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Amiodarone experiences

Posted by dey10238 @dey10238, Mar 25, 2025

The cardiologist wants my dad to start amiodarone for short runs of vtach . He is 83 years old with a pacemaker. He adamantly is refusing to take it due to information he has read about it. What are your experiences?

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gloaming | @gloaming | Jul 13 10:57am
In reply to @debroo "Hi, I’m not sure if I should be concerned;any comments would be appreciated. On June 1..." + (show)
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Hi, I’m not sure if I should be concerned;any comments would be appreciated. On June 1 I had an ablation for atrial fib that lasted only five days. I contacted my EP and cardiologist and they both agreed that I should start amiodarone. I advise them that I have only one kidney and pulmonary fibrosis however, they told me I don’t need to be tested for toxicity until I’m on the mission for at least a year. I have noticed that since I started amiodarone my pulse has decreased to 50 to 55 however, my blood pressure has risen to 156 to 165 over mid 70s to upper 80s and occasionally bottom number is 90. I have read that my blood pressure should be lower. Does anybody know why this is happening and can you advise if I should be concerned? Thankyou for any comments you can provide whether negative or positive. Thankyou Debroo

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@debroo I'm not medically trained, but my reading is that amiodarone can have nasty effects very soon after starting a regimen of it. Patients should be closely monitored, certainly within a month after taking its loading dose and the next three weeks of maintenance dose. Lungs, kidneys, eyes, and thyroid are the key problem areas. Kidneys are a major controlling and regulating component in the blood pressure management with human bodies. If your remaining kidney is functioning well, not close to the margins for performance, then you should feel comfortable taking amiodarone for a while, but you want your GFR tested eventually and creatinine levels assayed. You want to be monitored for pulmonary vein hypertension and general lung condition.....eventually. I'm saying if you're on the drug pretty much indefinitely. I was on it for only seven weeks when my index ablation failed at the six day mark. Amiodarone right away, and it worked well. I went off it after seven weeks and my heart behaved until two months later. Long story short, I went back for a touch-up ablation which worked. I never did go back on amiodarone when my heart began to act up a second time. Just metoprolol. No anti-arrhythmic was offered.

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debroo | @debroo | Jul 13 11:12pm
In reply to @gloaming "@debroo I'm not medically trained, but my reading is that amiodarone can have nasty effects very..." + (show)
Profile picture for gloaming @gloaming

@debroo I'm not medically trained, but my reading is that amiodarone can have nasty effects very soon after starting a regimen of it. Patients should be closely monitored, certainly within a month after taking its loading dose and the next three weeks of maintenance dose. Lungs, kidneys, eyes, and thyroid are the key problem areas. Kidneys are a major controlling and regulating component in the blood pressure management with human bodies. If your remaining kidney is functioning well, not close to the margins for performance, then you should feel comfortable taking amiodarone for a while, but you want your GFR tested eventually and creatinine levels assayed. You want to be monitored for pulmonary vein hypertension and general lung condition.....eventually. I'm saying if you're on the drug pretty much indefinitely. I was on it for only seven weeks when my index ablation failed at the six day mark. Amiodarone right away, and it worked well. I went off it after seven weeks and my heart behaved until two months later. Long story short, I went back for a touch-up ablation which worked. I never did go back on amiodarone when my heart began to act up a second time. Just metoprolol. No anti-arrhythmic was offered.

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@gloaming Thankyou for your information🌻good luck

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jc76 | @jc76 | Jul 18 6:00am
In reply to @debroo "Hi, I’m not sure if I should be concerned;any comments would be appreciated. On June 1..." + (show)
Profile picture for debroo @debroo

Hi, I’m not sure if I should be concerned;any comments would be appreciated. On June 1 I had an ablation for atrial fib that lasted only five days. I contacted my EP and cardiologist and they both agreed that I should start amiodarone. I advise them that I have only one kidney and pulmonary fibrosis however, they told me I don’t need to be tested for toxicity until I’m on the mission for at least a year. I have noticed that since I started amiodarone my pulse has decreased to 50 to 55 however, my blood pressure has risen to 156 to 165 over mid 70s to upper 80s and occasionally bottom number is 90. I have read that my blood pressure should be lower. Does anybody know why this is happening and can you advise if I should be concerned? Thankyou for any comments you can provide whether negative or positive. Thankyou Debroo

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@debroo
First amiodarone is prescribed quite often. I am on it now for my second time. The dosage of amiodarone really depends on toxicity (per my EP) issues.

However I had my eyes tested just on month after being on it. Nothing was seen but told I would have to come in once a year.

Your BP is something you should discuss with your medical providers. The normal BP is 120 over 80. But that is a ststitiscie and variation form it don't not mean a problem as long as not drastic. Your distolic is high. It is considered high when over 140. The bottom number should be around 80 but an occassional 90 could just be stress, anxiety, etc.

Got to realize you had AFIB and that causes stress and anxiety. The old flight or fight kicks in and your body prepares for it by rasing heart rate and BP.

But to pass on to you the rise in BP can and does happen to us who have AFIB or VTAC as mine goes haywire when I have episodes.

You do need to be monitor for side affect of amiodarone. Some may react to it differently that others. When I was first on it over 10 years ago I was tested every year for 10 years. Then was told could stop. Then in 2026 put back on it. So back to being checked.

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