Amiodarone

My Dr. put me on 400mg a day for my A-Fib.Has anyone here had good results from this drug?

Amiodarone is the most effective antiarrhythmic drug there is, so most people who take it report good results. But amio also comes with the most serious side effects. Did your doctor mention periodic lung and liver testing? You should be having both monitored every 3-6 months. Other organs that can be negatively affected include the optic nerve and thyroid. Some of the potential side effects can be permanent.

The serious side effects are why amiodarone is usually a drug of last resort, although there are doctors out there who use it as a first drug because it's so effective. Have you tried other antiarrhythmic drugs in the past?

Also, is your doctor an EP or a general cardiologist?

I tried 2 cardioversions and an ablation. The first cardioversion only lasted a minute, and the second 8 hours. My ablation lasted only 3 hours. Flecainide did not work so after my ablation the doctor put me on Amiodarone 200 3x's and metoprolol 50 mg each 2x's a day. I eventually went into sinus rhythm after 3 weeks on the Amiodarone. Around the 3rd week, I was really having trouble breathing just doing minimal tasks, e.g. climbing the stairs in my home. I realized that I was in sinus rhythm and that the drugs were compounding /contributing to my shortness of breath.
The doctor lowered my dose to 200mg of Amiodarone once a day and 1/2 25 mg. of metoprolol 2x a day.
I went to see the physician's assistant today and she dropped a bomb on me about Blue Gray skin. A side effect of amiodarone from being in the sun. So now I have to wear spf shirts and spf creams and try and stay out of the sun. I am looking for opinions about this.

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Giovanni
I am looking for opinions about this.

It has been known for a long time. Here is a 1989 paper: [www.sciencedirect.com]

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Giovanni
I am looking for opinions about this.

My opinion is that I would stop the amiodarone immediately if I were you. The blue skin thing is embarrassing and weird, but the lung issues are very serious and can be permanent. I'd rather have afib than permanent lung injury.

Have you undergone lung function testing recently?

Be sure to get your Thyroid tested. Amiodarone, being full of iodine, can burn out your thyroid as it lasts so long in your system.

It burned mine and I'm now on replacement T4 for life.

Flecainide and Atenolol worked well for me and without side effects when I stopped the Amiodarone.

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Carey
Amiodarone is the most effective antiarrhythmic drug there is, so most people who take it report good results. But amio also comes with the most serious side effects. Did your doctor mention periodic lung and liver testing? You should be having both monitored every 3-6 months. Other organs that can be negatively affected include the optic nerve and thyroid. Some of the potential side effects can be permanent.

The serious side effects are why amiodarone is usually a drug of last resort, although there are doctors out there who use it as a first drug because it's so effective. Have you tried other antiarrhythmic drugs in the past?

Also, is your doctor an EP or a general cardiologist?

Yes -I tried metoprolol with no results.Will only be taking the amiodarone for 60 days.

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ggheld
Be sure to get your Thyroid tested. Amiodarone, being full of iodine, can burn out your thyroid as it lasts so long in your system.

It burned mine and I'm now on replacement T4 for life.

Flecainide and Atenolol worked well for me and without side effects when I stopped the Amiodarone.

Will not be taking it for that long.

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Steve Verplank
Yes -I tried metoprolol with no results.Will only be taking the amiodarone for 60 days.

I'm not surprised it didn't help because metoprolol isn't an antiarrhythmic. It lowers heart rate and blood pressure, but it doesn't stop or prevent arrhythmias.

You're kind of scant on information about what your situation is and what's going on with your doctor, so it's hard to give useful advice.

I wouldn't be too concerned with a course of amiodarone for only 60 days, but why only 60? What's going to happen after that? Amio doesn't cure anything.

And you didn't answer my question about your doctor being a general cardiologist vs. an electrophysiologist (EP). That's actually a really important question. We'd like to help you but a little background info would be really helpful.

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Carey

Yes -I tried metoprolol with no results.Will only be taking the amiodarone for 60 days.

I'm not surprised it didn't help because metoprolol isn't an antiarrhythmic. It lowers heart rate and blood pressure, but it doesn't stop or prevent arrhythmias.

You're kind of scant on information about what your situation is and what's going on with your doctor, so it's hard to give useful advice.

I wouldn't be too concerned with a course of amiodarone for only 60 days, but why only 60? What's going to happen after that? Amio doesn't cure anything.

And you didn't answer my question about your doctor being a general cardiologist vs. an electrophysiologist (EP). That's actually a really important question. We'd like to help you but a little background info would be really helpful.

My is Professor of Medicine and Director,Clinical Electropbysiology at Krannert Institute of Cardiology.He is going to do a Cardioversion on May 3rd.

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GeorgeN

I am looking for opinions about this.

It has been known for a long time. Here is a 1989 paper: [www.sciencedirect.com]

Thank you for the information.

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Carey

I am looking for opinions about this.

My opinion is that I would stop the amiodarone immediately if I were you. The blue skin thing is embarrassing and weird, but the lung issues are very serious and can be permanent. I'd rather have afib than permanent lung injury.

Have you undergone lung function testing recently?

No lung function tests.

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Carey

Yes -I tried metoprolol with no results.Will only be taking the amiodarone for 60 days.

I'm not surprised it didn't help because metoprolol isn't an antiarrhythmic. It lowers heart rate and blood pressure, but it doesn't stop or prevent arrhythmias.

You're kind of scant on information about what your situation is and what's going on with your doctor, so it's hard to give useful advice.

I wouldn't be too concerned with a course of amiodarone for only 60 days, but why only 60? What's going to happen after that? Amio doesn't cure anything.

And you didn't answer my question about your doctor being a general cardiologist vs. an electrophysiologist (EP). That's actually a really important question. We'd like to help you but a little background info would be really helpful.

My Dr. is a Professor of Medicine and Director of Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology at The Krannert Institute of Cardiology.He is going to due a Cardioversion on May 3rd.

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GeorgeN

I am looking for opinions about this.

It has been known for a long time. Here is a 1989 paper: [www.sciencedirect.com]

Thank you for the information.

No lung testing until the 3 month mark.

Carey- which is worst- last resort amio with lung damage, blue skin and potentially other organs being damaged or an AV nuke ablation and a pacemaker which one is dependent upon for life but is drug free with a controlled hr? As you said, afib is a progressive disease with no cure…just remission. For a few unlucky afibbers, the other drugs may eventually not work, repeated ablations fail after time. So it may get to the point one runs out of options if their tachycardia is aggressive and symptomatic and when they can’t be ecv all the time and decisions must be made. (For the rare few who amio is prescribed)

Permanent lung damage is obviously the worst outcome possible vs. almost anything else, but I don't understand why you're asking this question.

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Carey
Permanent lung damage is obviously the worst outcome possible vs. almost anything else, but I don't understand why you're asking this question.

The topic was amio. Why am I asking? Because I read here on this forum lately stories of more and more EPs who are quick to prescribe amio without trying the lesser damaging drugs and amio could have potential horrible permanent outcomes. I also heard from ER doctors and EPs who push an AV ablation for the goal to lessen the tachycardia. Both choices are permanent. Both choices I hear about are from those in the medical field who jump the gun and suggest last resort treatments.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 05/05/2022 01:51AM by susan.d.

There are several other drug options than Amio that I would have tried before going there. Tikosyn, Multaq, Flecanide, there are other beta blockers that may work better like acebutolol. As one EP told me, it is a trial and error process finding the right drug or combo. No doubt it takes patience. The wash out period on these is much better than amio if they do not work- did they tell you it can take up to 3 months to wash out of your system?

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sldabrowski
There are several other drug options than Amio that I would have tried before going there. Tikosyn, Multaq, Flecanide, there are other beta blockers that may work better like acebutolol. As one EP told me, it is a trial and error process finding the right drug or combo. No doubt it takes patience. The wash out period on these is much better than amio if they do not work- did they tell you it can take up to 3 months to wash out of your system?

My Dr. only wants me to take it for 90 days.I took 200mg twice a day for 1 week and then 1 200mg after that. I had the second cardio inversion 2 weeks ago and I am out of A-Fib.