Cordarone after cardioversion

  My Mom ( 69 years old) was recently diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure(left atrial fib.) in January.She was found to also have diabetes. She had an echocardiogram and was put on Warfarin along with diabeta ,vasotec, lasix etc.. On Feb. 7 she suffered a major stroke ( left side paralysis) and has made a fair recovery from that so far. On Mar. 31 she had a cardioversion done . Her Doctor has put her on cordarone(200 mg).
   I have read quite a bit on cardarone and I am concerned about the side effects and outcome of long term use.
  What are the outcomes of using this medication? Are the side effects as serious as what I have been reading? Even her Doctor mentioned that a serious side effect is sudden death.
  Also, will she need another cardioversion? I was not sure that you can have another.
  Thank you
  Heather

[CCF Cardio MD - MTR]

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Dear Heather, thank you for your question.  Cordarone is the most effective anti-arrhythmic medication available to treat atrial fibrillation in patients with congestive heart failure.  Multiple repeated cardioversions can be done to put someone's heart back into normal sinus rhythm, but the success of repeated cardioversions is improved if cordarone is taken.  There are many side effects of cordarone including the tendency to cause rhythm disturbances, thyroid dysfunction, fibrosis of the liver and the lungs, and deposits in the lens of the eye.  However, the potential to develop these side effects must be measured against the expected benefit of the medication.  Maintenance of sinus rhythm is invariably beneficial for patients with heart failure, so medications like cordarone and cardioversion procedures are necessary to achieve that goal.  If you have further questions, I suggest that you speak with her physician.
I hope you find this information useful.  Information provided in the heart forum is for general purposes only.  Only your physician can provide specific diagnoses and therapies. Please feel free to write back with additional questions.  Good luck!
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