amiodarone

[Monomono1234]

I had an ablation last month that didn’t work. Now am prescribed amiodarone but am hesitant to take it based on potential side effects. Anyone have experience with this medication? Thank you

[jeanjeannie50]

Are you taking Amiodarone pre an ablation or cardioversion?

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Amiodarone damaged my thyroid leaving me feeling drained of energy and I'll now have to take medication for life to correct that. It never stopped my AF either and I absolutely detest that drug. Why not try Flecainide which is the most popular medication for AF.

You need to give yourself a lot more time, at least 3 months, before saying your ablation was a failure.

How are you now, I'm guessing that you're still having AF attacks?

Jean

[Soundmike in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Same as me Jean,due to Dr errors I was kept on amioderone for too long and threw my thyroid all over the place . As most people have said it's OK for some but a road crash for others .

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to Soundmike]

Do you have to take Levothyroxine now?

[Soundmike in reply to Soundmike]

Hi Jean ,sorry for late reply I've taken early retirement due to A/F but have been helping my work colleagues out today ,so don't always see emails . Regarding my thyroid the doctors suggested I come of amioderone and see how it goes . After a couple of months my body rallied round and my levels returned to normal . Trouble is I then got a gist in my stomach which bled and through my iron levels dangerously low but am back to normal now with iron supplements . Am on the waiting list for another ablation but like you have said ,you just get on with it and let your body do the talking .

[Astridnova]

I share your distaste for amiodarone. Surely there are alternatives to Amiodarone that your cardiologist could prescribe you? It does not strike me as the first port of call. What about the beta blockers or even digoxin? Have you discussed your reluctance with him? Can you talk to another prescriber/cardiologist? My own cardiologist is very open to changing drugs and once said to me, "If you don't like this one, there are stacks of choices." Amiodarone was never suggested to me - but then there was a distinct thyroid risk in my case. However ages ago I knew a guy with really bad heart failure who had to have a heart transplant after he developed thyroid problems and the amiodarone had to be ceased. That sensitised me to the risks with amiodarone.

[opal11uk]

See previous post and my answer.......there are alternatives that you can take depending on your condition.

[dogsneedwalking]

Hello there. I have been taking Amiodarone since my failed Ablation last March. I had to have a cardioversion in August because I was still in AFib/Arrhythmias. This worked and my dose was reduced from 200mg to 100mg daily which I must say I felt better on than the higher dose. I was told that I had to stay on this as it was only thing controlling my heart rhythm. Previous to that I was on Sotalol and before that Bisoprolol. Next step for me is a Pacemaker but hoping that'll be years down the road or not at all. I trust my Cardiologist and am willing to stay on this medication as all of the others just haven't worked for me. Take care.

[CDreamer]

My husband has been taking Amiodarone now since 2018, mainly because it was for him a last resort option as he had 3 malfunctioning valves and a pacemaker for other than AF and not suitable for ablation. Now 90, he is still mostly in NSR.

Side effects - thyroid from the iodine in the Amiodarone so now takes low dose Thyroxine and light sensitivity but neither seem to hold him back much.

Without the Amiodarone he probably wouldn’t have any quality of life. Amiodarone is the most effective anti arrhythmic drug which is why the doctors like using it for stubborn AF but it comes with potential affects. My husband is well screened - blood test every 3 months and echocardiogram and EP appointment regularly - now scheduled for every 6 months. He took the loading dose with no problems and continued to take 200mgs for several years before dropping down to 100mgs daily maintenance dose.

It is just about the most toxic drug you can take for AF BUT also the most effective and most people recognise that if taken short term prior or following cardioversion or ablation is relatively ok but you do need careful monitoring.

Good luck.

[Ppiman]

I have just written a reply about this as I was about to be given it, but my ablation came in time. If you see the other post or search for "low dose amiodarone safety" you will likely gain some much-needed comfort and reassurance.

Steve

[Ossie7]

morning , I’m a little confused when you say your ablation has failed after only a month when your heart is still healing in this period . But anyway I was on amiodarone after my second cardioversion , supposedly short term but ended up being for 12 months . I was very frightened of going on it for the many nasty side effects . I did indeed feel unwell on it , breathless , fatigued, nauseous , and in the end it caused corneal plaques affecting my vision , so I had to come off it . However it did keep me in sinus rhythm . I then reverted back to persistent AF but had my first ablation following this . When this ‘failed ‘ after 7 months I tried dronedarone , the sister drug of amiodarone . Sadly AF still broke through . Wishing all the best , as Steve said maybe lower doses will be by better tolerated .

[Desanthony]

There are some people who take amiodorone and experience no side effects and others who get a few mildly and then some who just can't use it at all. That is the nature of side effects and you won't know how you will be affected until you try the medication. I was on amiodorone for 3 months for my second cardioversion 6 weeks before the cardioversion and 6 weeks afterwards. I had full blood tests every month and experienced no noticeable side effects. At the end of the course it was found that my thyroid levels had changed by 0.2 but that went back to normal at the next blood test after I had stopped the amiodorone. You should discuss all this with the prescribing medical professional. I would hope that there are other forms of medication you can take but you must discuss this fully with them.

[Ppiman in reply to Desanthony]

What a well balanced and useful reply that was. If I ever have to go on it, that will give me some confidence.

Steve

[Jamse]

After many years of amioderone I'm free of it....it's one of the nastiest drugs I've ever taken .if it's banned I. Some of the us states that's says something. Ablation postponed due to healthy eating and fitness regime

[Ppiman in reply to Jamse]

I would say the same with SSRI drugs, but no - they’re still heavily prescribed, so I guess I suffered heavily whereas many others don’t. Drugs are weird things.

Steve

[wilsond]

Are they certain that the ablation has totally failed after one month?

[Dinamite]

hi, I was offered Amiodarone nearly 20 years ago at my local hospital and read the negatives about it with great concern. I was not offered another substitute. However I asked for a second opinion from a leading cardiologist at Glenfield heart hospital who gave me Fleccanide instead, which at that time was classed as expensive so not often offered. I took that for the next 10?years with no ill effects until I had my pacemaker and was then taken off Fleccanide.

Always check alternatives as cost often comes into the NHS decisions.

[Alphakiwi]

Yes i was on amioderone for 11 days. Each day i got to feel more ill. On the night of eleventh day i got up and look my blood pressure. It was very high which it had never before. 10 mins later i took another trading . It was same so called ambulance. I walked out to the ambulance. Officer did ecg on me . While that was going on i told the officer i was going. When i was at ER the officer came over and told me i had flat lined a d he had bthumped heel out of my chest to revive me. Needless to say that drug has been red flagged for me.

[Ducky2003]

As with all medication, some folks are ok some folks get side effects. I can't take Flecanide or Bisoprolol as they had terrible effects on me but others swear by them. I've been on Amiodarone on and off for a few years and only side effect, I'm aware of, is vortex keratopathy which hasn't affected my vision but has thickened my corneas. The upside to that was my eye was better protected when I developed a cataract, apparently.

[etheral]

I see you are in the USA and dofetilide (Tikosyn)is available. It has been effective for me in keeping my afib away and in NSR for 5 years now . It has to be initiated in the hospital for 3 days and has no long term effects like Amioderone. Ask your EP. Best etheral

[mav7 in reply to etheral]

Hi etheral

My cardiologist has discussed Tikosyn with me after Sotalol did not maintain NSR. Not yet decided.

May I ask if you had paroxysmal or permanent afib ? Thanks !

[etheral in reply to mav7]

I went into permanent afib for a week which reduced my EF to 21% causing pulmonary edema. I was hospitalized and cardioverted. I went back into afib several hours later and was started on Tikosyn. 2 days later the Tikosyn restored NSR without need for another CV. I have been on Tikosyn since without any breakthrough afib or other arrythmias or CHF. I had a large anterior MI in 2004 and prior to the afib had an EF about 40% without any CHF symptoms.

[mav7 in reply to etheral]

Thanks for sharing !

[Sweetmelody]

I was pretty much on your same boat. I had an ablation, followed 48 hours later by a cardioversion which did not work; I stayed in afib. My EP put me on amiodarone. I reverted to SR two days later and have stayed there for over two months. I took amiodarone for one month. I couldn’t wait to get off it! So many side effects and such scary longterm complications. I thoroughly disliked the drug, but am grateful for it.

I would not agree to taking it long term, but short term it worked for me. I studied up on it, and used what I learned to actively lobby my EP to get off of it ASAP. From what I learned, amiodarone can help post-ablation to keep you in SR during the blanking period, but at six months post-ablation there is no difference in afib recurrence rates between those who took amiodarone post-ablation in the blanking period and those who did not. In other words, no guarantees of a successful ablation from taking amiodarone.

At any rate, after a successful TEE report, I was taken off amiodarone. Amiodarone had changed my HR from 130’s with afib to the 40’s with SR for a month. It took two weeks after stopping amiodarone to get my heart into the mid-50’s. Now, four weeks later, my HR is finally in the normal 60’s and I feel much better. Some energy back at last! Amiodarone stays in your body a long time, has a long half-life.

I hope I never need to take amiodarone again, but I trust my EP and will do so should the situation warrant it, no matter how much I really, really disliked being on it.

Others on this forum report taking it for years with no problem. I’m just sharing my experience. Yours may be different. Good luck!

[Nyhyttan in reply to Sweetmelody]

Just thought it may be worth asking your Dr about Dronedarone. It is related to Amiodarone but does not affect the thyroid. It is altogether much less toxic but for some people not as effective as amiodarone.

I myselsf have been taking Dronedarone for 6 years with slightly diminishing effect on my Afib during the years but on the other hand I have no noticable side effects. Sofar when taking Dronedarone the Afib always self terminates and I therefore have not needed to visit an emergency clinic. I am now 83 years old and reasonably fit with Afib since 2003.

[Sweetmelody]

A good tip. Thank you! I’ve run into Dronedarone on my research but have not talked with my EP about it. Should the need arise, I definitely will

Congratulations on dealing with Afib so well for 21 years. I’m 82, reasonably fit with a healthy lifestyle. I wasn’t diagnosed until 2020, but I’m pretty sure it started well before then. I have every reason to think I can follow in your footsteps and live a good life, Afib or no. Thanks for the helpful message.

[Yoursonice]

I've had no problem while I was on Amiodarone but I was not on it for long as there are serious side effects.