Heart and thyroid

[oldie]

"I'm 80, bp 130/77, 146lbs, 5'6". I have RBBB and anterior left block.I was put on amiodarone for Long QT and 32 R/T events shown by 24-hour Holter. Heart steadied in 6 months but after a year TSH showed 38 and amio was changed to propafenone. Four ECGs and thyroid test in last six months show  normal. But symptoms continue: Pre-syncope, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, 6 to 10 days a month.  My cardiologist is alarmed by the pre-syncope.he suggests : another Holter, return to amiodarone, see electrophysiologist, EEG for brain conduction.  (I must mention I've had similar stress symptoms for 25 years, in case this is pertinent.).   What's my next step please?
0ldie

[oldie]

So you are seeing it through without Propa (Rythmol). That's brave and bold. I would like to know what your symptoms are when you get AFib?
I was in hospital to start the amio. It took six months  to take effect. Then heart  was  steady with pulse about 64. Amio is effective but risky. It put up my TSH (thyroid) measure from 6.10 to 38. That's why I take Levothyroxine. And this is less effective is taken with Alprazolam which I take when needed for stress symptoms. It's all complicated and that's why I admire your solution - dump the damned medicine. Except that if I do that I'll flip.

[Jerry_NJ]

Sorry you haven't gotten any response to this point-in-time, so I'll simply offer that in my knowledge Amiodarone is a much stronger medication than Propafenone, so I would assume you'll get more "results", with some risk, out of Amiodarone.  

I know my cardiologist and the consulting EP would not put me on Amiodarone without first putting me in the hospital for observation during the introduction.  I was on Propafenone, and later Rythmol and neither were affective in stopping my AFib.  I decided I didn't want to take the next step "up" in meds. So I am just living with my AFib, taking warfarin and metoprolol for HR control.