Amiodorone side effects

[Charlotte]

Hi, My name is Charlotte; I was an Amiodorone for 7 years. I ws in hospital this summer for ARDS (started as pneumonia) and severe hyperthyroid. That is still active, and doses of Tapazole have been increased. Anyone had the thyroid problem??

[Pam Alexson]

Hi Charlotte and welcome to the HCMA message board. There are HCM members here who have had issues with their thyroid and some related to the use of amiodorone. I am sure you will here from some soon.

Best wishes,

Pam

[Linda]

Charlotte - Welcome. Sounds like you've had quite a time of it. As Pam said, you will hear from others very soon. We'll look forward to hearing more from you. Linda

[Cynaburst]

I myself am hypothyroid (not due to amiodarone). My dad also developed hypothyroidism from long term use of amiodarone. He took it for almost 20 years before it started causing him lots of problems including the thyroid.

[Glen Beamish]

Hi Charlotte, I had been taking Amio for about as long as you, 7 years, It worked very well to control my A-Fib.
Last Sept. I had my regular Physical and they discovered Hyperthyroidism.
I went to see my HCM doc who suggested I would probably have to go off the Amio.
He then referred me to a Thyroid specialist and an Electrophysilogist because going off Amio would put me back into A-Fib.
The Thyroid doc confirmed their was no other problem with the thyroid and the Electro doc then took me off Amio.
I immediately went on Coumadin.
Over the next 6 months my thyroid levels returned to normal and I began to go in and out of A-Fib, but gradually the A-Fib got worse and I was having a lot of bouts of tachycardia and PVCs plus my energy levels were really low. The Electro doc wanted the Amio right out of my system before we started anything else and it takes a looooong time for Amio to clear the body. Eventually I went into permanent A-Fib as the Amio did clear my body and now what to do?
There were several options. Remove the thyroid and go back on Amio with thyroid meds. Neither the doc nor I wanted to go back on Amio. Try Betapace or something like it. The doc didn't feel Betapace would work for me as the level that he would give me would slow my heart rate down too much. My rate is 50 - 55 and the Betapace would slow it down even more.
The doc decided to take me off beta blockers (been on them for 35 years) and switch me to a calcium blocker Cardizem and then add an antiarrythym drug later if necessary.
I have been on Cardizem for about three months and have to admit they are working a lot better than I thought they would. I don't have tachycardia or PVCs anymore and I can't tell that I am in permanent A-Fib unless I actually take my pulse.
I have my energy back and everything is back to normal except for the permanent A-Fib. It's not really that uncommon for people to be in permanent A-Fib as long as it can be kept at a low and constant level.
The electro doc feels as long as i'm feeling good that we should leave things as is.
So that's my Amio story.
Good Luck and Stay Well.
Glen

[BlueDevil]

I haven't been diagnosed with any thyroid issues, but we are on alert for them since one of my recent blood tests indicated an ever-so-slight hypothyroid. I got a full workup from my general practitioner, and it came up normal, so I don't know. Based on this experience, I think I could probably expect future problems.

The only other possible problem I'm having with amiodarone is drowsiness. I'm sleepy almost 100% of the time -- not fatigued, but sleepy. My doctor thinks it could be the amiodarone.

-- Tim