My cardiologist prescribed amiodrone 200mg 3 times a day for a week ,then once a day .There seems to be quite a few side effects mentioned online though up to now I'm OK, half way through the 3 a day course
Has anyone had experience with this medication
I was put on this for a month or so either side of my second cardioversion. I didn't notice any side effects but at the end of the course my thyroid count was up slightly but it came back down within a month of stopping amiodorone. You should be getting blood tests every month to check this all the way through - I was and as I said it wasn't until the last one when I was about to stop taking it anyway that the thyroid count went up. I had no problems with skin burning either - and I did take it in the summer time and we did have a summer that year too :). I started off wearing total block as I was building my shed at the time so was spending a lot of time outside in the sun topless and I soon got fed up of applying the total block and when I didn't apply it I didn't burn - but that's not to say that some other people will or will not burn so definitely worth using a total sunblock just in case.
How long are you taking amiodorone for? Usually these days it is used as it was in my case but some people are on this medication long term too, or apparently it can be used to obtain a chemical cardioversion as I understand it from my daughter-in-law, an ICU Sister in a teaching hospital in the US.
Just watch out for any side effects you may get you may be unlucky and get all of them, you may get one or two severe side effects or a few but just mildly - we are all different so just monitor yourself and if you have any problems let your GP know.
All the best.
My cardiologist wants me on it until I have another cardioversionin 4 weeks then for some time after.
No side effects yet ,I've been on it for a couple of weeks.
Thank you for your helpful information.
Excellent comments above by Desanthony.
I just read an article about Amiodarone last week. Your cardiologist seems to be doing the recommended loading and then tapering. Side effects may differ in each individual.
Important to express concerns to your cardiologist and google for side effect info. If it is to be long term, dosage is important. The article I read stated the UK had less toxicity effects than the US because of a lower dosage.
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Previous threads on the subject.
Only that amiodarone was next in line for me but wasn't needed. In fear of it from comments on this forum, I researched it heavily online and found a very useful safety study. If you search for "low dose amiodarone safety" you'll feel relieved at reading the study.
Amiodarone is a very effective and useful drug, much safer in some important ways than other anti-arrhythmic drugs, it seems, but one that stays in the body for an extraordinarily log time and which can affect various organs (lungs and eyes, I recall). So, it needs surveillance during use and to be used for the shortest time necessary.
Would I be happy to take it. Yes - if my symptoms needed it. My own experience is that fear and stress add substantially to AF and ectopic symptoms. Perhaps discuss this with your doctor, too?
Steve
Thanks for your helpful comments, lm just finishing 3 a day back to 1 a day from tomorrow.
No side effects up to now .
Yep. I was on it until a few days ago. I've now stopped awaiting another ablation. I was taking it for about 19 months because I couldn't face another ablation so soon after the others It has affected my under active thyroid a bit and given me a halo around bright lights at night. In the plus side, it worked brilliantly and gave me my life back after 4.5 years which consisted if three ablations and ten cardioversions. If it wasn't for the side effects I'd have stayed in it for good as nothing else works for me.
Wow 19 months and 10 cardioversions.
That must be depressing
Lets hope you finally get it sorted next time
That's very kind of you. Appreciate it xx
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