I'm reluctantly back on Amiodarone ahead of a cardioversion in the next few weeks. I had an ablation five weeks ago and have been in AF for the duration.When I was originally on Amiodarone (before a successful carioversion) I started on a high loading dose. This time its 200mg once a day, the maintenance dose I had before. I'd been off it for six months.
So no loading dose this time, which I'm not complaining about, just wondering is it going to be effective?
That is the same dose as I had prior to and just after my second ablation. No loading dose.
Thanks!
Best to call your Doc and ask if this is correct though it could be that maybe you should be on a loading dose and a mistake has been made reading the notes and writing out the prescription. The cardioversion I had whilst on amiodorone was actually the shortest lasting one of about 6 months or so when my first lasted 13 months and third lasted 15 months. I got no side effects other than at the end of the course my thyroid count was raised by 2 points. I had blood tests every month to monitor and had another blood test a month to 6 weeks after finishing and my thyroid count was back to normal. Hope your cardioversion is a success.
I've looked through my notes and 200mg is what the arrhythmia nurse specialist asked my GP to prescribe. Keeping my fingers crossed the CV works, being in AF and avoiding the (rare) sunshine isn't ideal
Yes but the sunshine didn't have any effect on me. I was building our garden shed at the time and we had quite a nice spell of sunny weather that summer. I started off being careful - or rather my wife insisted I was careful and used total block sun cream but after a few days I never bothered and didn't have a problem. It's lovely and sunny here at the moment in fact too hot to work out in the garden. We had a good bank holiday weekend too and this week has been sunny every day bar one late afternoon when we really did have a rainstorm of biblical proportions!
You're lucky... my skin is very sensitive on good old amiodarone. I can venture out with sunblock when it's overcast but fry in direct sunshine even with factor 50
I spent a lot of years working in the Middle East on Loan Service so any sensitivity (if there ever was any) to the sun was probably lost then.
Me too! I queried it with Arrhythmia nurses cos the instructions on packet were for a loading dose! Was told that the 200mg OD was correct. I am due for cardioversion in June followed by my first ablation when NSR is established & maintained. Wearing sun hat & Factor 50!!! So much uncertainty with this condition!
All the best for your Cardioversion and hopefully all well for an ablation. Take care.
Thanks for support & good wishes! Helps to communicate, for sure,
I was put on amiodarone without a loading dose, just 200mg daily. I was on it for about 18 months before my third CV, which was successful. However, it didn't last for more than four months before I was back in AF. I suspect that the AF returned after a couple of weeks but, as I'm asymptomatic, I don't know precisely when it returned. I continued taking the amiodarone for another year but there was no change in the way I feel.
Incidentally, I was on diltiazem for a while after starting the amiodarone.
My loading dose was higher than that 4 weeks prior to a couple of my cardioversions.Current maintenance dose is 200mg. Had another cardioversion 2 weeks ago and they kept the dose at 200mg.
Amiodarone peri-ablation
Amiodarone
Coming off Amiodarone and INR
