Medication Question-Amiodarone

[Taysgrama]

Tom - I am not allergic to shellfish, but am deathly allergic to iodine in any way, shape or form. My brother is allergic to shellfish, but not iodine and my dad is allergic to both! Go figure!!! The last time Iodine was used with me (and this was orally), it almost killed me. My throat closes up in about 60 seconds and I cannot breathe, so taking anything that has 37.3% iodine in it is not something I am willing to take a chance on. Besides the fact that there are way too many life threatening side effects with it. I will just try to learn to live with these for the time being. Glad you were able to take the medication and that it made a difference with you!

diana

 

[geckley]

I was on it with my repair back in 2005. My cardio told me he wanted me off it as fast as I could. He told me it would totally wreck my liver. I had a blood test just before I came off it and I tested positive for some of the tests for Hepatitus. As one dr put it it's rat poison. They don't seem to care much in older patients but with guys that need thier livers for more than 20+ years they stear clear.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Diana -

Have you tried Toprol or Toprol XL for your PAC's / PVC's?
Toprol worked pretty well for me.

Do you have a Stethoscope? If not, I recommend that you get one so that you can listen to your heartbeat to characterize it's pattern. My PAC's were "regularly irregular" which may not mean much until you actually hear it. Then the pattern will become instantly recognizable!

Hope you and your Docs are able to find a solution for you!

Congratulations on having the nerve to stand up to and FIRE that reckless EP!

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Taysgrama]

I did try that first, as well as metoprolol, digoxsin and atenol (however you spell it). None of them worked at all. We do have a stethoscope and my daughter listens to my heart all the time. She says it is really weird. My doctor called it chronic ventricular premature beats. He says that he expects I will have it for the rest of my life unless they decide to use something called an ICD since I also have a rapid heartrate. It goes up to 150 and higher about 10 or more times a day, and that is at rest. I cannot imagine what it goes to when I am exercising. LOL

He did send a not to my boss telling him that I am still recovering from aortic vavle replacement due to severe aortic insufficiency and that I have that other thing. He also told them that I cannot work for more than 4 hours per day for the foreseeable future, so we shall see if that works. My boss is meeting with the owners at 4pm EST today and from the word around the office, he is suggesting that they terminate me. I guess I will just have to wait and see!

Thanks again all for your information and support. I would be totally lost without this website and all of you!!! diana

 

[AgilityDog]

1. Go for the ICD if it is offered. I went into 10 seconds of v-tach (defined as 3 or more pvcs in a row) while driving at 65 mph. Luckily I was able to pull the car over before I passed out and not kill anyone. If my heart had not gone back into rhythm by itself, I would have died. Those are the arrhythmias they're talking about. Unfortunately you may not get a second chance with them. My v-tach started at only 180 bpm. I now have an ICD. Its name is AHHHnold.
I'm now on a combination of Sotalol (80 mg 2x/day) and Coreg (25 mg 2x /day. Had previously been on Coreg (50 mg 2x/day). The new dosage is workign great, no v-tach at all, though I do get a few double pvcs periodically. They both lower the heart rate.
I still do whatever I want, activity wise, and don't worry about the arrhythmias.
2. Get legal help. I'm wondering if they are violating ADA by firing you.
3. Your boss is an ass. But you know that.

 

[escargome]

Geez Diana,
Can they terminate you in Ohio for that? Here is California, if you have a doctor's note for limited activity, they pretty much leave you alone. We had an employee where I work who was on limited release for more than 2 years. I certainly feel bad for you. It seems a no win situation for you. Good Luck

 

[Taysgrama]

LOL = yes, I already know he is an ass....he is a lawyer and we all know how they are! I did send him the note from my doctor before his meeting with the owners and then I called him right before 5 but all he said was he received it. I guess I will just wait and see tomorrow. If they think I am gonna stick around to train my replacement, they are sadly mistaken. Ohio is a Right to work state so they can terminate you for any reason or none at all. Even medical if they say that they MUST have a full time person for my job, which really is not necessary right now with the real estate market as slow as it is. We have alot of refinances but they are not really the meat and potatoes, so to speak. I was concerned with how my husband would react to me being unemployed, but from what he said today, I think he is finally accepting it and we will just have to learn to live on his income and not do alot of stupid things like we do now.

The first EP said that if the amiodarone did not work then he would do the ICD, but since I refused the medication due to the iodine allergy and went to another EP, I am not sure that the first would even offer it again. I am not sure that I can live with these stupid things forever. They are really scary and very irritating on top of it! Hopefully, they will either get better or in March, they will decide to try the ICD. I have enough on my plate without having to worry about killing or hurting someone else.