Re: Fwd: amiodarone Thanks board!!

July 3, 2004

--- I was put on amiodarone last year without one word of caution

from my then, cardio. He never mentioned any of the dangers or side

effects! Thank God for this board, and the folks on it, who cautioned

me about that med! I immediatly went back to that cardio and told

him I wanted off of the amio. His response to me was " Its either

amiodarone or coumadin " Well, I didn't like either of the choices and

got a second opinion immediatly! My new cardio took me off of the

amio and put me on Toprol XL. At first it was a rough transition, but

now I am very pleased with the change, and thank God, and this board

of friends, for warning me about amio before I took it very long!

I might add, that at the time of being put on the amiodarone, I was a

two to three times a year fib attack person. So it was an extreme

measure that He took, by prescribing that med. I had gone in to see

him after a trip to the ER the night before with a fib attack that I

couldn't get under control. So the ER Dr. suggested I try an anti

arrythmic drug, and I just asked my cardio about them. He wrote out

the RX for amio without explaining anything to me. Needless to say, I

no longer see that cardio!!!!!

Thanks again board for being on the lookout for those of us that are

sometimes in the dark about some meds.

Mandy of CA

July 15, 2004

I saw my cardio recently who suggested I stay on it.

He said that amiodarone in fact has a bad reputation,

but that the main reason for it is that the dose is

overprescribed. He has given it to literally thousands

of patients and has had no serious problems with it.

And mostly to older patients in their 70s and 80s

too...> Doug

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I got the same exact same advise about the over dosing this week

from EP and my GP. They both said the biggest and most dangerous

problem would be lung toxicity but at a 200mg a day dose the

percentage is very very low.

We hear about all these horror stories about this drug on this board

but what about the thousands of people staying in NSR taking it and

not having a problem? With that said....someone taking this drug

will probably die of lung toxicity or have other problems because of

it. And then of course even the doctors can't agree on a course of

treatment.......I was advised by the Cleveland Clinic EP to stop

taking it and start on Dolfetilide which would be just as good.

I was advised by two other EP's that the Dolfetilde would not be as

good as the Ami at keeping me in NSR. All I know is that the Ami is

keeping me i NSR and although I'm not too comfortable taking it I

will probably continue until I talk to another EP next week.

P <MI>

July 15, 2004