Long term Drug side affects

  I have been a heart patient for 7 years now.I was diagnosed with AF. After the first time i was cardo
  the first time i was cardioverted. my doctor put me on lanoxin and tambocor. After about about a year my dr decided to take me off the meds
  when he did, my heart returned into AF. Once again i was cardioverted and put back onto the same meds.and been on them for the past 6 years.
  My question to you is: is it safe to be on these meds for such along time? and is there any long term side effects that i should know about?
  I am 39 years old in good health. my condition was asymptomatic. Ever since i have been taking the meds, i find it very hard to lose weight.
  thank you for your time, awaiting your response.
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Dear Kurt
Lanoxin has many potential side effects if the dose is too high, but none of these are associated with long term usage.
Tambocor is not a good medicine for patients with underlying heart disease (heart failure, heart attacks, etc) in whom it can cause serious heart rhythm problems and death. It may be a reasonable drug in young patients with no structural heart disease.
I hope this is useful. Feel free to write back. I wish you the best of luck.
If you would like to set up an appointment with one of our cardiologists here at the Cleveland Clinic please feel free to call 1-800-CCF-CARE.
Information provided in the Heart Forum is intended for general medical informational purposes only. Actual diagnosis and treatment of any particular medical condition can only be made by your physician(s).