Amiodarone questions

[Lindsay:-)]

Hi,

I have been put on amiodarone to control ventricular tachycardia, I also have A-fib and congenital heart disease. The amiodarone seems to have stopped the arrhythmias but I feel absolutely terrible. I feel totally down and depressed and I seem to keep crying all the time, I have nasty headaches with lots of pressure in my head. I am having trouble breathing and just feel awful - I can't really describe it but I don't feel right.
Has anyone else been on it and if so what side effects did you have, how did you feel?
I feel that no one understands how I feel but I've never felt so unhappy as I do now.

[NHone]

Originally Posted by Lindsay:-)

Hi,

I have been put on amiodarone to control ventricular tachycardia, I also have A-fib and congenital heart disease. The amiodarone seems to have stopped the arrhythmias but I feel absolutely terrible. I feel totally down and depressed and I seem to keep crying all the time, I have nasty headaches with lots of pressure in my head. I am having trouble breathing and just feel awful - I can't really describe it but I don't feel right.
Has anyone else been on it and if so what side effects did you have, how did you feel?
I feel that no one understands how I feel but I've never felt so unhappy as I do now.

Usually don't get to this board, but i saw your post. My mother recently had by-pass surgery. I requested a list of the medicines that she was on and was OUTRAGED that her doctor put her on amiodarone. Your symptoms are real and they are VERY SERIOUS!!!!!!. The FDA issued an alert for amiodarone in 5/2005. "AMiodarone may cause potentially fatal toxicities, including pulmonary toxicity, hepatic injury, and worsened arrhythmia" Also according to FDA med watch there were 452 deaths attributed to amiodarone between 1997 and 2002, also 58 cases of blindness (non-reversible) also lung damage that could be permanent, with shortness of breath. THis medication is listed by the FDA as a medication that should only be given as a last resort. WHen you started on the medicine you HAD to be in the hospital according to the FDA and monitered very carefully. IT is required that you were given the warning information sheet on amiodarone when it was given to you. In fact now there are quite a few law firms who deal in lawsuits involving the adverse effects from amiodarone. I don't know your doctor...whether he is arrogant (as most) or willing to listen. But my mother's surgeon ,who is one of the most arrogant people put on this planet...said i could find anything on the internet and I was wrong. I said fine, I suggest you look up the name of your mal-practice insurer. He shut up and refused to talk to me , ...but took mother off of the amiodarone... Guess that is all i wanted. also you could be low in magnesium. That could be some of your problem..you need to have an intracellular magnesium test..not the regular serum test, because magnesium is mostly intracellular. If you doctor says I'm wrong...tell him to prove it. HE CAN"T Note: food tasted awful to mother while on this medication. She said she couldn't describe it but food just didn't taste right. Also her fingers were starting to tingle, and she was very depressed. Hope this helps, and good luck.

[Kathy C]

Amiodarone is used for a variety of things. In Canada it is usually one of the first drugs used with arrhythmias cause it works the best. While taking this I hope you are getting regular breathing test, liver and thyroid test, and eye exams. YOu might just be on too high of a dose.

[NHone]

Originally Posted by Kathy C

Amiodarone is used for a variety of things. In Canada it is usually one of the first drugs used with arrhythmias cause it works the best. While taking this I hope you are getting regular breathing test, liver and thyroid test, and eye exams. YOu might just be on too high of a dose.

If it is one of the first drugs used in Canada because it is the best, that logic is ABSOLUTELY INCORRECT. IT is to be the medication of last resort when all others have failed. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES is it to be initiated anywhere except in the hospital.

[Lindsay:-)]

Hi,

Thanks for all your replies, I have relaxed a little bit about it now, I am most paronoid about my eyes but I haven't had any problems other than a bit of blurry vision which seems to be worse on some days than others but I am short sighted as well and have astigmatism so I put it down to that and being tired, I have no problems with peripheral vision but I think I will got for an eye test every 6 months just to put my mind at rest.
I have managed to find a dose that gets rid of the side effects but just keeps the arrhythmias under control, I have cut it down from 200mg to just over 100mg. I also know someone who has been on it 20 years and he has had no major problems with it so that was reassuring.
The only thing I have really noticed is that my skin is alot more sensitive and my hand got sunburnt the other day on a really bright but freezing cold day, and my eyes are a bit more sensitive to light but that is about it.
I am hoping to have a pacemaker fairly soon so I will be able to come off it
There is a 6 month waiting list but the doc said he is hoping to get it done in a couple of months, even if it takes 6 months I know I can come off it soon so that makes me feel a bit better. I still hate taking it though.
I think I am more scared of what it might do than what is actually is doing, I too looked it up on the internet - BIG MISTAKE, I have found articles that say there is no significant evidence linking amiodarone to blindness and that you do get other symptoms before anything major happens to your eyes so if the medication is discontinued as soon as anything changes then you should be ok.

Lindasy