Golfing on Amiodarone

[Gunn61]

Is anyone an avid golfer with experience being on amiodarone? This is my first golf season on this drug and I’m concerned about the prolonged sun exposure, and the consequential side effects, golfing may result in. I am aware of the need to cover up and using high SPF sunscreen, but wondered if others had experience with the success of this approach in avoiding skin tone changes while playing golf regularly on amiodarone.

[Still_in_shock]

I understand it's just sunburn issues. So I presume sunscreen is warranted.

Curious, are you in the EU?

Amiodarone is labeled in the United States only for life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias, no longer for Afib. Coreg, and Digoxin is the choice.

[Gunn61 in reply to Still_in_shock]

Thanks for your response. I live in Canada actually. Started on Bisoprolol, then Sotalol and now on Amiodarone to address my AF. Had an ablation about a week ago but I was advised to stay on the Amiodarone since I had only been on it for about a month.

[Nanny23 in reply to Still_in_shock]

I have Afib and was prescribed Amiodarone. I live in New York the USA. Just learned ai have Afib.

[Gunn61 in reply to Nanny23]

Hope the Amiodarone works for you. I understand some people are not symptomatic with AFib but sorry if , like me, you are.

[CDreamer]

I think it depends upon how photosensitive your skin is, I know several people on Amiodarone who can’t as much sit near a window without skin burning whilst others don’t seem to react. My husband has been on Amiodarone for 7 years now and never known him to burn but he has had to have a lot of surgery to remove various BCCs, especially on his ears so has lost the tops of both ears so I would urge you have a good sun hat with a wide all round brim - my husband just wore a cap so do as we say, not as we did. He unfortunately can no longer play golf but did up until a few years ago.

[Gunn61 in reply to CDreamer]

Thanks for your response and the great advice!

[Alphakiwi]

For some amioderone is a very powerfull drug. I was a very fit athlete once but after being put on amioderone i ended up flatlining in the ambulance after 11 days so be carefull

[Gunn61 in reply to Alphakiwi]

Thanks for the warning and it was certainly a drug of last resort for me, ultimately not being effective enough to avoid an ablation.

[timelucky]

Avid golfer both in US & EU. Touch wood not had a problem with Amiodarone. I've taken sensible precautions with sun but not really more than before I was on it. Usual stuff like avoiding midday sun, using sunscreen, lat, long sleeve shirt & trousers when appropriate & of course good sunglasses. As well as checking Thyroid & Liver function every 3 months, I visit an optician to check for build up in my eyes.

Be Lucky

[Gunn61 in reply to timelucky]

Thanks for your response! Very helpful.

[Harrisd2]

I found I was okay if I really did cover up well. Make sure you factor 50 everywhere so not an inch of skin is exposed and depending how long you're out there, take the bottle and reapply.

[Gunn61 in reply to Harrisd2]

Thanks for your response. Good advice.

[BrotherThomas]

I took amiodarone for nearly 3 years and never had a problem with the sun. I'm an avid gardener and cyclist so spent plenty of time in the sun. Most of the time I was out there, I just wore a wide brimmed hat and avoided going out when the sun was highest.

The amiodarone didn't work for me and that's why I was taken off it. Like all side effects it's something of a lottery as to whether or not you get them.

[Gunn61 in reply to BrotherThomas]

Thanks for your response. Your experience is encouraging to me but sorry Amiodarone did not work for you.

[BeeBee79]

I’ve just stopped Amiodarone after 2 years and cardiac surgery so I’ve been through 2 summers and 2 European holidays. Although I not too fair skinned, I could feel the sun burn through my long hair into my scalp on a hot day but I found that the more I exposed (with the necessary precautions) the more tolerance I built up. You have to take it really slowly but as others said, with a high sun cream factor and a large hat (and dont forgot your non-glove wearing hand as that will burn too). Enjoy your golfing! 🏌️

[Gunn61]

Thanks for your thoughts. Much appreciated and looking forward to the golf season.

[Amiodaroneluck]

Amiodarone induced sun sensitivity is a definite concern. Even though I tan, I regularly used a mineral SPF 50 sunscreen which helped a lot. But even then sun exposure was a concern. As for exercise, I worked out at the gym and covered up with hat and sun-clothing when I went outside.

[Gunn61 in reply to Amiodaroneluck]

Thanks for your response.

[Gunn61]

Thanks for your response.

[Jajarunner]

Hi, I'm very fair and have had skin cancer so use factor 50 if I'm out for more than 15-20 mins. I also wear very good sunglasses and a wide brimmed hat if out for hours. I did get a weird swollen skin which has left me with freckles after being out in hot sun without suncream (because I'm pretty stupid!) once but I've always been prone to heat rash.I'm in UK so the sun is not exactly tropical though 😄.

I also get thyroid, liver, kidneys checked every four months and eyes annually. Been on it two years - gave me my life back tbh 👍

[Gunn61 in reply to Jajarunner]

Thanks for your response. It is helpful.

[jeanjeannie50]

I knew someone who took Amiodarone for something like 8 years. He never read the leaflet to know he had to keep out of the sun and in that time never had any tests of any sort, not even a blood test! He was really cross when he found out. He had what I would call a ruddy coloured complexion.

When I took it pre an ablation I kept out of the sun as much as I could and and always wore skin protection on my face, still do now many years later. I'm fair skinned but never ever burnt. I couldn't bear having my face in the sun anyway, because of that, fortunately my facial skin is not overly wrinkled for my age.

Amiodarone damaged my thyroid, made it underactive and I'll now have to take medication to right that for the rest of my life.

Jean

[Gunn61 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Sorry to hear of the adverse side effect for you!

[DawnTX]

being a golfer and being out in the sun so probably not great for any of us although I love it. What I will say is it is the heat you need to be concerned about. Even before my pacemaker with just a fib and my doctor told to stay the heat for any length of time. My blood pressure drops from it and twice without any warning, I was faced down and blacked out. I was living in Florida and just taking my dog out for a walk. I live in Texas now where we have 110° days one day I didn’t even realize even in the air conditioning of the and the had gone into hit me. It was so hot. The car AC just couldn’t cool down enough and neither could I. I sat there waiting for my cousin by the time he came the store. I was almost unconscious. Who knew hit you that hard? Thankfully, we were almost home. I staggered indoors to my bedroom, sat on the bed partially up and laying back next thing I knew it was dark out and 11 o’clock at night. I got up, drank some water and went right back to sleep on top of it all. I’m sure I was dehydrated. A big part of my problem most likely is the fact that I do not perspire and the heat does not bother me as far as feeling hot so I can stay in it for hours.

please don’t just worry about your skin color with our situation. You must worry about your entire body and how it is now. My usual term to people is the learning have we are going to find things that we never had problems with most of the time they are not serious but they can make us feel concerned because we didn’t have it before. Common sense plus is what we need. I still have a way to go. I’m sure there are hot days. Just walking out on my porch. I find suffocating. I love the hot weather but now I just have to be smart. There are things that we are going to have to give up and if we do, we will feel even better.

these days I feel normal as long as I do what I should and keep away from what I shouldn’t

[Gunn61 in reply to DawnTX]

Thanks for your comments and I will watch the overheating as our weather gets warmer here.

[Ducky2003]

I've been Amiodarone for a few years. My initial stint on it, I did get tingling skin after 10 mins in the Sun but when I went back on it, after a period off, I've had no trouble at all. Think it's down to the individual. Just be mindful and carry some high SPF with you, just in case.

[Gunn61 in reply to Ducky2003]

Thanks for the response.