Amioderone

My husband was diagnosed with arrhythmia and given Amioderone 200 mg twice a day . He was taking it since/ // April 24 /for 2 weeks/ and became extremely week /barely can get to the bathroom/ and desoriented. His cardiologist claims that it is not side effect from this medication. My husband didn 't take the medication since yesterday evening and it appears to me, that he is doing little better today. The cardiologist wants him to take half amount of it since now on. We saw his internist today, he doesn't now for now what it is, but had us sent to blood test to check potassium levels. My husband has diabetes a takes many medications. What shall we do?

[Michael J. McWilliams, M.D.]

Amiodarone usually doesn't cause symptoms like that.  Amiodarone 200 mg once per day is a good dose for long term treatments of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias.  there are sometimes other choices, but deciding what those choices are can be complicated.

You probably need to talk to your doctor to make sure that they are ok with you continuing the medication.  Risk benefit decision about medications can be complicated.  It sounds like this might be a complicated decision.

Does this help?

[Jamo002]

A related discussion, Amiodarone 200mg was started.