily and was fine for 5yrs. I then got permanent AF and was given progressively more bisoprolol up to 10mg daily. ( I was told max dose should be 10mg yours seems high) I found this horrendous and felt like I was dragging ten people behind me. I can't remember if I had headaches to be honest I couldn't think straight. I have since had a crt-p pacemaker fitted and an av ablation. As soon as I had the ablation I was told to stop the bisoprolol. Hope this helps andhope you get sorted soon, I think I would question the dose though.

all the best

Vicki

[kocoach]

I've been on amiodarone for five years (200mg) once daily and I hate it. Tips of fingers numb, hands shake like crazy, tired 24/7, in a daze constantly, always waiting for something to pop up because of it and what's Mind Boggling is EP will not take me off of it and try something else. Dofetelide (Tikosyn) worked brilliantly for me for about twenty/twenty five years until it stopped working as it did. Hope they can find an alternative medication for you to replace it. Have a Great Day!

[JOY2THEWORLD49]

Hi

My progress with AF Rapid and Persistent.

Hospital post Embolic Stroke was Metoprolol. Uncontrolled H/R 187 & BP.

Asked for a H/Specialist Public

Changed to Bisoprolol, slowly increasing H/R 156 avg Rest. BP cotrolled. Bisoprolol is less likely to cause breathlessness like Metoprolol, and the pauses with it.

Went to a private H/Specialist referred by Dr Locum.

Ultimately CCB Diltiazem 120mg controlled my H/R down to 88-96 but a year later 60s Day and maintaining my low H/R of 47.

Stayed on 2.5mg Bisoprolol. Which is BB.

Also I uppered my B12 to 700. Made all different to energy level. I take 3 days of 1 nugget sublingual per week SOLGAR range. Diagnoed of B12 deficiency in 2010.

Test for B12 and Folate is different from routine.

B12 cannot be adequately taken by supplement. So either Dr injection or sublingual and some take as driops sublingual.

Uppering meds (by Drs) is not good enough when there are others to try.

CCB Calcium Channel Blocker

BB Beta Blocker - reduces adrenalin

ACE do something else. They made me cough.

All the best to find what is the best for you with ECHO, ECG,24-hr monitor to focus

on what's it doing.

cheers JOY. 74. (NZ). Now 115-124 /. 69. 60s Day