Re: more on amiodarone (Amio - bad drug)

[Guest guest]

I think we need to wary of saying amiodarone is a bad drug.

What's bad is the lack of information some people get before taking it.

Amiodarone is high on the toxic scale and requires close monitoring.

Rather annoyingly it's also one of the most effective meds - especially

in those with difficult to treat AF. Throw in some other problems, like

ventricular disfunction / structural heart disease, and the importance

of amiodarone rises dramatically.

It's not for everyone but knowing when to take it is just as important

as knowing when not to take it. Regular monitoring will go a long way to

minimising complications - though it's never going to be risk free.

--

D

[Guest guest]

> I think we need to wary of saying amiodarone is a bad drug.

> What's bad is the lack of information some people get before taking

it.

>

> Amiodarone is high on the toxic scale and requires close monitoring.

> Rather annoyingly it's also one of the most effective meds -

especially

> in those with difficult to treat AF.

> D

I'm not wary of saying it. It's a dangerous drug and I hate taking

it. I look forward to the day I can come off of it. With that said

I've been told by several doctors, EP's, cardiologists and my GP that

most of the problems are and were due to giving people to high of a

dose. However my GP did tell me that he lost a patient in his 30's

becuase of the Ami and his dose was only 200mg's a day. That really

bothered me but I try not to think about it.

I'm currently on 200mg's once a day and I get my blood tested and

chest xray'd every 3 to 6 months looking for any trouble. Hopefully

if I start having a problem it will be caught in time so that it

doesn't do any damage.

P

[Guest guest]

> I'm not wary of saying it. It's a dangerous drug and I hate taking

> it. I look forward to the day I can come off of it. (snip)

> P

--- Have you considered an " electrical fix " rather than

a " pharmaceutical fix " ?

, Charlotte NC

[Guest guest]

>

> --- Have you considered an " electrical fix " rather than

> a " pharmaceutical fix " ?

> , Charlotte NC.....

.................................................

Yes, I been considering it for over the past year or so and the

information I've gleaned for this board has been extremely helpful.

I've been to see Morady at the Univ. of Michigan, Natale at the CC

and Haines at Beaumont hospital in Michigan. I would have complete

confidence in any one of those doctors. I've been told that due to

my 2 heart bypass surgeries that the success of ablation could drop

to 50% depending on the amount of scar tissue they find once they get

inside the heart. That's been one of my concerns.

I will eventually pull the trigger but I've been advised by a couple

of doctors, that I trust, that it would be to my benefit to wait as

long as possible because of the rapid rate of advances going on in

the EP field. For one, I think cyro ablation will be coming on line

shortly and that it will safer that RF ablation. Plus my local

hospital, Beaumont is in the process of installing a Magnetic

Navigation system and it will be operational in a couple of months.

Maybe that will do it for me. I'm thinking it will.

P <Michigan>