Atrial Fibrilation

[Ward]

I had a tough day today, need some comradarie. I am 41 years old and recovering very well from surgery on 08-01-01. I went in for my first cadiac rehab excercise today, got all wired up and before I could start the physiologist came over and told me that I was in Atrial Fibrilation and that she would take me to the emergency room! Well I spent about 3 hours there before the ER doctor could even get in touch with a cardiac surgeon, not my surgeon even, but any surgeon. They added Amioderone to my meds and sent me home. As far as I know I still am in Atrial Fibrilation. Next appointment is next Tuesday. Did anybody else have post-op Atrial Fib? What's a guy to do? Thanks.
Ward

[Nancy]

Hi Ward-

I think you'll find many people here who have afib. It's quite common after heart surgery. Some people get better after amiodarone (spelling?) and/or other meds., some have cardioversion, some live with it. I guess it affects people quite differently.

My husband had it for many years. He had a fast heart rate and he also had a very slow rate which caused several faints. After he nearly hurt himself very badly during the faints (took out the television set and just missed knocking the pole lamp into the plate glass window one time, fell out in the yard on top of the large intermittent sprinkler another time, and missed by an inch, the corner of the dining room table while falling face down like a tree, partially dislocating his jaw another time), they installed a pacemaker. He still has afib, but the pacemaker keeps his heart rate from falling precipitously and keeps it in regular sinus rhythm. He was also put on Tiazac to keep his heart rate from going too fast. At present time, he's off that and doesn't seem to need it.

No more fainting, I'm very happy to say, because I witnessed all of those. Scary, scary!

When they do the readout during the pacemaker check, it shows that this little gadget is working very, very hard. So it's apparently saved him a lot of grief.

Don't mean to frighten you, but take it seriously and follow up with your cardio.

Best wishes

[Perrster]

Not sure if I can help much with the A-FIB, but I'll tell you about a couple of emergency post-op experiences I had and hopefully this will make ya feel a bit better.

I am 16 months post-op just as of yesterday. I had both Mitral and Aortic valves replaced at the same time with St. Jude's titaniums. (My story is on the VR.com site).

Last summer I was experiencing weird sensations on the left side of my chest that felt like a "lady-wrestler-with-huge-finger-nails" was grabbing me there! This is exactly what I told the emergency room docs, and I saw them TWO TIMES! These pains would come and go intermittently and sometimes not happen for days or weeks. I believe they happened like 3 or 4 months post-op and again about 8 or 9 months. Weird, huh?

Both visits to emergency turned out to be non-threatening and I'd feel very bad having spent valuable time (both times were a 3 hour visit!) of emergency personnel. Although they'd run a battery of tests (heck of a way to get an unscheduled Protime test!) they'd send me home with the conclusion that my problem was "nerve endings."

It's been awhile since I've experienced anything close to these pains, so I "believe" it is over. Man, you're only 3 weeks post-op! Hang in there! It will take time. I was told in re-hab to expect at least 6 months for a "full" recovery. Surgeons and doctors aren't going to give you too much information unless you have specific questions that they have to answer. It just takes time! Perhaps some of your a-fibs are due to impatience and anxiety?

If I had to do it over again (oh sure, I'd love to!), I'd set some solid goals and stick to them. I wasted stupid time after surgery and really regret it!
#1 GOAL: get through re-hab then IMMEDIATELY join a health club and continue the re-hab routines and add to them as you progress. (I'm walking about 2 to 3 miles a day now and it feels pretty good). GOAL 2: your lifestyle HAS changed and you have to submit to it. Seminars and cardiac informational meetings have helped me a lot. Go to as many of these meetings as you can. GOAL #3: Concentrate on your DIET. See a dietician. Learn about food and vitamins and herbal supplements. If you're on Coumadin you have to watch what you eat anyway so you might as well change it now for the better! One of the VR.COM members says his A-FIB's are virtually history due to Magnesium. Sorry I can't think at this time who that is, but I'll re-direct you to his string another time. I found a wonderful physical therapist in Libertyville (after re-hab) and her treatments were very helpful. GOAL 4: keep Coumadin therapy under control. My anxiety over the routine blood draw was terrible. I went numb one time when I was poked by a part-time intern. I thought I was going to have a heart attack right there in the lab! While I still don't like it, I tolerate it! My thoughts and test anxiety is focussed now on the "positive" aspect of getting off of work a few hours early at least once a month to go for my PT!

Ward, I hope this is helping? I believe you are on the right track by at least talking about your situation. This website is a great tool with people of all walks, some with more details than others, nevertheless, all of us are here today because of valve replacement.

I live just over the Wisconsin border in Vernon Hills, IL. Please feel free to e-mail or call.

Take care and please keep in touch.

Perry Anderson
847-377-0825-direct line at work (I work in Waukegan)
perrster@ameritech.net

[Gillian (in UK)]

Hi Ward - I was fine until I had AFib 10 days after my surgery and it lasted on and off for another ten days. I also had a urinary infection at the time and just wanted to lie in bed. I felt really ill. I was put on Amiodarone which is what presumably stopped the AFib. And I came off the Amiodarone after approx three months.

I didn't realise setbacks were common. I thought I would sail through. But now I see that people do have setbacks. And they are dealt with. And it is SO SOON after your surgery.

What a good thing it was discovered and can be sorted - and presumably without you having to put up with any symptoms.

Good luck.

Gillian
(AVR 13.Mar.01)

[ken]

Hi Ward:

Arrhythmias involving the atria (upper receiving chambers of the heart) are the most common and unfortunate complication post cardiac surgery, occurring in up to 60% of patients having heart valve surgeries, with atrial fibrillation (AF) being the most frequent occurrence.

One of the problems of being on a regimen of Amiodarone is that if you have a serious side effect the extremely long half life of this compound makes it almost impossible for other treatment to be given. The effects of Amiodarone lasts for months, It will vary with individuals with a half life as much as 180 days, this means that 180 days after being taken off it (6 mo.), you will still have one half of it still in your body. It also interacts with many other drugs causing difficulty in proceeding with alternate treatment. This helps to explain why the manufacturer designates it for a last resort use only.

Amiodarone is a dangerous drug that is being prescribed for mild atrial fib when it has only been approved as a last resort drug for life threatening arrhythmias. Read its history and wonder how it is being used as it is today. Patients are not being properly warned or monitored before or during using of this drug.

Here is the link to a thread on about.com on Amiodarone with Dr. Richard Fogoros ( Dr. Rich) as well as the link for his Bio. In my opinion you will not get any better input online than that of Dr. Rich - he is an expert in the field of cardiac electrophysiology.
http://heartdisease.about.com/mbiopage.htm
The below referenced thread consists of 27 messages. which include 5 from Dr. Rich himself.
http://forums.about.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=ab-heartdisease&msg=864.

Here are some additional links to web sites that you might find useful in your research on this drug.

http://www.westsubcardiology.com/pages/ep/drugs/amiodarone.htm
http://www.wholehealthmd.com/refshelf/drugs_view/0,1524,22,00.html
http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/19689/11225/213698.html?rbrand=Pacerone

Ward, may I also suggest you contact your Cardiologist as soon as possible to discuss this drug with him.

Ken

[ken]

Hi again Ward:

Here is another article I have found in my files but am unable to locate the URL:

Last Revision 5/29/01
LINKS TO WEB SITES
AMIODARONE

FDA AND ETC.
Warnings

FDA Problem
Reporting Site

Side Effects

Medical Terms

FDA Warning Letter

FDA MEDWATCH

FDA MEDWATCH FORM 3500
You Can Report Your Adverse Effects On The Above Form!



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UPSHER-SMITH
Pacerone Warnings
Pacerone Package Insert



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BLINDNESS
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Oregon Judicial Department - Publications


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PERSONAL WEB SITES WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR REPORTS
Cecil's Page
(Adverse Reactions)

Cindy's Page
(Post Your Story)
URL Revised
05'29'01


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEARCH RESULTS FOR AMIODARONE
Search Yahoo


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEARCH RESULTS FOR ATRIAL FIBRILLATION
Search Excite
ALMOST 100% SCARING OF CORNEA 75%+ HAVE SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS
PROLONG USE INCREASES DANGER CONSTANT TESTING ESSENTIAL

One of the problems of being on a regimen of Amiodarone is that if you have a serious side effect the extremely long half life of this compound makes it almost impossible for other treatment to be given. The effects of Amiodarone lasts for months, It will vary with individuals with a half life as much as 180 days, this means that 180 days after being taken off it (6 mo.), you will still have one half of it still in your body. It also interacts with many other drugs causing difficulty in proceeding with alternate treatment. This helps to explain why the manufacturer designates it for a last resort use only.

The effects of Amiodarone are not well understood with the elderly patient often reacting
differently and the taking of food with it can also effect its absorption. It is also well known
that other drugs interact with it for instance Warfarin (coumadin) requiring very close
monitoring of the pro-tine (clotting time) of the blood. You may check the links on the left
for more information about the many drugs that should not be used in conjunction with it.

The before mentioning of the extremely long half life of Amiodarone causes another serious
problem in persons who develop a serious side effect, There is nothing that can be done to
get rid of it before it has it's way with what ever organ it is attacking, leading to the death
of the person in many cases. The FDA has on file many such instances where it has caused
the death of individuals being treated with it. These records are available to you thru the
Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) there is a link to the left that will take you to the web
page of the FDA where this information is available.

You will also find many links to other sites that have vital information you need to be aware of if you are on or will be on Amiodarone (cordarone®) (pacerone®).

Amiodarone affects every part of the body the loading dose of it is quite strong because
it must reach a level thru out the body in order to work which means that it is in all the organs
it also has an affinity or certain organs making them targets over and above the others
which means they are at greater risk, The lungs are quite vulnerable and once attacked
often cause the death of the person, the Thyroid, Liver etc. are all subject to such damage.

The other organs of the body not vital to life are at risk also, for instance the eyes. Almost
all people suffer scarring of the cornea which takes a very long time to heal, Others have
the Optical Nerves damaged so that they become blind permanently, This is a side effect
that the manufactures have been reluctant to reveal, But they have had to findlay admit to.
(see the links on left) The fingers and toes are affected, loss of sensitivity, soreness tingling
etc. Constipation, fatigue, nightmares, the list goes on and on. (more information in the
links column)

[ken]

Here are the links referred to in the above article:

Warnings
http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/amiodarone_wcp.htm

Side Effects
http://www.nursespdr.com/members/database/ndrhtml/amiodaronehydrochloride.html

FDA Warning Letter
http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/safety/1997/cordar.htm

FDA MEDWATCH
http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/safety/1998/jun98.htm#cordar

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http://www.geocities.com/cindyj2283/index.html

[BillC]

Hi Ward ... hope you're feeling better by now. I too have had the experience of ending up in the ER with Afib. It happened to me in the middle of the nite 4 weeks post-op. (I also had Afib in the hospital on my 3rd day post-op.)

In both cases I was treated with an IV of Cardizem. As soon as they got the drip regulated, it stopped the Afib very quickly. That took 1-2 hours the second time, but nevertheless it worked. I personally can't imagine not knowing you were in Afib. It woke me up in the middle of the nite and I could easily tell that my heart was racing.

The result of the 30-day post-op episode is that the cardio put me on Amiodorone for one month. I didn't know too much about this drug when I first started taking it; but then I read about it and was only too glad to finish it. It seems to be the most effective med for regulating afib and a-flutter.

They assured me in the ER that my afib was only a very minor set-back, and in my case, nothing to be worried about. The good news is that it's now 13 months later, and I have not had another episode.

I agree that you should discuss this med with your cardio. If it happened to me again I would request another drug if at all possible. But for now I'd just try and relax and not worry. It really is not uncommon to have afib/flutter post-op. My cardio told me it happens with 35-40% of the patients.

All the Best to you and keep in touch ~

[hensylee]

Ken, thank you, thank you for posting so much info on amiodorone. My brother was put on it 11/99 thru 4/01 w/o any lab testing followup and what a nightmare my brother has become. Even the reported side effects we gave to his dr, did not light the bulb in the dr's head!! He should have picked right up on it. My bro no doubt has permanent damage in many ways. I am taking him to a neurologist Tuesday to get him checked for whatever. Amiodarone can be devastating if not properly watched.

Nancy, I found your private message a couple days ago, and this is also a reply to you.

God bless.

[Nancy]

Hi Hensylee-

Since amiodarone stays in the system for so long after treatment, I'm hoping that your brother's symptoms gradually improve with time.

What problems this drug has caused! It cures one problem and leaves several in its wake. Like the the proverbial Hydra. Cut off one of its heads and two replace it!

To everyone who is taking Vioxx--

And speaking of prescription drugs, Joe just found out the hard way that Vioxx interacts with both Lasix and Coumadin. He had some residual foot pain from his bout with Serum Sickness, so the Primary prescribed Vioxx in a limited prescription. All of a sudden he started putting on fluid just like before surgery. I thought the two might be related and so did my research, there it was in black and white. Vioxx "blunts" the effects of Lasix and in addition also causes edema and worsens CHF, plus it interacts with Coumadin. Celebrex does the same. It's a relatively new drug and so not too much is known about all of the side effects, but it is on the Net. He's off it as of today. So you arthritic "guys", be careful.

[Mike in Florida]

Ward,
Glad to hear you're recovery is going well,
but sorry you got a-fib going on, I'm even more
concerned the docs put you on amiodarone. This
is a heavy duty drug and can certainly cause
many nasty side effects. I'm 40 and have been in
chronic a-fib for 6 mths. I've decided to not try
amiodarone as this is what my cardio and e.p.
want me to do. I've talked to many people and
done plenty of research on this drug, and yes it
is good at controlling a-fib, but in most cases
should be used as a last option. What dose did
they send you home on? Normally you are put on
a loading dose and then the dose is lowered.
There are many drugs available to control a-fib,
and help you to convert back to sinus rythum,
with a lot fewer side effects. A-fib is common
after valve replacement, as your heart kind of
gets beat up a little. Keep yourself informed,
and please find out why they chose amiodarone,
when there are so many other options. Hang in
there! Godspeed to normal sinus rythum.
Mike in Florida

[hensylee]

A dr on another site said that he used amiodarone as a final resort. It can be dangerous, if not followed by dr very carefully. I hear of folks that do well on it, tho - in this site.

As Nancy said, she searched the internet for interactions. Glad you are on top of things Nancy. It is important for US to do our own checking, because drs often go by what the 'detail man' tells them and don't do their own studying, so that's why WE MUST.

[Bill Hall]

Ward - I was afib for a month after surgery. They put me on amiodarone after trying cardiovert. The medication worked with no side effects. My cardiologist kept me on for an additional month. I am now off the stuff for 4 months. Hope all goes as well with you.

[Perrster]

I haven't heard of an Electrophysiologist before. What does he (or she) do? I suspect the job has something to do with EKG's?

Tonto say amiodarone sound like bad medicine.

I'm doing 250mgs of Magnesium per day. Do you think I'd notice any significant change or problems if I upped it to 400? Did you gradually increase or start at 400?

I am convinced the vitamins and minerals are helping my heart maintenance program. Darned prescription meds probably count for something, but I would much rather believe the natural stuff is doing the most good.

Looking forward to meeting y'all in Nashville.

:cool: PerryA

[hensylee]

An electrophysiologist cardiologist is a specialty section of cardiology and guess it has to do with the electrical impulse parts of the heart. My bro was in a-fib and his electrophysiologist found it immediately, knew my bro needed cardioversion, did it and now bro is better in that part of his heart. Along with meds, he now is out of a-fib.

The amiodarone is another story. Took him today to neurologist that found the horrid side effects, back in April. My bro didn't even recognize the man, but the dr knew/remembered Richard's case very well and commented about what an improvement since then. Some improvement, in my opinion, but not great. Anyway, he found symptoms of Parkinson's but doesn't know if it's real or remains of amiodarone and we will continue to wait to see if further improvement in next months. Went over carefully the visit with my brother again once we were home, so he'd remember so he could tell our sister. He called me from her house and couldn't recall anydetails about the visit, except that he had been there. Wish I had never heard of amiodarone; it has caused us such grief.

[Shari]

Wow! You guys are all wonderful...I learn something new every time I read these message boards. I never knew how dangerous amioderone (sp) could be. If you remember, it was my husband who had emergency heart surgery on 5/25 and 6/1 (he had an aortic dissection repair and a St. Jude heart valve put in). He went into a-fib about three days after his first surgery. Scared me half to death. It happened while he was still intubated. I was talking to him and all of a sudden his heart rate went up to 178!! Anyhow, they put him on amioderone. He has been on it ever since. His cardiologist cut his dose in half in July. We went back to see him on August 7th and he didn't take him off it yet. We go back in early October. I'm going to bring this up. Thanks for the tip on the magnesium. Oh, and Nancy...thanks for the Vioxx information. My husband also suffers from gout (can you believe this guy is only 38!!! LOL!!). He was taking vioxx before his emergency surgery, and his internist did tell him that he can't take it because of the coumadin. He takes allopurinol to control it, although he still has some pain. Basically his doctor says he'll have to put up with the slight pain because coumadin is so tricky. If it gets really painful, he takes tylenol.

This has been a great thread. Thank you all for the great information.

[hensylee]

Shari, don't be too afraid of amiodarone as long as your husband's dr is on top of things. What happened with my bro is that he was put on it 11/99 and kept on it til 4/09 without any regular lab testing to be sure no damage was being done - unfortunately it became a poison for my brother and even with our reports of side effects it didn't ring a bell with the dr!! Amiodarone should be a medicine of last resort because it is so powerful and potential for side effects is so great. I think most folks are put on it as a short term thing. Is that right Janie? God bless

[Shari]

Henyslee,

I know that my husband will be coming off it. If I remember correctly, the cardiologist said that they would put my husband on one of those all day heart monitor things (I forget what it's called) to make sure he's not going into a-fib and then they'll take him off it. I wonder how long is "too long" to be on it? Is it the type of drug that can will just build up in your system and then BAM - do something to you? Gosh, it seems like it's always something to worry about!

[hensylee]

The monitor will be a good thing for followup on your husband's afib. And yes, amiodarone builds up - its half-life is a very long time and since my bro was on it from 11/99 to 4/01 the buildup was great and is slow leaving his system. It's been 4 mos now since he was taken off and the neurologist is watching for more improvement - while he's doing the watching, I am doing the hoping. God bless.

[allodwick]

I am a pharmacist who monitors warfarin, not a valve patient. I also run the website www.warfarinfo.com. Amiodarone is a potent drug with a long half-life and many toxic effects. However, many cardiologists consider it to be the most effective treatment for atrial fibrillation. You must consider too that it has a very potent interaction with warfarin and needs diligent monitoring. Two other factors need to be considered. The package insert from the manufacturer of the drug is a legal document approved by the FDA. They take a very conservative view. It costs millions of dollars to run studies to get the package insert changed. There is no profit in this for the drug companies, so they tend to not change them. The other is that bad news makes a better website. How many comments have you seen about good results with amiodarone? Few people bother to write them. So you have to consider that bias. It is not an easy choice to go on amiodarone. However, if you have a good doctor who is willing to do the proper monitoring and keep you on the lowest effective dose, your chances of a good experience are increased.

[hensylee]

My bro was not given a choice as to go on it or not. Nobody explained anything about the medicine and as users, who knew. He was also put on coumadin with cardioversion as a follow-up. After some months of coumadin, I called the dr's office and asked when the cardioversion was to be done - the nurse didn't know what I was talking about. He fell through the cracks. She called later and said he should not take coumadin anymore and never mentioned the cardioversion. End of that story. Through emergency and with another hosp & dr, he now has his cardioversion and is better for it. Still on coumadin and being monitored every 2 weeks. Thank you for your post. It is helpful and I will check out your site. God bless

[allodwick]

You are so right that everyone must be vigilant for themselves. I did a consultation on a lawsuit once where a woman bled into her eye. The person in the cardiologist's office who was adjusting the warfarin doses wrote this in the patient's record. Then adjusted the dose for three more months before telling the cardiologist. It was not just a little bloodshot eye, it was bleeding into the interior of the eye. The woman went blind. Doctors are stressed to the limit like so many other people today and can miss things. The recent episode with the hospital in Philadelphia reporting incorrect INRs was not found by the hospital's QA procedures or even a doctor. It was a patient who questioned why their warfarin dose was suddenly being increased.

[ALCapshaw]

I had a couple of brief A-Fib events a few weeks after bypass surgery. Then no more for 2 years when they reappeared, usually after exercising or stress. I am now on a low dose Beta Blocker which seems to prevent them from recurring. Higher doses of beta blockers are no fun either, sapping you of energy and putting your mind in a bit of a fog.

'AL'

[Andy in Montana]

Hi All,
After reading all this stuff about Amiodorone I'm kinda worried. After my mitral valve repair on June 12th 2001 my heart went into Atrial Flutter. I was put on Amiodorone 400 mgs per day (200 in am and 200 in pm). Later they reduced that to 200 mgs once per day. And I was on that dosage about a month. My internist reduced the dosage to 100 mgs per day after an emergency room visit for dizzy spells aparently due to the atrial flutter. On August 20th, 2001 I received a cardioversion. They knocked me out, gave me a small shock and my heart jumped back into sinus rhythm and I woke up 5 minutes later and went home an hour and a half later. After the cardioversion - the cardiologist raised the dosage of Amiodorone to 200 mgs per day. I started cardiac rehab two weeks ago and boy can I tell the difference from atrial flutter to sinus rhythm. I feel really good so far. My heart has stayed in sinus rhythm now for ten days. My next appointment with the cardiologist is in the beginning of October - so I know I'll be on the Amiodorone at least till then. Thus far I have had no side effects from the Amiodorone that I know of - but I have been on this stuff for quite a while now and I'm worried about the long term effets. I understand that the Amiodorone controls how hard the heart has to work - it kinda slows it down. Before the cardioversion my pulse was in the low 50's and now it is in the 70's and it seems to be coming down into the 60's possibly due to the increase in the Amiodorone.
QUESTION: What are the alternatives to Amiodorone?
What if I just quit taking it - would my heart start racing or something?
I'm PUZZLED IN MONTANA

[hensylee]

NEVER, NEVER discontinue your medicine w/o your dr's permission. While on amiodarone, be sure they are doing lab tests from time to time. My bro had cardioversion, too and was better immediately. He was prescribed rhythmol and one other that I can't recall at the moment and is doing very well on it, so far. No seeming side effects that I can detect.

[allodwick]

I agree totally that you should not discontinue the amiodarone. It is working. It will take a long time to wear off and then an alternative would be back to arrhythmia.

You are a good news case. But good news doesn't sell well!!!

[Ward]

I started this thread about amiodarone, let tell you what happened. I read quite a lot about this drug on this site and others and when I saw the doctor again I told him that I had read a lot about it and his response was, "Oh you shouldn't do that!" meaning I shouldn't read about it. Needless to say that bothered me. After a little discussion he said, "OK don't take it." My question now is if the drug is necessary, how can he simply say "don't take it"? Anyway, I have not had Afib since that one experience, and maybe the 3 days on amiodarone helped. Either way I'm glad not to be taking it now. Thank you everyone who responded to this thread.
Ward

[allodwick]

What the doctor most likely did was to write in your chart that you refused to take amiodarone. That way, if you develop a fib and have a stroke, he is covered against a lawsuit.

[hensylee]

Shouldn't read about it? You know, in this site I have learned more than any dr could ever tell me about many things and if I hadn't 'read about it', I wouldn't know. Do our drs not want us to know. Drug cos sure want us to know about their stuff and ask the dr for it, but then the dr doesn't want us to read about it? Hello!:confused:

[Nancy]

The attitude of keeping patients stupid and in the dark is absolutely ridiculus. We don't live in Medieval times anymore. Information in great depth is available on the Internet and doctors have to realize this. Plus many of their patients are quite intelligent. Perhaps a few of them should do some surfing.

In my opinion, an intelligent doctor would sit down with his/her patient and explain to them in detail why they have prescribed this or that med. and discuss what the patient has heard without being threatened. Most patients just want to know that they are being treated safely and properly. If there is a med. with side effects, but it is working for the patient, maybe there is some kind of "workaround" that would make it easier on the patient. Or there might be another just as adequate med. available. The Primary we have says that one thing doctors have is lots of medicine choices, there's always an alternative.

[allodwick]

What happens after a doctor takes extra time to explain something to a patient?
Quite often it leads to everyone else complaining for the rest of the day because they had to wait to see the doctor.
Unfortunately it is often easier to brush one person off than listen to eight gripes for the rest of the day.
It happens to me in my clinic when someone has extra questions. It is not something that I like to do, but ...
I even had one person complain today because I was taking Labor Day off.

[ticktock]

Janie, Perry, et.al
I too take 400 mg Magnesium per day. I found that if I take 1/2 tab in the a.m. and 1/2 in the pm, it does not have the... "lower gastrointestinal" side affects. One pill at one time is a disaster!
I hate to even type this, but since I have started the Mg. I have not been to the hospital once. Oh crud, i hope that doesnt come back to haunt me!
mindy

[Nancy]

Hopefully this will resurrect this thread because it has lots of relevant info. starting from page one regarding atrial fibrillation and amiodarone, plus lots of other important things.

[JimL]

Thanks, Nancy, for resurrecting this thread.
If only I'd read this before my surgery and before my amiodarone experience.

[hensylee]

Just re-read majority of this thread and it is so very important for so many to read. I had forgotten about it til Nancy mentioned its revival (and it was way back when Perry didn't know what an EP is - bet you know now, Perry!)

It has been a very long year for my brother and me.
And as a P.S. to the posts I wrote, my brother is a full blown Parkinson victim now - in assisted living - his life as he knew it is gone - and I blame his drs for most of it. Because we tried to tell them that something was wrong and nobody would hear.

This very thread shows how important it can be to do your own research and if you are not happy with what your doctor tells yu, after you have done your homework, explore - explore - hold your own and make him/her explain, explain..............

[Nancy]

I'm so sorry about your brother Hensylee. He's one of the reasons I resurrected the thread. Plus I wanted my daughters to read the posts. One of them is taking care of a MIL with afib and the other is taking care of her dad with afib.

The very unfortunate thing is that we cannot turn back time and everyone has to be as informed as they can be. We are so lucky that we have found this website and the common ground that we share. I worry a lot about those who don't have access to all of the information here.

Please, all you newbies read this even if it takes a long time.

[joy]

Hi Guys, thanks for resurrecting this thread. Mostly, becaulse I am in AFIB, and the doctors at the NHB will probably try to put me on that drug, and now that I know so much about it, I am going to second guess their opinion. THe naval hospital just likes to ruch patients in and out, and it is rediculous. THey don't even care about people. See my thread in small talk, and you'll see! Anyways, thanks guys!

[hensylee]

Joy, there are other drugs that can be used first - amiodarone(cordarone or Pacerone) should be used as a LAST resort. Just argue your point with your dr. - if he/she won't see your point, then jump up and down, cry, make scenes, etc - you know what to do.

[sylviayasgur]

hi all!
nancy, thank you so much for resurrecting this thread. it seems lately so many members are either on amiodarone or about to start taking it. this is such a helpful thread.
ann, i'm so sorry about your brother. it must be so heartbreaking for you to see him this way. i am thinking of you.
joy, there are several alternative meds that you may want to try before giving the amiodarone a go. i'm not sure what they are, but maybe others here can help with that. i'm so sorry you have to go through this_ i read your other posts.
joey has been taking amiodarone for about a year now. it has truly been a very effective drug. he was given this because his previous med_betapace/sotolol_ was ineffective in controlling the afib after his surgery.
joey has terrible vision and has his eyes checked regularly. he feels that his vision has definitely gotten worse over the last year. whether this is as a result of the amio or whether this is just a natural progression of his bad eyes getting worse or just age... we're not sure.
joey also has hypothyroidism and takes synthroid. amiodarone affects the stability of the levels and so joey is constantly being tested and monitored to control his thyroid levels and meds.
when he first went on the amio, they did a "lung capacity test" (?) baseline. he has not had one done since. he is not worried, since he has been running up to 4-5 miles several times a week and has started running faster_ his wind is great.
bottom line.... amiodarone is a great and very effective drug. the key, however, is monitoring.
nancy, thanks again for bringing this thread back to life.
ann, i hope things get better with your brother_ please let us know.
joy, i hope you get rid of these afibs soon. keep us posted.
all others, hope you are all well.
-sylvia

[Nancy]

I thought I'd let you know how Suzanne's MIL and her dad are doing with the afib.

Suzanne's MIL had a mitral repair and also a Maze procedure (which takes 3-6 months to kick in). She went into afib a couple of days after surgery. They were going to try cardioversion, but the next day she was in and out of normal sinus rhythm and some aflutter. So they held off. She was put on Betapace and Digoxin and Coumadin. She was still a litle irregular yesterday, but the surgeon said everything looked OK, so maybe it was aflutter. I think the docs feel the heart is trying to convert itself to a normal rhythm. Keeping my fingers crossed. They're still making med changes with her and she's still in the hospital at Stony Brook, on Long Island.

Suzanne and Sharon's dad is in Fla. and Sharon is taking care of him. He was going to be put on Amiodarone, but Suzanne objected strongly and he was put on Rhythmol. He feels pretty well, however, the card. in the hospital did not put him on Coumdain. So he has an appt. this week with a new card. He's out of the hospital.

When everyone is all straightened out, my daughters and I are going to have a little private celebration! It's been a very tough summer.

[mimmidoe]

Nancy
Thanks for the re-read! Funny, I wrote something about the Magnesium thing over a year ago, and was barely tolerating 400 mg a day, in divided doses. I now take 400 mg am and pm, and have fewer arrythmias than ever. Of course, I had another EP with ablation done in June, with implant of a pacemaker.... but still the benign arrythmias are FAR less bothersome!

I really feel that the Magnesium does more good than any of the anti-arrythmics ever did. I have been on Norpace, Corgard, Inderal (for years!), Lanoxin, Dilantin (believe it!), you name it. Now Im on Toprol and Mg for arrythmia's and thats it. It is working for me.

Someone mentioned the vision thing, in connection with Amio. I have not taken Amio, but I am having a terrible vision problem. I keep thinking my glasses are off, but now Im beginning to wonder. I have had three TIA's in the last 6 months, and wonder if that is it. Phew, it is frustrating!
mindy

[sylviayasgur]

mindy,
is that 400mg magnesium in the morning and another 400 in the evening? totalling 800?
i just started urging joey to take magnesium a few weeks ago when he thought he was backin afib (it was skipped beats). ironically, we're not sure if magnesium would actually work that fast but he did stop having the irregular beats after that.
is there a range of it that patients should take, for instance, between 300 and 800 mg?
thanks for the info. stay well, sylvia

[JimL]

I read the recommendation of 1000 mg per day on magnesium, and I started there. It worked very quickly at eliminating arrhythmia.
I've since reduced my dosage to 500 mg a day.
I found that the important ingredient was magnesium gluconate; the magnesium that didn't have that didn't work.

[hensylee]

Janie, if you are out there, I know you may have some input on the magnesium question. I am sure I recall you talking long and hard about it about a year or so ago. Might be nice to hear it again.

[sylviayasgur]

hey ann,
you're right. i recall just reading something janie wrote about magnesium... we sure could use her input now!!! i'm sure she'll be along soon..
hope all is well down in your neck of the woods.
be well, sylvia