Amiodarone and Shortness Of Breath: What Users Say

• Jea...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 11, 2019

For Arrhythmia "Started to take amiodarone 2 weeks ago and experienced almost all of its side effects, it was awful! I felt dizzy, confused, tired, out of breath, my hands were shaky, and I couldn’t even walk due to numbness in the lower part of my body. I didn’t feel like myself anymore... I decided to stop, this med was poison to me!"

• Sad...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 5, 2019

For Arrhythmia "My dad was given amiodarone for AFIB. He was taking 800 mg for 10 weeks when he started getting short of breath. He played golf every day and was no longer able to even walk to his truck without feeling like he couldn’t catch his breath. A lung biopsy was done, and he has advanced pulmonary fibrosis. He never smoked and has now been in ICU for 14 days. It’s so heartbreaking. He was a pretty healthy person who loved life, and now he is told that the effects from this medication are irreversible. We do not know if he will ever be able to go home again."

• Bro...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 15, 2019

For Arrhythmia "This medication killed my Dad. Acute onset Pulmonary Toxicity (Interstitial Pneumonia). Just 2 days after high dose injection following cardiac stenting (without informing my Dad of the risks), his lungs started showing opacities (never smoked a day in his life) but they discharged him anyway!! Doctors DO NOT know how to administer or monitor this very dangerous drug. After returning to the hospital with shortness of breath, it took them another 4 days to start steroid therapy, by then the damage was irreversible. He was a very active 72-yr-old, which is well above the recommended age limit of 60, and had chronic lung problems since childhood, which was well known by his treating physician. This is supposed to be a last resort drug, but it’s being prescribed recklessly!"

• Res...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 8, 2016

For Arrhythmia "Back in February I reported that I had been on the drug Amiodarone for 2 weeks. The drug worked well for getting the heart back into sinus rhythm, but it has come at a horrible price! I now have 'pulmonary toxicity' due to this drug and am having recurring bouts of pneumonia. If I had known then what I know now, I would have asked the doctor for something else. When you have toxicity, they can see 'ground glass' in your lungs. The pain is horrible sometimes, and I find myself not wanting to breathe deeply. I was working out 6 days a week, and the doctors have me doing almost nothing right now. I am on steroids, but we don't know the long-term effects for me. Please educate yourself before agreeing to take this drug!"

• Mol...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 22, 2018

For Arrhythmia "In 2018 in AZ, my AFIB acted up. I went to a Cardiologist. He prescribed Amiodarone, 800 mg - 400mg in the morning and 400mg in the evening. It helped, and I went back to him. He told me to continue this dose. I saw him a total of 3 times. At the end of my stay, I felt worse. I had swollen ankles, shortness of breath, and no energy. I called the Dr., left a message, and got no reply. I also experienced added issues like dizziness, blurry eyes, back pain, and cough. I had an appointment at home with my Cardiologist. He questioned me regarding Amiodarone. When I mentioned my prescription was 800 mg daily, he was shocked and said I should have been on that dose for 10 days only. He cut the dose in half. My primary care provider ordered many tests including an Angiogram, blood tests, Upper GI/Colonoscopy, 4 Cat Scans, and X-rays. My liver and kidney tests showed high levels. He decreased my dosage until tests revealed Amiodarone toxicity in my liver. I have been off it for a little over a month, and I still have many side effects as mentioned above. I am only 66 years old and would NOT recommend this to anyone."

• Ron...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 8, 2019

For Supraventricular Tachycardia "I have been on this drug amiodarone for 3 years for V-tach resulting from bad wiring. For the lung problems, I take an expectorant periodically to relieve congestion. I go to the gym three times a week and work out with weights and a treadmill to combat muscle weakness and shortness of breath. Very important to keep weight down as this will add to shortness of breath. I use L-Arginine to help with male performance, do not use Viagra...too dangerous. The ICD has shocked me around 8 times since 2014...this drug did not help with that. Ejection fraction at 25%. Recently had an endo-ablation. Next is an epi-ablation as the doctors seek to eliminate this drug from my medication regimen. The shocks originally occurred prior to the prescribing of this drug. Once on 400mg/day, shocks stopped. Last year, dosage was reduced to 200mg/day and shocks returned four months later. Moved to 600mg/day until ablation, now on 200mg/day since PVCs stopped. I am 69 years old."

• Gar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 25, 2021

For Ventricular Fibrillation "My husband was on amiodarone to prevent the defibrillator from going off. His initial dosages were quite high for one week, then levels tapered down. After six weeks of relative healthiness, we went on a Caribbean cruise. Two days into the cruise, he was very short of breath and, at times, incoherent. The ship doctor’s findings were bilateral pulmonary infiltration, O2 saturation of 50%, and pO2 level of 55. In St. Maarten hospital intensive care. Testing for virus and bacteria was negative. A pulmonologist researched his meds. Amiodarone is the culprit. It is taking weeks to leave his body. He is still on CPAP, sats are at 94% but he is getting 50% O2 at 4 liters. When we can finally fly back to the US, I have every intention of seeking medico-legal assistance. I don't think he will ever recover, he needs O2 for the rest of his life. I see many attorneys taking on these cases, with some class action occurring. THIS DRUG NEEDS TO BE REMOVED FROM THE MARKET."

• Max...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 5, 2018

For Ventricular Fibrillation "Was put on Amiodarone while in the hospital, then given 800 mg to take when I got home. Was breathless when I left the hospital, could not get my breath that night, 0 blood pressure, rushed back to the hospital the next day, lucky to still be here. Now all my records show allergic to Amiodarone. Was on Levothyroxine, should never have been put on Amiodarone as it is full of iodine. See Amiodarone thyroid toxicity."

• Scr...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• May 16, 2018

For Ventricular Tachycardia "While helping the heart condition, I experience substantial debilitating side effects with this medication: severe fatigue, wheezing, red/itchy eyes, renal failure, painful scrotum, difficulty walking, swollen hands after sunlight, back pain, several other not-so-debilitating symptoms."

• Rob...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 9, 2022

For Arrhythmia "My experience was horrible. I felt absolutely awful for the entire month that I took the drug with lightheadedness and shortness of breath. Another annoying side effect is that my knuckles and toes turned blue."