Drug causing condition?

[MJ8363]

My father was given Amiodarone after aortic valve replacement. He was admitted with a pre-existing diagnosis of COPD. After surgery he could not recover from a respiratory standpoint. He had been on O2 at home for about 6 months prior to surgery. After surgery his O2 requirements increased and he simply has not been able to recover to even his pre-surgery 02 requirements. After more extensive testing he was  diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis. I researched this drug and saw that lung issues, specifically pulmonary fibrosis,  is one of the potential side effects. My questions are: Is it possbile for this drug cause or potentially expedite the progression of the fibrosis? Should this drug have been given to him considering the COPD diagnosis he came in with? Should the drug be discontinued? Is it true that the effects of the drug stay in the system for months after use is discontinued? Please advise as we were hoping this heart surgery would alleviate some of the shortness of breath and it has proved to be a huge step backwards. Thank you for your time and assistance.

[National Jewish Health]

Amiodarone can cause interstitial lung disease, most notably interstitial fibrosis.  It is possible, therefore that the drug can cause or, as you say, "expedite the progression of the fibrosis."  As to your question, “should this drug have been given to him considering the COPD”, you must discuss with your father’s physicians.  Also consider these additional questions with your father’s physicians:  Were there equally effective, less dangerous drugs that might have been used? and was the risk benefit ratio, in this circumstance, favorable?  As for your question “should the drug be discontinued?” you must discuss the potential consequences of that action vs. the need to control cardiac arrhythmias.  Finally it is true that the drug and/or the effects it has set in motion may remain in the system for some time after it is discontinued.

[maggiemag]

You don't say how long he has been taking the Amiodarone.  I think he would need to be on it for a while before a pulmonary fibrosis could develop from the drug. Plus I think it is quite a rare side effect.  Maybe they saw evidence of it on prior tests but didn't mention it..  Yes, it is true that the drug stays on board for months after it is dc'ed.  I am not a physician, but I would think that they should stop the drug.