Amiodarone - Killed My Father In 4 Weeks - Irreversible Pulmonary Toxicity
Oct 15, 2010
I post this to alert anyone checking these boards about the dangers of amiodarone. My father was given this drug for a minor arrhythmia, while he was hospitalized with bronchitis. It killed him in just 4 weeks as a result of sudden, irreversible pulmonary toxicity. If you or anyone you love is taking this drug, you need to know just how dangerous it is. The pharmaceutical companies have dodged responsibility for its many toxic effects for years, and doctors are woefully ignorant of its potential life-threatening complications. By doing an internet search under "amiodarone toxicity" you can find a wealth of information and a vast support system of people determined to stop this drug from killing anyone else.
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My partner just used a home blood pressure monitor and got a very high reading. Concerned, he is going to see a doctor this week. He's overweight and his weight has fluctuated for years, although he is losing weight now and seems to have a diet and exercise regime that are working.
The thing is I have no idea how long he has had high blood pressure. Is it likely it could have already caused damage that is irreversible? He's only 24, but he is going into a very stressful profession and I'm worried about his long term health.
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Has anyone encountered this ? I was on Ciprofloxacin for 10 days for Diverticular attack that I had on Thanksgiving I still had some pain as the 10 days was ending so my GI put me on Metronidazole for 7 days - 3 days in I was sicker then with the Diverticulitis- My intestines were on fire and I loose stool in large amounts - I went back to the Dr he said the medicine had wiped all the good and bad bacteria from my intestines and now we had to rebuild it - that was tuesday he told me to take Probiotics and 2 yogurts a day . Poops are now normal and my pain is starting to subside but it goes in spurts - I definitely feel like i am on the mend but hoping to feel better soon - i was wondering if anyone else had any experience with this ?
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Any females out there who have lost all or most of their hair on their body? Look at copper toxicity from the pill.
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I'm writing this post because my father has passed away from methotrexate toxicity in February. This cause of death has been officially confirmed. I'm in a state of shock and I really don't believe that the general public understand the severity or danger of this drug.
As I've read here many MTX patients have been on this drug for months if not years. My Dad was on this drug for only five days.
Here is some advice for everyone on this drug:
> Please everyone always ask for a consumer information pamphlet and be aware of the side effects.
> Even if you feel fine don't ignore any side effects
> Hospitals don't check for MTX levels in the blood - if you find yourself in Hospital ask them to test the levels.
> Be aware of leucovorin therapy ; known as 'rescue therapy' (this is administered if you have suspected MXT poisoning)
> Always follow the directions from a rheumatoid arthritis specialist or dermatologist or oncologist - not a general practitioner
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My partner was diagnosed with IPF in June 2015 when he had terrible breathlessness, horrendous coughing and had lost a stone in weight. For the previous 9 months he was told he had Bronchiectasis. He is now 74 and was always a very fit man working as a part time gardener and going to the gym weight training and running until April 2015 when the breathlessness stopped him. He was referred for a CT scan and an appointment with a consultant. 5 weeks later he had the scan and 6 weeks later saw the consultant. By this time he struggled to walk farther than 20 yards. The consultant arranged for various tests to be done and said he would see him in 6 weeks. He would not give him any medication.Once the tests were done my partner was feeling very ill so I requested an earlier appointment with the consultant, he then required further tests based on the reults of the first ones and would see him in 6 weeks.Time is now marching on and he is quite ill and then he was told to go into hospital overnight as they thought he had a collapsed lung, which he didn't and he was then referred to a specialist and the appointment was 6 weeks later. At this appointment he was put on home oxygen and pirfenidone. 2 months later he had an appointment with the consultant who then said he would see him in 3 months.He has now lost 3 stone in weight, has no appetite and says food tastes like cardboard.We have not been given any support or contact for when things get worse. The pirfenidone does not appear to have made any difference and he is now on oxygen 24/7 and struggles to walk to the cloakroom - about 18 feet. Nobody told us anything about the disease, what to expect etc. At Pulmonary rehab he learned home exercises which was good and I mentioned to the nurse that nobody had explained the disease to us and she gave me a booklet from the BLF to read, something we could have found on the internet.
Last Sept/Oct my partners brother was told he probably had IPF and we told him to keep pushing for appointments in order to get Pirfenidone and not hang about for 6 months like we had to. In January he was referred to a specialist and in early March he was assessed for oxygen. This morning sadly he passed away without seeing the specialist and still not having oxygen.
Why does everything take so long. If you are diagnosed with lung cancer you are usually being treated within about 6 weeks not 6 months.
My partner insisted on being referred for a lung transplant as he saw a story on the BLF site of a man of 71 with IPF, always been very fit and healthy was given lungs and is still going strong.When we went to the specialist hospital it was all negative, too old and no tests were done and they even denied that the op on the 71 year old was carried out in their hospital. When we got home I emailed the story to them but they did not reply.
Everyone should have a chance of life.
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I am 21 years old and just found out I am pregnant with my second child. I haven't been to the doctor yet but this app estimates me to be about 4 weeks . My first born will be one next month and I'm kind of worried about having two small children at such a young age. Especially since I am a single mother. I am not with my sons father but this baby could be his. But it could also be by a guy I have been dating for almost 2 months.
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Two years ago I was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension. My pressure was at 38. I lived in pure worry for 6 months and went back again and it was 32. I still live in fear and my doctors acted like it was not a huge deal but want to see my every 6 months. They did an echo and EKG. I don't go back again until March but for the last week my right lung feels like its being squeezed and then I can't get any air. I'm so scared but I also have bad anxiety and panic. I just feel like k can't get any air in my right lung. When I lay down it somewhat goes away. I'm 31 and somewhat overweight. I have a lot of stress because my mom just passed away. I also have two kids and am scared I'm gonna die all the time. Just wondering if anyone else has this or is it my anxiety. I read online about how bad pulmonary hypertension and am in constant worry
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So, I am supposedly 7 weeks 3 days pregnant, but confuse who my baby's dad is. i had sex on the 26th of october with me ex boyfriend But i had a period on ( October 29 - November 4 ) Then on November 10 i had sex with my recent boyfriend. i found out i was pregnant on December the 4th, i just went to the doctors on December 17 and they told me i was 7 weeks 2 days by the baby's measurements. i need help, whose babies can it be, my ex's or my boyfriend.
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I used to be an incredibly fit person... played football about 5 times a week, went swimming a lot and run cross country. However, one day after football I felt really weak and couldn't breathe properly and generally felt as though I was dying.
The feeling was gone by the next day though I was coughing up really thick, but loose, clear white phlegm.
From this day onwards I more often than not (though sometimes not) got the same feeling after exercising. The doctors said they would only diagnose me when I was in the state I was talking about but reluctance to get into that state meant they could not diagnose the condition. They gave me asthma pumps and such but I didn't feel as though this is what the problem was.
Anyway, to cut a long story short I basically gave up exercise and it has been 5 years since I've done anything intensive to bring on the condition.
I have not experienced feeling this way in 5 years so I'd imagine it is exercise induced.
I stumbled across some information this morning which matches my condition 100%... it is called Pulmonary Edema though there doesn't seem to be too much information about it online.
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I would like to ask if it's possible to have PTSD 8 years after a traumatic event that happened in childhood. My father died when i was 11 and now as an adult,memories are interfering in my life. So much that i'm not able to function properly.
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I have been on amiodarone for most of the last 20 years. I have a heart rhythm problem that killed my mother at age 25 and a sister at age 21. Initially I had problems with sleep and other symptoms until I got used to the drug. Nowadays I have to take care with the sun but have no other symptoms and ensure I have regular blood tests etc. If it were not for amiodarone I would probably not be here today.
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I have been on amiodarone 200/ day for 2 months after the initial loading doses. I left it because of side effects and want to restart sotalol 160 mg twice a day, the medication I was on before I started amiodarone. My cardiologist told me to start sotalol one week after discontinuing amiodarone. My concern is that the half life of amiodarone is 58 days. This means my body is loaded with amiodarone resulting in continued low heart rate of about 65 bpm and starting sotalol might further lower the heart rate to dangerous levels. Does anybody have a suggestion as to how many days I should wait before I start sotalol.
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In 2007, apparently for a prolonged QT I was hospitalized, given 1600 mg amiodarone and then 200 daily.Only one test was made, after five months. Ten months later I had a TSH of 38. A new cardio brought it down to normal in three months with levothyroxine and put me on Rythmol instead of amiodarone..Did the amio wreck my thyroid for life? Ever since, tests have been normal but with FT3 in the 20's. Doctor after doctor for six years have continue the levo never suggesting a T3 med (In guatemala where I live there is no Cytomel).On my own, I have tried levo doses from zero to 150 over two years with no notable change in TSH and T4 test levels but FT3 still below 30). I cannot pinpoint low FT3 symptoms among side effects from Rythmol 150, coreg 6.25, crestor 10, aspirin 100. I have not slept one night through for six years without two or three hour-long sweats/chills, nauseas, dizziness, weakness, fatigue etc.Daytime too. I'm 87 and tired of it. One stent 2010, RCA. Never felt angina or tachycardia. Any way out of this?
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I have been taking Amiodarone for 2 months now for cardioversion as I have AF. I have been told that it is unlikely to be successful but that I might as well give it a go. So far I have had no problems at all - I take 200mg daily. I will be on it for a maximum of 4 months so my specialist says that I am unlikely to run into problems which he says are usually connected with much longer term use. My message to others is - please don't be afraid of this medicine - it's at least worth a go in the short term to see if you can tolerate it. The chance of getting rid of AF is just too important not to take it. As I say, so far, I am lucky in being able to tolerate it amongst at least 8 other meds which I take. I was very afraid to start with but now I just see it as "another pill to take".
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I have taking Amiodarone 200mg for about 35 days for my AF .However, I still get irregular occasional especially after taking hot food. The improvement to my condition is marginal. Can anyone advise me if I should continue with Amiodarone. Also,I have been on warfarin for the past 3 years . Due to the interaction of Amiodarone with Warfarin, my doctor has reduced my Warfarin dosage from 4.5 to 3.5 to maintain my INR between 2 to 3.
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Has anyone been prescribed Amiodarone for Atrial Flutter/Fibrillation. I have been on this for 9 Days and am finding the side effects dreadful . I don't know if I should persevere for a bit longer or see my Dr.to see if there is anything else I can try.
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My son has been on amiodarone for four months now following an atrial flutter which required DC Cardioversion. He takes other drugs for his heart such as furosemide, ramipril and warfarin. He seems to have frequent throat infections which lead to flu symptoms (hot and cold shivers, aches and pains) these have forced him to bed for 6 days at a time. We have been told that these are not a side effect by the consultant but we were managing to keep on top of infections before amiodarone with some wonderful natural supplements. I am interested that none of the comments that I have read on this site have really mentioned similar side effects. Has anyone experienced the same? He has been free of atrial flutters and has declined an ablation on the grounds that they cannot guarantee a total success rate.
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my TSH was 38 after a year on amiodarone without tests.A second cardio brought this down to normal in three months with levothyroxine,My question: does an excess of amiodarone wreck a thyroid for life, am I on Levo for good?
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i was put on this awful med, prior in for a Cardioversion , i have never been so ill in my life, it was strong dose, three a day, then two a days for second week then one every day after that. Since the first day I was nauseated,ulcers in my mouth, old sores at the corners of my mouth I lost 1 stone in weight,and couldn't, I persevered, with the Cardioversion at end. I went to get bloods and ECG prior getting the procedure, and I got a phone from the cardiac nurse to say my renal is only about 50 per cent,so cancelled and go to my Dr, I had more bloods, then later in the day I got to say go to the renal ward in hospital, probably for a few days. Might say I had routine bloods taken in April and no problem. Apparently my kidney's function is now at 29 percent. I am now waiting for a biopsy from my kidney!!! It's galling to think I have never drank and never smoked in my life and now this.Strangely they took me off the needs immediately, but theŷ never admit it was the Amiodarone. I am left with probably irreversible renal function, and still have PAF.....
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I've been on Bisoprolol 10mg for 3 months with no effect on my Paroxysmal AF episodes so was started on Digoxin, now at 187.5mcg also with minimal effect. My Cardiologist and GP are pushing me to take Amiodarone but reading stories of side effects I'm terrified. I live in NZ so don't have the choice of Dronedarone. Have others refused Amiodarone and if so what were they then put on? I feel backed into a corner with not many choices left.
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