Amiodarone

[Pach]

I have been on amiodarone for 7 months following quadruple by-pass, resection of heart, and pacemaker surgery. Now I have been diagnosed with restricted lung disease. Since I have stopped taking this drug, will my lungs ever recover?

[va_tony]

I am very sorry to hear of your lung complications as a result of taking amiodarone. I think only time will tell if your lungs will fully recover. There's a good chance that they might. .. but there is also the danger that they might not. Amiodarone persists in the body (half life of 45 days), so an improvement wouldn't be expected to be obvious for at least a couple of months.  Amiodarone can permanently damage the lungs in some cases.  Here's a summary from an web medical article on the subject:

"The most serious side effect of amiodarone is pulmonary toxicity - lung disease. One form of lung problem caused by amiodarone is an acute pulmonary syndrome that looks and acts just like typical pneumonia - sudden onset of cough and shortness of breath. This condition usually improves rapidly once amiodarone is stopped. The second form is more insidious - it is a gradual, unnoticeable, "stiffening" of the lungs that both the doctor and patient can overlook until finally severe, probably irreversible lung damage is done. "

Best wishes for a speedy recovery

Tony